Queen Elizabeth II: Her Life in Our Times

by Sarah Bradford

From Sarah Bradford, the best-selling author of George VI, Elizabeth and Diana, the definitive biography of Queen Elizabeth II, to tie in with the Diamond Jubilee. Elizabeth II has lived through the Abdication, the Blitz and World War Two, the sex and spy scandals of the swinging sixties, the Cold War and the nuclear threat and the Fall of the Berlin Wall. She has known 11 US Presidents including JFK and Ronald Reagan, and other world leaders like President Mandela and Pope John XXII. Her Prime Ministers have ranged from Winston Churchill and Margaret Thatcher to David Cameron, the last only ten years older than her grandson. Her own family experiences, a mixture of happiness and crisis, weddings and divorces, and, in the case of Diana, violent death, have been lived in the glare of tabloid headlines. More than 2 billion people watched the wedding of her grandson Prince William to Catherine Middleton in 2010 shortly before she made the first State Visit to Ireland by a British monarch for 100 years. Our world has changed more in her lifetime than in any of her predecessors': the Queen has remained a calm presence at the centre, earning the respect of monarchists and republicans. How has she done it? 'Bradford has a real grasp of history and the ability to make it spark into new life' Sunday Telegraph 'Bradford's forte, ever since she was a history-mad girl, is thinking herself into other lives' Daily Telegraph Sarah Bradford is a historian and biographer. Her books include Cesare Borgia (1976), Disraeli (1982), winner of the New York Times Book of the Year, Princess Grace (1984), Sacherevell Sitwell (1993), Elizabeth: A Biography of Her Majesty the Queen (1996), America's Queen: The Life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (2000), Lucrezia Borgia (2005) and Diana (2007). She frequently appears on television as an authority on her biographical subjects and as a commentator on notable royal events. She is currently working on a full scale biography of Queen Victoria. She lives in London.

Genres: Biography, History, Royalty, Nonfiction, British Literature, Biography Memoir, Politics

320 pages, Hardcover

First published December 1, 2011

About the author

Educated at St. Mary’s Convent, Shaftesbury Dorset, where she won a State Scholarship and at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she won a College Scholarship in History, Sarah Bradford is an historian and biographer who has travelled extensively, living in the West Indies, Portugal and Italy. She speaks four languages which have been invaluable in her research for her various books, particularly The Englishman’s Wine, the Story of Port (the first book on the subject written by a woman), Portugal and Madeira. She worked in the Manuscript Department of Christie’s London, travelling for the Department and valuing manuscripts from the fifteenth to twentieth centuries, an experience which enabled her to write Cesare Borgia (used by the BBC as the source of their series ‘The Borgias’, for which she wrote the novelisation of the scripts) and, most recently, Lucrezia Borgia

Reviews

[Tina(why is GR limiting comments?!!) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 *

I read this one quite a while ago.

Sarah Bradford always researches her subjects well. She's an accomplished Royal Historian. I enjoy her detailed writing but I do remember this one was less about her life and more about the history of the British Monarchy and how it fits into the Modern World. Of course much attention to the scandals.

[Kristiāna Rubīna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reizēm grāmatai ir vērts dot otro iespēju, lai izlasītu to vēlreiz un pārliecinātos, ka viss nav tik slikti, kā sākumā liekas.

Labi, ka šai grāmatai es devu šo otro iespēju.

Šī tiešām ir vērtīga grāmata (neskatoties uz to, ka Karaliene tajā ir tikai sīks elements, bet nozīmīgs).
Šī ir vērtība arī tāpēc, ka karaliene vairs nav kopā ar mums. pēc viņas nāves Šī grāmata ir kā tāda vēstures liecība. Tā ir ļoti vērtīga uzziņu literatūra, ja zini maz par karalienes nozīmīgumu, kā valsts galvai un sadraudzības valstu vadītājai.

Kad karaliene viesojās Latvijā (2006.gadā), tad arī man bija iespēja viņu redzēt kaut no attāluma.
Paldies par šo biogrāfijas tulkojumu. Ļoti patika šī grāmata. uzzināju daudz ko tādu, ko nebiju zinājusi gan par karalieni, gan monarhiju kopumā.

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure if it's a 3.5 or a 4 star read. It was interesting enough but wasn't as good as other biographys out there. But it was well researched and well written.

[Lauritta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dikti gaidīju, bet vīlos.
Lielākoties šis bija sauss Apvienotās karalistes pagātnes un vēstures apraksts iepinot monarhu klātbūtni. Traucējoša likās arī autores mētāšanās ar personvārdiem, gadskaitļiem un brīžiem nehronoloģiskais notikumu atstāsts.

Ļoti maz personīgu detaļu un ikdienas aprakstu no karaliskās dzīves, vien tie paši visiem zināmie personiskie aspekti, kas gadu gaitā ir jau pavīdējuši presē.

Katrā ziņā Netflix seriāls CROWN ir daudz lielāks baudījums par šo grāmatu.

[Elīza Benefelde · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lielisks ieskats Karaliskās ģimenes ikdienas dzīvē! 😍

[Andreas · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm by no means a monarchist. In fact I find monarchy in general to be quite unnecessary and a relic of the past. At the same time I'm very interested in history, and Queen Elizabeth II certainly lived through lots of it. I saw her as a living embodiment of a certain period of history, and as such I've long found her to be an interesting figure. Despite me not being British or ever having stepped foot on British soil I was still saddened by her passing. Therefore I decided to read a biography and learn more about the Queen. And to say that she has lived through lots of modern history is an understatement to say the least. Born in an era where the monarchy still had sort of a fabled air around it, all the way to present day. Truly a unique figure in modern history. Rest in peace.

[Arnija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gribējās vairāk par karalieni un mazāk par UK politiku.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. For those who know me personally, I was extremely fond of the late Queen Elizabeth.

For the most part, I found Sara Bradford's writing to be engaging. I have read one of her biographies before, and unfortunately, I found this one to be a bit too repetitive. However, I enjoyed all the quotes embedded into the story, and wow, there is a long and tragic history of spite-fueled royal memoirs. 😬 It was a slow start, but I really enjoyed this read once I was in the zone.

[Malin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Det här är en väldigt intressant bok om en väldigt intressant kvinna. Boken gavs ut strax innan hennes 60-årsjubileum som regent, så de senaste tio åren (med regentrekord, ytterligare debacle i familjen, prinsens död och ännu ett decennium på tronen) finns inte med. Men det har hunnit hända mycket under tiden innan…
Drottningen gav aldrig några intervjuer, så informationen bygger på intervjuer och (själv)biografier med personer runt omkring samt media, men man får en bra insikt i hennes (publika) liv - med alla dess “ups and downs”. Ett liv som skulle ha blivit ett helt annat om det varit tillåtet för kungen att gifta sig med en skild kvinna…

[Elizabeth Boileau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Très interessant, mais plus axé sur la monarchie et la politique que je pensais. On a quand même beaucoup de détails sur sa vie privée et la famille royale! On voit que l'autrice a eu accès à des archives et des sources directes, ce qui rend le tout plus concret. Une bonne lecture relaxante!

[Alex · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to have a complete break from YA and children's fiction over Christmas and picked this up. Despite an opening couple of chapters that would have been confusing for anyone without a working knowledge of the Windsor family tree, it was a very enjoyable and interesting read. It was particularly valuable for the author's rapid summary of British social and political change in the second-half of the twentieth century. The author is clearly a devoted admirer of the Queen, but this loyalty does not stop the book from being a fascinating and useful insight into how the British constitution works. Bradford's work has encouraged me to pick up more biographies during 2013 - if I have time!

And now back to the real world of YA and children's novels . . .

[Ingrida Ceple · Rating 3 out of 5]

Biju gaidījusi kaut ko citu, varbūt kaut ko personiskāku. Visi neskaitāmie radu raksti, iesaistītās personas visu tekstu tā samudžināja, ka nespēju atcerēties, kurš ir kurš. Un tā divkosība, brrr... Cik briesmīgs ir bezdarbs un trūkums un tajā pašā laikā jauns Cartier gredzens savai mīļotajai un tā visu laiku paaudzi pēc paaudzes... Un tās briesmīgās internātskolas, kurās viņi ievieto savus troņmantiniekus, man tas viss nav saprotams. Kaut gan angļiem, cik lasīts, visa šī monarhu padarīšana ir svēta lieta. Laikam neesmu īstā auditorija, jo šī grāmata man tiešām neatklāja neko jaunu, kas nebija jau lasīts un redzēts filmās.

[Tiffany · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been reading this off and on since I picked it up in a hospice shop in London in September. It's very well researched and isn't so much a biography as it is a look at modern British history and the queen's role in it. From her childhood to her uncle's abdication, to her father's accession to the throne, WWII, and her dealings with prime ministers from Churchill to Blair, it is much more in depth into British politics than I would have expected. Not as much personal information other than the family scandal stuff we already know. Informative read, if not thrilling.

[Digna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Man kā aizrautīgam The Crown skatītājam lielākā daļa biogrāfisko notikumu bija jau zināmi (tikai lika nedaudz aizdomāties par dažādu stāstītāju atšķirīgām interpretācijām), taču negaidīti interesanti bija lasīt dažādos vēsturiskā fona aprakstus.

[Francesca Romana · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5/5 . I was hoping for something more focused on the character of Queen Elizabeth, on her personality and personal history, rather than a quite standard list of facts and political events.

[Evija · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sākums likās daudzsološs, bet,pirmkārt apmaldījos šausmīgi sapītajos radurakstos, otrkārt, stāstījums tāds gauži bezpersonisks, un īsti jau arī nekā jauna un nezināma.

[Liene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Grāmata tāpat kā karaliene tik pareiza, ka nedaudz garlaicīga! Sāra Bredforda ļoti centusies izpatikt karalienei Elizabetei II. Nez, ko par to visu saka pati Elizabete II?!

[Edvin Lidén · Rating 1 out of 5]

Övervägande tråkig, mycket information som kändes irrelevant eller intetsägande.

[Alain GROSMAN · Rating 5 out of 5]

[FR] J’ai beaucoup apprécié ce « C’était Elizabeth II » de Sarah Bradford qui chapitre après chapitre dans un style simple et fluide avec force de détails raconte chaque épisode de la vie de cette femme d’exception qu’était la Reine d’Angleterre tout en agrémentant le récit de l’histoire également de son entourage !
[EN] I really appreciated this “It Was Elizabeth II” by Sarah Bradford which chapter after chapter in a simple and fluid style with great detail recounts each episode of the life of this exceptional woman who was the Queen of England while also enhancing the story of those around him !

[Lleonora · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quite pleasurable reading. I got the impression that the first one hundren pages were copy-pasted from George VI's biography from the same author (entire passages looked rather familiar, word for word similar even, but I might be wrong).
After a stumbling start, though, it is actually a quite vivacious portrait of Elizabeth II and the British monarchy. Not overly detailed, more like a light and very, very sympathetic overview.
On a side note, if I may, Prince Philip is an international treasure. God save the Prince Consort.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bra bok och mycket fakta. Första delen kändes mer personlig och man fick en blick av hur drottningen var som person. Andra delen var inte lika intressant. Den kändes stressig och inte lika genomarbetad.

[G Blench · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good history lesson of England and the world.

[Ester · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bra skildring som låter läsaren skapa egna åsikter, dock väldigt liten text och svår att läsa.

[gocha_czyta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very biased.

[Liene Araja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sāras Bredfordas Karaliene Elizabete II ir izsmeļoša un saistoša biogrāfija, kas atklāj Anglijas ilggadējās monarhes dzīvi un valdīšanu. Bredforda apvieno vēsturiskus faktus ar personīgiem ieskatiem, sniedzot lasītājiem padziļinātu izpratni par Elizabetes II raksturu, ģimeni un viņas nepārspējamo pienākuma apziņu.

Grāmata izceļ karalienes dzīves galvenos notikumus un izaicinājumus, vienlaikus iedziļinoties arī monarhijas vēsturē un tās lomā mainīgajā pasaulē. Autores stils ir elegants un informatīvs, padarot grāmatu pieejamu gan vēstures entuziastiem, gan ikvienam, kurš vēlas uzzināt vairāk par šo ievērojamo personību.

Lai arī grāmata piedāvā plašu pārskatu, dažos brīžos varētu vēlēties dziļākus ieskatus personīgākos aspektos. Tomēr kopumā tā ir lieliska lasāmviela ikvienam, kurš interesējas par karalisko ģimeni un vēsturi.

[Victoria Lassander-Sandin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jag hade höga förväntningar på denna, men den höll inte riktigt måttet. Jag hade önskat mera innehåll som faktiskt behandlade drottningens liv, tankar och händelser. Det blev väldigt mycket politik och ibland kändes det som en uppräkning av Storbritanniens premiärministrar och deras bedrifter mera än en biografi över drottningen. Dock tyckte jag att författaren höll en fin nivå på berättelsen när det handlade om drottningen, en bra balans mellan sanning, ärlighet och respekt.

Blir tyvärr inte mera än en 3:a.

[Laura Vulāne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lasot grāmatu, īpaši pirmās nodaļas, ļoti apjuku, jo autore "mētājās" no viena notikuma pie otra, no viena gada uz otru. Ņemot vērā, ka iepriekš īsti nebiju interesējusies par Apvienotās Karalistes politiku, atklāju daudz jauna gan par Lielbritāniju, gan tās sadraudzības valstīm. Tāpat kārtējo reizi pārliecinājos, ka nekur un neviens nav perfekts, arī Karalienei Elizabetei II bija ne tikai atbalstītāji, bet arī nīdēji, arī tādi, kas uzskatīja, ka Lielbritānijai nevajag monarhu. Grāmata varētu būt interesanta, ja pirms tam nekas cits par Karalieni Elizabetei II nav lasīts, jāņem gan vērā, ka grāmatā ir daudz vēstures faktu un maz pašas Karalienes domu un uzskatu.

[Inita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sākumā centos iedziļināties, bet sāku pīties - kad princese, kad karaliene, kad hercogiene..kas kuram radinieks un kad ir vārdā, kad uzvārdā, kad titulos- vairs neiedziļinājos, tikai lasīju. Pārāk daudz par mainīgajiem premjerministriem un pārāk maz Elizabetes II.
Pamanīju pāris vietas, kur autore pati ielaidusi neuzmanības kļūdiņas - Elizabete atvadās pēdējoreiz no tēva un dodas uz Austrāliju, bet par tēva nāvi uzzin esot Kenijā. Vairākāa vietās nevietā piesauc 21.gs. Traucēja arī lēkāšana ārpus hronoloģijas.

[M Yeazel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely well written, giving a high level, yet very informative, description of this queen and her history as Monarch during my history as a commoner. There's a lot of information packed into this short book. I recommend it to anyone who needs a review of modern British monarchy.

[Leslie Goddard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice, readable biography. Good at putting her reign in context of broader issues of British history, which of course is a critical part of her reign. I would have liked more insight into who she is as a person.