Cameron keeps the legacy going
934874
This was an excellent book in the genre of Tom Clancy. It was good to see that John Clark still had a prominent role.  I would suggest that readers binge read this book rather than in starts and stops.  It is a bit hard to keep all the players straight if you don't.
1574599
An interesting set of ideas about the future of the monarchy - Catherine is a nice person; HRM is still in charge and knows what's happening and Camilla is still the the villan!
1726245
I bought this book when it first came out, while in college. It was a landmark study then, and remains pertinent today. While Aronson's work is always excellent, this book, which is more a private family history than a political study, remains, to me, his best work. From Germany to Russia, from the Scandinavianian royal families to Romania and Spain, the personal as well as the public lives of Victoria's descendants are brought to life. At a time when relatively little was being written about the lesser known Royals, Aaronson brings them all to life. Despite many later books of a similar nature, this one remains the benchmark...a must read for the casual and serious reader alike!
639256
The Thoenes continue their legacy of historically accurate intriguing storytelling.  A must read for anyone who has kept up with presidential politics and those who should have.
178023
A must for those who want to see why Elvis' legacy has endured through the years.
3558873
An amazing account of legacy & life in the Florida Panhandle. It's author pays tribute to those families that pioneered this diverse, pristine region. Historical families, rich with impressive perseverance; their optimistic spirit drove them to succeed, in spite of difficulties, obstacles or discouragements. A legacy that continues to this day through their descendants. ~Recommended read.
3099093
I received Christ in college, and a year later was working in the California Legislature.  After 25 years working, as a Christian, in politics and government, I can testify that Thomas and Dobson are conveying  a message that is desparately needed (and one that is probably 15 years  late!).  From my vantage point, I've seen religious conservatives be used  by politicians for their own purposes, with little commitment or resolve to  support religious conservative objectives.  We've seen Christianity become  overrun by politics.  Thomas and Dobson perform a great service by making  JESUS CHRIST the center of Christianity, not a political agenda or party.
4751808
All these years later, it's amazing how relevant Adams's story is for the country today. Much has changed, and very little has changed.
4649408
There are just some authors who can tell a wonderful tale, Alastair MacDougall is one of them.
Truly enjoyed this one and Cameron as well.
1939822
I enjoyed this book very much, a great story and got me really emotional at times. Good character descriptions. Cameron makes his persons so lovable.
2094295
It was interesting how Barclay can still be relevant so long after his death.  He still has a lot to say.
4369598
The Crown continues right where The Heir left off with Princess Eadlyn doing her best in upholding the tradition of The Selection process. Even when the castle is in  chaos not only because of the queens health scare but also because of the peoples  restlessness The Selection still  continued on.

What I enjoyed about this book was I was able to witness just how much integrity  Princess Eadlyn possessed during the entire process. She was being pulled in so many directions yet she still managed to balance everything with competence and finesse. She certainly demonstrated just how much of an exemplary ruler she would be when it was her time to  ascend the throne.

There were moments that I felt relieved that among all the suitors in the Elite (and then some) that I wasn't able to predict who Princess Eadlyn was going to choose but in hindsight this was the reason why he didn't make a lasting impression either. I can tell you that whoever he is  he was unexpected.

 About their connection, the words were there but I felt like I needed more  more interaction between the two perhaps? That being said, I wish there was another book slated down the road. I would be satisfied with a novella at this point. I just felt that The Crown ended too abruptly. I certainly would have loved to see just how Eadlyne partnership with her consort would work given their complicated situation.

I loved that every single one of loose ends from the last book was tied up. All the unanswered questions were addressed. I  appreciated how involved the previous characters were in Princess Eadlyns decisions. Her parents wise words, their wisdom, and infinite love and support throughout the entire process was certainly the highlight of the story.

Overall, I thought the entire series was a good read. I just hope that Kiera Cass eventually decides to satisfy my curiosity with more details of this fated couple.
2525391
I have always been fascinated by the British Royal family, and you would be hard pressed to find a more colorful royal than King Edward VII.  Jane Ridley gives us a very revealing look at the man who spent more time as Prince of Wales than any other prince in British history in The Heir Apparent: A Life of Edward VII, the Playboy Prince.  She was granted unrestricted access to the papers of Edward VII in the Royal Archives, and thousands of them were never seen before by outside researchers.  The profile shows King Edward, known a Bertie, in a new light.  This is especially important because "after his death the politicians attempted to write him out of diplomatic history."

Albert Edward (Bertie) was the second child and oldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. From the start, Bertie was a disappointment, lagging far behind his oldest sister, Vicky.  It wasn't that Bertie was dumb.  More likely, he was a lazy and unmotivated student.  He was the type of child who responded to positive reinforcement and kindness--something not to be found with his strict parents, who insisted on stricter tutors.  The prince grew up to be a social, likeable, but hedonistic adult.

With Bertie, it was a question of the chicken of the egg.  Did Victoria's refusal to give him any active role in her government lead to his self-indulgent lifestyle?  Or did Bertie's pleasure-seeking ways keep Victoria from trusting him with state matters?  Bertie over-indulged in everything from women to food to gambling to smoking.

Ridley claims that through her research, she realized that Bertie "grew up" and that "My affection grew for the man condemned to the lifetime of indulgence and political impotence while he waited for his mother to die."  Yes, Bertie was a better King than he ever was a Prince of Wales.  He spoke fluent German and French and through his constant travels, was a roving ambassador for England.  He was the first constitutional monarch and modernized the monarchy.  He was active in foreign policy and through his nieces and nephews, was considered the uncle of Europe.  And he brought back ceremony and strict protocol--something that had lapsed under Victoria.  He also made himself available to his subjects, and was well-loved by them.  But I still see a man who neglected his wife, had more mistresses than we will ever know, "borrowed" large sums of money from his Jewish friends, drove some of his friends toward bankruptcy when he visited them for weekend house parties, and could easily write-off friends when he disapproved of something (even trivial).  While I admire many aspects about Bertie, I'm still not sure that I warmed to him as a person.

Jane Ridley did a commendable job in writing this biography.  If I found one weakness, it is that there is virtually nothing about Bertie's three daughters.  But in other aspects, The Heir Apparent is the best work about King Edward VII to come along in almost 50 years.
3936454
Bruce Cameron writes with the voice of an activist. The repo man series has made me check out many of his novels. Just simply a good read.
4797424
A Leary left a serious legacy that unfortunately continues to be overshadowed by his folly.  I got the book at this late date to see if it explained his change of mind about Alcor (cryogenics) at the end.  Although his era and time passed and the world moved on, he is still relevant as a dynamic and exceptional human that I will always treasure and admire.
4465471
Great song and preformed nicely.  Still prefer Cameron(Spelling ?) version, which is a bit faster and with back-up singer.
2802883
Jane Ridley has definitely done her research thoroughly, and it can't have been easy, considering Edward VII's determined efforts to obliterate all traces of his private feelings and thwart biographers of the future.  Of all the biographies I have read in recent months, this represents the most impressive scholarship of them all.  Ridley has taken full advantage of resources heretofore unavailable to researchers, which has made a truly in-depth biography impossible, and the best picture we could hope to have of Edward VII is the result.

So why not a full 5 stars?  Ridley, as so often happens, is a little more sympathetic to Bertie the wastrel Prince of Wales than perhaps she should be.  She isn't pulling her punches when describing a thoroughly dissolute four decades of his life, but one is left with the distinct impression that if ONLY Victoria had been a better mother (and really, she couldn't have been much more dreadful as a parent), then Bertie would have been less of a screw-up.  The truth is, we just don't know.  It is entirely possible that his position in society was such that he was bound to indulge himself, no matter what his upbringing had been.

Likewise, his performance during his brief reign as king exceeded the expectations of just about everyone, as Ridley hastens to point out.  But really, by 1901, there was nowhere to go but up.  Some very serious scandals in the 1890's had put Bertie's political future in very serious jeopardy, and had more people than we realize giving serious consideration to dismantling the monarchy (or at least curtailing it severely).  Edward's accession came with a great deal of unease on the part of Britain's population, but he always jealously observed the social proprieties which were due him, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he took the dignity of his station as seriously as he did.

As far as his role as Britain's diplomat in the courts of Europe --- yes, his personal connection as "The Uncle of Europe" did make a difference, but Ridley only obliquely concedes that he might be as responsible for Europe's slide toward catastrophe in 1914 as anyone.  As far as the Entente Cordiale is concerned, Ridley does not give nearly the amount of credit to skilled French diplomats such as Thophile Delcass and Paul Cambon, who very early on identified the importance of settling French differences with Britain in order to contend with the much greater danger that Imperial Germany posed.  While Edward VII certainly softened the popular French attitude towards Britain, Ridley makes it appear as though he practically seduced an unsuspecting Marianne, who giddily tumbled into the British bedchamber without a second thought.

Aspects of the book I particularly liked:  Ridley's discussion of Bertie's almost countless affairs in a measured way, keeping this book from descending into salacious gossip, and her careful discussion of alleged royal bastards and other rumors.

Aspects of the book I particularly disliked:  her treatment of the Royal Baccarat Scandal was a little more cursory than I felt it should have been.  It was a major scandal, and the damage it did to the monarchy should not be underestimated.  Ridley gives a good discussion of the events leading up to the trial, but then hurries the reader past the trial itself.  The Prince of Wales was exposed as having breached the Military Code and also breaking the law (as baccarat & most forms of gambling were illegal), and was forced to take the stand under oath.  But Ridley's treatment of the whole affair makes the trial seem rather anticlimactic.

But these are small quibbles.  Anyone with an interest in this period of British history, or who just appreciates a really good biography, would be well-advised to seek out this book.  Strongly recommended!