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Becoming Queen [Paperback]

Kate Williams (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 5 Mar 2009

Our perception of Victoria the Queen is coloured by portraits of her older, widowed self - her dour expression embodying the repressive morality propagated in her time. But Becoming Queen reveals an energetic and vibrant woman, determined to battle for power. It also documents the Byzantine machinations behind Victoria's quest to occupy the throne, and shows how her struggles did not end when finally the crown was placed on her head.

Laying bare the passions that swirled around the throne in the eighteenth century, Becoming Queen is an absorbingly dramatic tale of secrets, sexual repression and endless conflict. After her lauded biography of Emma Hamilton, England's Mistress, Kate Williams has produced a most original and intimate portrait of Great Britain's longest reigning monarch.

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Product details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Arrow; Paperback. 0.2 edition (5 Mar 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0099451824
  • ISBN-13: 978-0099451822
  • Product Dimensions: 13 x 2.8 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 148,306 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Kate Williams
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Product Description

Review

The amazing untold story of Victoria before she was Queen ... Kate Williams reveals a passionate young woman beloved of her future subjects but at war with her family (Sunday Telegraph )

Passionate, exuberant and entertaining, a treasure trove of royalty, intrigue and politics ... vividly and sensitively brings to life the girl who would become Queen (Simon Sebag Montefiore )

This fresh and vivid portrayal of the young Queen Victoria is deserving of the highest praise. I cannot recommend it highly enough (Alison Weir, author of The Lady Elizabeth )

Becoming Queen showcases an outstanding talent from whom we can expect much more (Matthew D'ancona Spectator )

History as exciting and tempestuous as you are ever likely to find (Country Life )

Review

This fresh and vivid portrayal of the young Queen Victoria is deserving of the highest praise. I cannot recommend it highly enough --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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4.6 out of 5 stars
16 reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
27 of 27 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars A superb historical biography. 9 Nov 2008
By Mr. J. I. Karacs
Format:Hardcover
Kate Williams has followed up her excellent biography of Lady Hamilton 'England's Mistress', with this fascinating book on how Queen Victoria ascended the throne. Beginning with the troubled path that would lead to the emergence of the Victorian age, Kate Williams depicts the dissolute and the degenerate heirs of George III, and the question surrounding the future heir the young and vulnerable princess Charlotte. The first half of the book introduces the reader to the background and its many characters who all wanted a stake at the throne. It is due to Kate Williams' attention to detail that she captures a whole host of memorable figures, not least Victoria's mother and the machiavellian John Conroy.

Ultimately in this very engaging historical biography, Kate Williams has achieved in bringing to life young Victoria, spirited, intelligent, and passionate, who through a change of fortune would become one of the most important monarchs in world history. A monarch who with the love of her future husband Albert, would usher in a new optimistic age. Brilliant and my pick for the best biography of 2008.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Sympathetic portrait of a 19th century icon 1 Feb 2009
By Buzy Bea
Format:Hardcover
I very much enjoyed Kate Williams' previous (debut) book 'Lady Hamilton 'England's Mistress', and looked forward keenly to reading her latest account of the early years of Queen Victoria and the exceptional circumstances that culminated in her reign. I was not disappointed. Kate Williams has a deceptively easy style that makes her books highly readable. Contrary to another reviewer I did enjoy the long introductory paragraphs about Victoria's cousin Charlotte - the princess who should have been Queen: so little is written of her short, tragic life and it was illuminating to become acquainted with her before moving on to the subject 'an icon of the 19th century'. The book finished rather abruptly: I know it is an account of Victoria's early years and much has been written about the rest of her reign but perhaps my disappointment at the ending is indicative of how utterly absorbing and entertaining I found this marvellous book.
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21 of 23 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Requires perserverance, a little heavy to begin with ... 27 Oct 2008
By J. Ruthven-Fox
Format:Hardcover
By the time I reached the epilogue I loved this book but it was rather heavy going to begin with as we learnt about the cruel upbringing and subsequent untimely death of the princess who should have been queen instead of Victoria. I thought the Charlotte years could have been condensed into rather fewer pages, and more emphasis given to Victoria's accession in order to affirm the book's title. Notwithstanding the above points, I heartily recommend this book as Kate Williams shows us a side of Victoria that came as rather a surprise to me: what a nympho!!!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars A HISTORYOF 2 PRINCESSES
WELL RESEARCHED AND WELL WRITTEN. INTERESTING SUBJECT MATTER NOT OFTEN DEALT WITH IN POPULAR HISTORY. INTERESTING DETAILS OF 19TH CENTURY BACKGROUND...
Published 2 months ago by SHEILA
5.0 out of 5 stars Superb account of the upbringing of the women who would reign over an...
Most people have this image of Queen Victoria as this old, depressed and frumpy women dressed in black " we are not amused" etc. Read more
Published 5 months ago by James
5.0 out of 5 stars Can't Put It Down!
If I had the time to read this biography straight through, I would! It's a real 'page-turner'. Although I bought it for Victoria's life story, the early section on princess... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Rachel OK
5.0 out of 5 stars So you think Victoria was a prude? Think again!
Kate Williams has written an entertaining and fascinating account of Charlotte, our 'lost' queen, who died in childbirth. Read more
Published 23 months ago by History Girl
4.0 out of 5 stars Review of Kate Williams's "Becoming Queen"
Kate William's biography "Becoming Queen" recounts a sizable amount of British history and the improbable devolution of title of monarch onto the fragile shoulders of a girl of... Read more
Published on 26 Jan 2011 by M.K.Greenwood
4.0 out of 5 stars Victoria - Fact and Fiction
After all the film and television Victoriana of late this was an interesting read as it related the factual side of the events of Victoria's childhood and accession. Read more
Published on 24 Aug 2010 by Mariread
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read
An excellent work. Highly recommended to those whom are interested in the end of the Regency period and the first few years of the Victorian era. Read more
Published on 3 April 2010 by Martin Oldham
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read
This book is a fantastic read! One of the best i have read in a long time. I have read many books on Queen Victoria and after a while you get a little bored of the same... Read more
Published on 4 Jan 2010 by K. Evans
4.0 out of 5 stars Recommended, with reservations
The good: the book is engaging and detailed, and paints vivid pictures of Charlotte, Victoria and the people in their lives. Read more
Published on 30 Dec 2009 by bon francais
5.0 out of 5 stars Engaging, well researched book
I bought this as I wanted an introduction to Victoria. I didn't really pay attention to the blurb about Charlotte and I thought initially, this section might have been boring,... Read more
Published on 6 Oct 2009 by Gemma
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