- Paperback: 576 pages
- Publisher: Arrow; New Ed edition (5 May 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0099446731
- ISBN-13: 978-0099446736
- Product Dimensions: 19.4 x 13 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
75,862 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4 in Books > Biography > British Royalty > Elizabeth II
- #7 in Books > Biography > British Royalty > Prince Philip
- #42 in Books > History > Britain & Ireland > British Heads of State > Elizabeth II
Philip & Elizabeth: Portrait of a Marriage
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Product Description
Review
Thoughtful and outrageous . . . chirpy, energetic. . . . Intrusive, sympathetic, wholly original, often hilarious . . . unfailingly interesting.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Evening Standard
"…cheeky, gossipy, often highly amusing book…a most engagingly intimate volume"
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book (as the title suggests!) is about Queen Elizabeth and her husband Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. It starts with describing their early lives, how they grew up, and then how they met and married, and then goes on to describe them as a family and as the Queen being the Queen. It was very clearly laid out and described, and provides a good background for if you know nothing, or not much, about the couple and want to know more. Theres a good bit of British Royal history in there as well, which is good.
I really liked this book. Although he did name drop quite often (and did admit it!) you really got the sense that Gyles Brandreth did know them, especially Prince Phillip, and had talked to people who really knew them, not just people wanting to create a sensation or sell their stories to the newspapers. It didnt really offer much critisism of them, but I think sometimes you don't need that in a book. Both the Queen and Prince Phillip were portrayed in a positive light, which I think was good, even though it did go over their percieved negative points - Prince Phillips numerous "jokes" for example. I am biased because I am a big fan of the Royal Family, but I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who wants to know about the Queen and her husband in a well researched and non sensationalist way
I really liked this book. Although he did name drop quite often (and did admit it!) you really got the sense that Gyles Brandreth did know them, especially Prince Phillip, and had talked to people who really knew them, not just people wanting to create a sensation or sell their stories to the newspapers. It didnt really offer much critisism of them, but I think sometimes you don't need that in a book. Both the Queen and Prince Phillip were portrayed in a positive light, which I think was good, even though it did go over their percieved negative points - Prince Phillips numerous "jokes" for example. I am biased because I am a big fan of the Royal Family, but I really enjoyed this and would recommend it to anyone who wants to know about the Queen and her husband in a well researched and non sensationalist way
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
The two previous reviews have already clearly indicated that this double biography is rather a disappointment. I do share these views.
May I add a few remarks of my own: It was rather off-putting that the author constantly refers to theb fact how close he is to the Duke. What does he wants us to tell with that? That he had exclusive access to information otherwise not available or does he wants to boost his own standing? He is pretty clear about how he admires the Duke and well that does it say all: all is great about him. Actually no need to explore the life of the Duke further because he can do no wrong. Furthermore, why does the author states that certain things in the lives of the Queen and the Duke is not the reader's /public's business to deal with as it is private? Well what is the sense of investigating their lives if one is suppose to know only what they are willing to give away. Then just read the Queen's website!
All in all, I feel that the author is far to close to his subjects in order to give the reader an objective or even an interesting new inside in their lives, backgrounds etc.. It is a bit like the last books by Andrew Morton who writes in the style "I and Princess Di": this is "I and the Duke".
11 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I was pleasantly surprised by this after ploughing through the opening prologue. There are a number of mistakes in there, which grated with me. Page 16, Brandreth refers to the memorial service for the terror attacks of Sept. 11 2001 as being at Westminster Abbey - it was at St Paul's Cathedral. He also refers to the re-sheduled date of Edward VII's coronation as 9 Aug 1902, which is before the date he first mentions as the propsed date on 26 June 1903. As it was postponed because of illness, this cannot be right.
Once I was past that point, however, the book became very readable. Brandreth clearly has had access to Philip and Elizabeth, (though there is perhaps a touch more reference to Philip than Elizabeth) and a number of family and friends. The book seeks to put right a number of myths and rumours about them, he is fiercely loyal to both of them, and through the book, he offers the wit and light-hearted yet serious style of writing for which he is well-known.
A difficult start, but a pleasure to read
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Interesting
I enjoyed reading about the Queen and Prince Phillip and how their marriage has evolved over the years. Read more
Published 2 days ago by Leigh
Egotistical but fascinating
The Queen is just about my most admired living person, her dedication is amazing.
Brandreth quotes what makes them happy which I think is very true:
1) Dont... Read more
Brandreth quotes what makes them happy which I think is very true:
1) Dont... Read more
Published on 23 Jun 2007 by chill
Prince Philip was born on a kitchen table on the island of Corfu
And other irresistible tidbits make this book an honest and enchanting look at the Royal Family. For me, it was a real page turner. I could not put it down. Read more
Published on 13 April 2006 by Diane Lindenberger
Ego Trip
Gyles Brandreth claimes to know the real Philip and Elizabeth, Well this book just shows one what an ego trip these so called royal insiders are on. Read more
Published on 16 Sep 2005 by Daniel Rampton
Excruciatingly detailed and boring biography
I love the Royal Family. In the last 20 years I think I have purchased every single book that has been published about each of them. Read more
Published on 24 Sep 2004
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