This is an excelent, simple book on making windsor chairs. The format of the book is one of pictures with two or three lines of text describing the pictured operation. A good step by step reference for when you're building a chair.

I HAVE SEEN VIDEOS AND READ SOME BOOKS ON THIS SUBJECT, BUT I FIND THIS BOOK ESPECIALLY COMPELLING FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS; THE POINT OF VIEW THE BOOK TAKES THE READER, AND THE INFORMATION AND THE INTERPRETATION OF THE SUPPORTING FACTS OF HIS POINT OF VIEW.

The Duchess of York has done her finest work in this elegant and collectible book. It contains very carefully documented and well written information on Victoria and Albert's life with their children. The pictures and drawings bring us to another place and time in the grandeur of this Victorian Royal Family. Anyone doing research on Queen Victoria and her family must take a look at this valuable book!!!!

I fell in love with the story of the Duke and Duchess after reading the love letters in this book. The touching and informative letters help the reader to understand the true love between these two lovers and the sacrifice Edward made in order to have his one true love. I don't know any other person who could do that. Certainly not our current Prince of Wales. This book shows that true love is still a powerful thing. Read it if you love history at all. It is more than just love letters. It is also a very good account of the way life was during the Depression.

This is a gem of a reference book. I love the author's droll, elegant style, his lovely witticisms. I have been dispensing this book as Christmas gifts, and it is loved by readers and non readers alike. It has sparked many a lively discussion. What else has Sholl written? More please!

Probably the first popular book on the subject. Dunbar takes the reader from the basic joints used in the Windsor, through to riving, steambending wood and assembling the chair. He touches on every style of this fabulous piece. Importantly, Dunbar also addresses the specific tools he uses and has designed to render a Windsor. A great book and already a "bible" for aspiring Windsor chairmakers. A "must have volume". Many chairmakers found on the web have taken Dunbars weeklong course at his shop in the east and have started their own careers making Windsors...

Early in the history of this country a few hardy souls set out to establish a town they could call their own. Windsor, CT was first surveyed and then platted to show ownership, and thereby a vested interest in making a "stopping place", their home. The maps included in Volume I give a detailed view of where one family lived in relation to another. Volume II goes into great detail--more than 900 pages, outlining the relationship of one family to another. This volume provides great genealogical information for the more than 200 families who lived, married, and raised families who have since spread throughout the United States. The descendants have since populated many parts of the country and can trace their ancestory back to "The History of Ancient Windsor Connecticut."

This makes a great source of information for those who have an ancestor named in these volumes.

Ralph Martin, also the author of a biography of Lady Randolph Churchill, among other subjects, weaves a beautiful portrait of the Duke and Duchess of Windsor in "The Woman He Loved". This book is an absolute must read for anyone interested in the lives of the Windsors. Martin extols the strength of character and the genuine interest in the people around her that made the Duchess such an incredible woman - he does this without telling a lopsided story - we see the faults and downfalls of both the Duke and Duchess, but the author's skilled writing enables such flaws to humanize the Windsors, when most writings of them serve only to add to the myths surrounding the couple. "The Woman He Loved" successfully gives a thorough portrait of the life of Wallis Windsor without resorting to unsubstantiated gossip to fill the pages. The reader will come away from the book knowing a great amount about the private life of the Duchess, both before and after the Duke, and a good historical context of the times and circumstances in which she lived. A beautiful book that is well worth the time to read and re-read.

When the Republicans win the elections of 1992, The Queen of Great Britain and the entire royal family are enforced to move out of Buckingham Palace because the Republicans are against a monarchy. The royal family is stripped of its regal underpinnings and dispatched by the new prime minister, to live in a hellhole council estate in the Midlands
Each member of the Royal Family tries to cope with their "loss" in their own way, have to come to terms with their new situation. Diana mingles with her vulgar neighbours and has an affair, Charles also falls in love and has to go to jail because he hit someone, Philip refuses to accept his new life and therefore starves himself and won't come out of bed. Harry and William hang on the streets every day and adapt very quickly to their new lifestyle but the one who is most able to cope is of course the Queen. Totally unexpected the royal family come to terms with their new situation in a series of very funny scenes. But eventually everything gets resolved by the fact that is was all a bad dream. The day after election night the Queen wakes up and realises that the hole story was just a dream/nightmare.

Comment on the book:

I enjoyed reading this book but I wouldn't read it again. Though I have to say that while reading the book I could imagine how that "hellhole" and the royal family would look, in their ordinary clothes. I found this image very funny. Unfortunately is the ending very predictable but I didn't waste my time reading this book. It was funny.

Well-known British author Townsend takes an amusing premise about as far as it can go with her silly take on what might happen if the British royal family was stripped of its titles and possessions. In this farce, subliminal TV messages hoodwink British voters into electing a Republican ticket on an abolish-the-monarchy platform. The bulk of the plot is fairly predictable, but nonetheless enjoyable, fish-out-of-water stuff as the royals are sent to live in nasty council housing amidst the rabble, sans their servants, finery, and so forth. Townsend uses this as an opportunity to satirize the royals: Diana is depicted as an airhead clothes horse and has an affair with a Jamaican fellow, Charles goes environmental and falls for one of his feisty lower-class neighbors, Harry and William run wild in the streets and quickly adopt gutter accents, Prince Phillip goes mad and is bedridden, etc... Somewhat predictably the one most able to cope is the Queen--also predictable is the ending, but you can't really expect it to end any other way.

Review

Titel: The Queen and I
Author: Sue Townsend
Publisher: Arrow Books Limited

Review:
A Republican government wins the election in 1992, and overnight the Royal family is relieved of its duties and is forced to live on a council estate in the Midlands.
Each of the members of the royal family copes with the new situation in a different way,
The Queen tries to make the most of the situation, prince Philip can't cope at all, he refuses to get out of bed, wash himself or eat and ends up in a mental hospital. Prince Charles gets arrested for an argument with a police constable.
Meanwhile Jack Barker, the new Prime Minister brings the country to bankruptcy and England is annexated by Japan.
Luckily the queen wakes up to discover that it was all just a bad dream.

Comment on the book:
This book has been a joy to read. It is funny, witty and it kept me wanting to read more until the last page. The story is brilliantly written and while reading it I saw the described situations very vividly in my mind. I can see why 'The Queen and I' has become a best-seller. Sue Townsend takes the Royal family and in a very entertaining way, puts them eye to eye with ordinary people. The Queen is portrait in a very dignifying manner as a strong motherly person who tries to make the best of every situation. I wonder whether the Queen herself has read the book, I know she would approve.

Readers who decide to read this book, won't be disappointed. The book is witty, entertaining and funny. It is brilliantly written and what's more, at times it makes you laugh out loud, I wish I could write like that. This book should be in every book case !

I read this book a couple of years ago - before Diana's death in fact - and found it far too humble. Sarah certainly goes for the self flagelation approach, why she chooses to blame herself entirely can only be to curry flavour with the Windsors - did she strike some sort of deal with them?

Not knowing any of the key players, but observing as an outsider who lives in the UK, I would say that this poor woman had impossible ideals to live up to, namely the waif like idolised Diana who even at her most unpopular moments was always hailed as a great beauty & excellent mother. It used to outrage me how the press sniped at Fergie's weight, look at the Queen & the Queen Mother, both rather matronly not to mention Andrew who is somewhat portly.

I personally could not imagine marrying into that family, I wouldn't have lasted as long as Sarah did. I suspect also, that these were the only 2 out of any of the Queen's children, who actually married for love.

I'm sure she could have been far, far more critical, this book was certainly carefully written in order to avoid the wrath of the royals.

Gutsy woman though - I admire her.

It wasn't until I read Sarah's book that I realized how difficult it was being a "new Royal". Her descriptions and explanations make the reader feel as though she is experiencing the event with the Duchess. Sarah is very talented and her book gives the reader the courage to face her own tests. It should be required reading for all journalists--to see the damage they do to marriages and lives.

I enjoy reading biographies and this one by Sarah Ferguson has stayed on my heart years after I first read it. Sarah was so honest about the heartbreak she lived through as the child of divorce, that often her story made me cry. Her willingness to truthfully share the mistakes she made and the painful lessons she learned during her time at Buckingham Palace were poignant and fascinating.

I recommend this story to anyone who is interested in British royalty, but also anyone who wants to read compelling story about an inspiring woman.