I read In the Time of the Bells about two years ago after borrowing it from my school library, but it stuck in my mind so I decided to look it up on this site. I think it's a shame it's now out of print, as I thought it was a really good book. As I did read it a long time ago I can't remember the plot in detail, but I remember that it was told in a fairytale-ish style and is about two brothers, I think, princes, who are almost opposites. One, who is set to inherit the throne, is depressed and deep-thinking, with strange ideas about life. The other is cheerful and far more suited to rule. The one who is set to inherit the throne is betrothed to a girl who is very lighthearted, in the hope she can stop him from being depressed, but the plan backfires as they don't understand each other at all. Her older sister has a much deeper sympathy for the older brother. Needless to say it all resolves itself in the end, but although the plot is predictable like in a lot of fairytales, I remember really enjoying it. It's beautifully told, mysterious and atmospheric and gives the feel of a traditional fairytale with something extra.

This book ( which I read in my imperfect spanish) was a tale of a little known character in history who died at 22 after nearly 7 years of constant pregnancies. She was an attractive girl, with great value as a dynastic pawn. Bargained off as part of a peace treaty, she was married to Philip II by proxy at the age of 13 and was sent to Spain at 14, barely able to speak Spanish and her husband, preoccupied, cold and nearly twice her age was uncomfortable with speaking French. Her underlying health problems ( nephritis caused by childhood scarlet fever) made the life of constant pregnancies, and given the limited understanding of her inherent weakness, made the life for which she was destined, certain death. She endured constant illness, importuning from her mother by a barrage of letters, and a distant husband.

Como siempre, Jean Plaidy nos presenta una emocionante novela histórica llena de aventuras, intrigas, odios y luchas por el poder. En esta ocasión, la historia comienza con Isabel de Castilla, quien desde muy niña tuvo que vivir en medio de una guerra de civil para asegurarse el poder. Casada con el Rey Fernando de Aragón, logra unificar políticamente a España y expulsar a los árabes en el año 1492. Los reyes católicos pasarían a la historio como los grandes promotores del descubrimiento de América, pero también como los tristemente inventores de la Inquisición, que cobraría la vida de muchos inocentes. Lea este apasionante relato sobre la vida y obra de Isabel y Fernando, los Reyes Católicos de España, fundadores de un inmenso imperio...

"King Bob's New Clothes" is a story that will delight the reader. The illustrations are fun and the story, a new twist on the old "Emporer's New Clothes", is destined to make you laugh and touch your heart.

The book contains 10 short stories about the silly antics of King Bobble and Queen Bobble. The funny stories will have children giggling over the absurdity, along with the wonderful illustrations. The king is rather pompous and self-centered, as one would expect of a king, I suppose. But he always says "please" when making silly requests of his staff. The stories are just the right length for a quick story before bedtime. Everyone is polite and the characters are more like children play-acting as being king and queen. Enjoyable!

Jarman picks up the setting of her earlier "Crown in Candlelight," telling the story of the breathtakingly beautiful Elizabeth Woodville, wife of Edward IV, and grandmother of Henry VIII. Jarman's usual brilliance at weaving a written tapestry is everywhere in evidence. Elizabeth is the daughter of a powerful and none too scrupulous enchantress, who spins a complex web to further her family's fortunes, setting in motion a chain of events that help topple the Plantagenet dynasty and bring the Tudors to power. Elizabeth is the most complex and finely drawn of Jarman's fine characterizations, as she is caught up in the chaos of the War of the Roses that costs her her life's love and happiness. She is the mother of the 2 princes who died in the Tower, and this enduring historical mystery, as well as the supposed villainy of their uncle Richard III, is very believably and logically portrayed. Why is this wonderful novel out of print? Grab it if you ever see it--it is one of the finest historical novels around.

This book is the third in Plaidy's Tudor series. It is painful to read of Queen Katharine's heartbreak over her inability to produce a son and heir for the increasingly tyrannical Henry. Plaidy's simple writing style is necessary to help readers follow the complex "tangled web" of court intrigues. Read Antonia Fraser's _The Wives of Henry VIII_ for the straight history, then Plaidy's novels for the fictional "inside scoop!"

I thoroughly enjoyed Delderfield's book on the kings and queens of England and Great Britain. He's laid out the geneology in a flowing, concise way, offering tidbits of fact for each monarch. Sometimes sounding almost gossipy, Delderfield knows his subject. The photographs made a nice counterpoint to the prose, giving me a feel for the reality of all mentioned.

A good book for a condensed overview of English royalty.

This is a very short and brief book. It gives a little description on all of the Kings and Queens of Scotland and does provide beautiful pictures of them as well. I would only buy this book if you are looking for a brief history of the rulers of Scotland( I mean less than one page on each of them). If you want a comprehensive book I would recommend some other book. But overall this is a quick and easy read which makes it a great reference book. Hope this review is helpful.

The Kings and Queens of Britain is a well written basic reference for the British monarchy, with biographies, genealogical charts and maps. The biographies of the Queen consorts are a welcome addition. Although I like this book, I believe that The Mammoth Book of Brittish Kings and Queens by Mike Ashley covers the subject matter in much more depth, although he does not include biographies of the Queen consorts. Ashley's book is also available from Amazon.