This Jubilee year has seen the release of many books about The Queen. The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II by Catherine Ryan was originally released in 2018 and has been re-released with a few updates in March 2022.
The blurb that accompanied this book referred to The Queen as “Her Royal Highness”, and so my initial expectations were rather low. Luckily, I have not been able to find the mistake in the book itself. There are a few mentions of the factually incorrect “Princess Diana”, though.
The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II by Catherine Ryan is a hardcover book designed for the popular market. While the cover is aesthetically pleasing enough, the colourful layout reminds me of history books from my school days. The busy layout simply screams at you, making it difficult to focus on the text. However, the text itself flows well and seems well-researched though it doesn’t contain any references. The added text since 2018 focuses mostly on the Sussexes and the death of the Duke of Edinburgh, as expected. I was glad to see that the author decided to stay neutral, as is more fitting for a book like this.
Overall, it is an enjoyable book as an introduction to Queen Elizabeth’s life. The book recognises that a lot more can be said and also offers several titles to expand your knowledge.
The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II by Catherine Ryan is available now in the US and the UK.
Be the first to comment