The Queen: A Biography of Elizabeth II
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Overview
"One of the many merits of Ben Pimlott's superbly judicious biography of Elizabeth II is that it understands this connection between monarchy and masses, and carefully evokes its political importance." —The New York Times Book Review"A level-headed study . . . helps us appreciate the capacities as well as the limitations of a woman who, whatever else happens, just keeps on going on." —People
"There will be no better biography of Elizabeth II as a figure of state until her official one appears—and perhaps not even then. . . . Pimlott has succeeded triumphantly. He has written a book that can be enjoyed and admired by people who would never have imagined reading any previous royal biography." —The Independent (London)
"An important and stimulating book." —Antonia Fraser, author of Mary, Queen of Scots in The Guardian (London)
"The best all-around study of the Queen so far, showing understanding as well as amused irony." —The Sunday Telegraph (London)
"There will not be a better royal biography for many years." —The Daily Telegraph (London)
Synopsis
"One of the many merits of Ben Pimlott's superbly judicious biography of Elizabeth II is that it understands this connection between monarchy and masses, and carefully evokes its political importance." —The New York Times Book Review
"A level-headed study . . . helps us appreciate the capacities as well as the limitations of a woman who, whatever else happens, just keeps on going on." —People
"There will be no better biography of Elizabeth II as a figure of state until her official one appears—and perhaps not even then. . . . Pimlott has succeeded triumphantly. He has written a book that can be enjoyed and admired by people who would never have imagined reading any previous royal biography." —The Independent (London)
"An important and stimulating book." —Antonia Fraser, author of Mary, Queen of Scots in The Guardian (London)
"The best all-around study of the Queen so far, showing understanding as well as amused irony." —The Sunday Telegraph (London)
"There will not be a better royal biography for many years." —The Daily Telegraph (London)
Publishers Weekly
Pimlott (Harold Wilson) speculates that the 71-year-old Elizabeth II could become the last British sovereign. He views the queen as bringing nothing to her role but continuity. Despite political and societal upheaval since she ascended the throne in 1952, she has opted, in his view, for cautious passivity, permitting the monarchy to become, at best, a bore and, at worst, a perch for celebrity royals who inspire unflattering media coverage. Pimlott sees squandered opportunities for meaningful metamorphosis of the throne in the failures of the queen to exploit her limited powers but unlimited mystique, but he concedes her dedication to duty as she perceives it in a period of imperial decline. Although his research comes up with nothing strikingly new, Pimlott colorfully describes here the fading of the fantasy that once sustained the ceremonial monarchy. He is less compelling when he lavishes pages on political minutiae meant for his British audience but likely to make Americans yawn.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
Pimlott (Harold Wilson) speculates that the 71-year-old Elizabeth II could become the last British sovereign. He views the queen as bringing nothing to her role but continuity. Despite political and societal upheaval since she ascended the throne in 1952, she has opted, in his view, for cautious passivity, permitting the monarchy to become, at best, a bore and, at worst, a perch for celebrity royals who inspire unflattering media coverage. Pimlott sees squandered opportunities for meaningful metamorphosis of the throne in the failures of the queen to exploit her limited powers but unlimited mystique, but he concedes her dedication to duty as she perceives it in a period of imperial decline. Although his research comes up with nothing strikingly new, Pimlott colorfully describes here the fading of the fantasy that once sustained the ceremonial monarchy. He is less compelling when he lavishes pages on political minutiae meant for his British audience but likely to make Americans yawn.Library Journal
There are a number of good biographies of Elizabeth II, but this one is different. Pimlott is primarily a political biographer, and while other works have focused on Elizabeth the woman, he goes further, exploring the role of the queen and how the events of the past few decades have changed it. Is the monarch just a figurehead, or are there specific governmental actions she can take? How did the royal family lose its privacy, along with much public respect? Pimlott tackles these questions and other historical, psychological, and sociological issues surrounding the queen and her family. This well-documented, compelling look at the British monarchy will be appreciated by readers seriously interested in Britain's heritage and future. Katharine Garstka, Intergraph Corp., Huntsville, Ala.Kirkus Reviews
An intelligent, understanding, critical, if ultimately admiring study of Elizabeth II and her age, by a Whitbread Prizewinning British historian (Hugh Dalton).When Elizabeth was born, in 1926, there was little expectation that she would be monarch. She was the daughter of the duke of York, George V's second son. The prince of Wales (later Edward VIII) was the clear successor. The turbulent, unsettling sequence of events that led to her accession—the abdication of Edward, the heroic role played by her father (then George VI) in WW II, the storybook quality of her romance with Philip, and her coronation—contributed to her being subject to "adulation unparalleled since the days of Louis XIV." The underlying theme of this book is how this all changed, despite the remarkable job she herself has done. Pimlott carefully argues that Elizabth, who at first relied heavily on her courtiers, gradually assumed more and more control of the monarchy, becoming at last a cool, confident professional, deeply interested in politics and in her people, legendary for her energy and patience. As to the decline of interest in royalty, Pimlott suggests a number of factors having relatively little to do with the queen herself, including the antics of the younger generation of royals, the intrusiveness of the press, the decline in respect for institutions, the transfer of British interests to Europe rather than the Commonwealth. Reflecting the greater openness that now characterizes discussion of the royals, Pimlott tartly notes, for instance, that the union of Charles and Diana was "a marriage of convenience that was disguised to everybody, including themselves, as a lovematch." He concludes with a paradox: "a pilloried family, a much criticized institution, even a widely questioned role—and yet, a valued incumbent."
He is, perhaps, exaggerating the institution's difficulties. But no one has analyzed these problems with greater acuteness or more sense.