Cousins Divided:George V & Nicholas II

[Robert_Hall]

Marlene was quite right about this book, there is absolutely nothing new in it's content, is sloppily written- just repeating all the old cliches and gossip like a compilation of old magazine articles.
 I was dissapointed because I have, in the past, enjoyed Anne Morrow's work. I have a feeling she did this nonsense for the paycheck only.
 GDElla is also correct is telling us that the GV death is old news and hardly raises an eyebrow now  is enough to warrant this to the remainder list.
Nowadays, books about any royals had better cough up substantial NEW information, as all the old stuff has been written so many times before. Books are not cheap for even the average buyer so discernment comes into play in what to purchase. When it comes to the Romanovs,  the name alone  no longer sells the volume.

[grandduchessella]

I agree with this Robert and thank you for your insight into it.

I was excited when I first heard of the book (though I haven't read the author before) and was really hoping it would provide some real insight into this relationship.

The 2 men were obviously important to each other but it's usually just mentioned in a book, with the sole emphasis (when there is one) on the events of 1917-1918 or how NII was mistaken for GV at his wedding in 1893. I would've liked to have read more about their relationship from the start and excerpts from diaries and letters--both are available (though to what extent I don't know) since they've been briefly quoted in other books.

A Lifelong Passion has some interesting parts in letters to/from the men but there's no follow-up. I'd still like to know about 'The Club' that GV references.

Reading about their relationship from childhood on and seeing the extent of their friendship would definitely provide a new and informative insight onto the reasons behind the denial of asylum and the toll it took.

Disappointing.  

[Richard_Cullen]

An excellent book about George V and Nicholas II, by Ann Morrow, Sutton Books, ISBN 0-7509-3372-0

Richard

[Marlene]

You are joking -- the book is awful, so full of mistakes and nothing new  ... more like a hairball.

An excellent book about George V and Nicholas II, by Ann Morrow, Sutton Books, ISBN 0-7509-3372-0

Richard

[grandduchessella]

Oh, awful. They had some excerpts on some of the other newsgroups that just contained some howlers. Really disappointing, since I had hopes that it would really explore the relationship between these 2--such a close one with a tragic ending that still lends itself to bitterness today amongst fans of royalty. 

There was a multi-page discussion of it on this thread:

http://forum.alexanderpalace.org/index.php/topic,6377.0.html

[Robert_Hall]

I was dissapointed as well.  A waste of time & money, which is a very rare staement from me.  It is the sort of book that gets newcomers to this field off to a bad start. IMO! I expected better of Ann Morrow.

[Eurohistory]

How this book could be considered anything less than disappointing is beyond me.  The factual errors alone are beyond appalling!

I only wonder...what was she thinking!

Arturo Beéche

[Marlene]

Luckily, I spend very little money on royal books   

I was dissapointed as well.  A waste of time & money, which is a very rare staement from me.  It is the sort of book that gets newcomers to this field off to a bad start. IMO! I expected better of Ann Morrow.

[grandduchessella]

If you ever need a helper, let me know.  I would rather read a bad one for free rather than be burned spending money on it.  There were a few, including this one, that I was looking forward to that turned out very disappointing. Right now I'm pinning my hopes for a renaissance on Ilana's new book and the upcoming Warwick one on Ella. I still wish someone would tackle a good, honest bio on GV--the Rose one was the last and it basically skipped over his entire life pre-1911 in a few chapters--and one of Queen Mary--my feelings on the Edwards book are well known  and the Pope-Hennessey one, while fantastically written and one of my all-time-favorites, was constrained a bit by the times and access.

[Marlene]

I have got to get out the last issue of this volume .. so very late but with legitimate reasons ... and everrything is in such a frenzy here ... I just wish the house would sell so I can get on with my life.

If you ever need a helper, let me know.  I would rather read a bad one for free rather than be burned spending money on it.  There were a few, including this one, that I was looking forward to that turned out very disappointing. Right now I'm pinning my hopes for a renaissance on Ilana's new book and the upcoming Warwick one on Ella. I still wish someone would tackle a good, honest bio on GV--the Rose one was the last and it basically skipped over his entire life pre-1911 in a few chapters--and one of Queen Mary--my feelings on the Edwards book are well known  and the Pope-Hennessey one, while fantastically written and one of my all-time-favorites, was constrained a bit by the times and access.

[Eddie_uk]

I agree, just awful. How authors can make such blatant errors is beyond me.

You know, i'm not one to blow my own trumpet but I rather think I would make a good author, i'm very thorough.   

[Eurohistory]

One has to allow for a mistake here, another one there.  That's fine by me.  What is not are the sort of ones found in this book...such com mong things she seems to have completely confused...that's what makes it sooo odd!

Arturo Beeche

[Eddie_uk]

The year of Empress Maries death is even wrong 

[Robert_Hall]

What was so much a let down to me, is that her other books- HIGHNESS [Maharajas of India], THRONE OF GOLD [the Aga Khans] and even PRINCESS [Diana] are rather good.  I would rate the last as run-of-the-mill, but not as bad as so many others that have been churned out.
 I think I have the others she wrote on the Windsors, particularly the QM, but have not read them.
 Perhaps she should just stay with the exotic  fields of royalty ?
 The Manchu monarchy is ripe for a refreshing.