Books
Vacations give you the chance to get away from it all, and so should the books you read when you're whiling away the hours, surfside. I've picked out five captivating royal biographies that you'll devour like reality TV, so you can read them on whatever summer adventures you enjoy this year.
Works of historical nonfiction in general, and biographies in particular, have a reputation for being the dry, boring kind of books that your dad and uncles love to read. I'm here to tell you that that stereotype could not be further from the truth! Today, there's a whole slew of history books and biographies written for the ease and entertainment of the average reader. If you haven't picked up a biography since middle school, it might be time to revisit the genre this summer.
I've picked out five royal biographies for you to check out below, but this is just a small sampling of what's out there! If reading any of these titles tickles your fancy, you should absolutely explore the genre of royal biographies deeper, and more broadly. Check out my recommendations below, and see if taking an easy-to-read royal biography to the beach with you doesn't enhance your vacation experience.
'The Queen: The Life and Times of Elizabeth II' by Catherine Ryan
Clocking in at just under 200 pages, this slim tome will give you the skinny on the life of Queen Elizabeth II, including details and facts that The Crown missed.
'99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret' by Craig Brown
Focusing on Elizabeth's younger sister, 99 Glimpses of Princess Margaret tackles her "Cinderella in reverse" tale, charting her rise to glamorous idolization and controversy, and following through to her later life of sadness, illness, and death.
'When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt' by Kara Cooney
Examining the lives of Merneith, Neferusobek, Hatshepsut, Nefertiti, Tawosret, and Cleopatra, Kara Cooney's When Women Ruled the World is the perfect primer for anyone interested to learn about the lives of Egyptian royalty beyond King Tut.
'The Romanov Sisters: The Lost Lives of the Daughters of Nicholas and Alexandra' by Helen Rappaport
In 1918, seven lives were cut short when the former Tsar Nicholas II, his wife Alexandra, and their five children — Olga, Tatiana, Maria, Anastasia, and Alexei — were executed by Bolshevik forces at Yekaterinburg. In The Romanov Sisters, Helen Rappaport resurrects Olga, Tatiana, Maria, and Anastasia to tell the stories of their short and sheltered lives.
'Queen Victoria's Matchmaking: The Royal Marriages that Shaped Europe' by Deborah Cadbury
With more than 30 grandchildren, Queen Victoria linked her house to the most powerful royals in Europe through a series of strategic marriages. Read all about the marriages and scandals this summer in Queen Victoria's Matchmaking.
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