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Victor Kugler: The Man Who Hid Anne Frank
by Rick Kardonne Eda ShapiroOf all the personalities associated with Anne Frank, the most important figure, without whom Anne Frank would never have been able to write her diary, is perhaps the least known. He is Victor Kugler, the Mr. Kraler of the diary. The principal business partner of Otto Frank, Victor Kugler assumed managerial control of the Franks' Amsterdam spice-importing business when Nazi persecution forced the Frank family into hiding. It was Victor Kugler who kept the business going and obtained food rations under what was the harshest German wartime occupation in all of Western Europe. Without Victor Kugler, Anne Frank and her family would have starved to death a month after going into hiding.
Victor Lustig: The Man Who Conned the World
by Christopher SandfordThe period after the First World War was a golden age for the confidence man. ‘A new kind of entrepreneur is stirring amongst us,’ The Times wrote in 1919. ‘He is prone to the most detestable tactics, and is a stranger to charity and public spirit. One may nonetheless note his acuity in separating others from their money.’ Enter Victor Lustig (not his real name). An Austro-Hungarian with a dark streak, by the age of 16 he had learned how to hustle at billiards and lay odds at the local racecourse. By 19 he had acquired a livid facial scar in an altercation with a jealous husband.That blemish aside, he was a man of athletic good looks, with a taste for larceny and foreign intrigue. He spoke six languages and went under nearly as many aliases in the course of a continent-hopping life that also saw him act as a double (or possibly triple) agent. Along the way, he found time to dupe an impressive variety of banks and hotels on both sides of the Atlantic; to escape from no fewer than three supposedly impregnable prisons; and to swindle Al Capone out of thousands of dollars, while living to tell the tale. Undoubtedly the greatest of his hoaxes was the sale, to a wealthy but gullible Parisian scrap-metal dealer, of the Eiffel Tower in 1925.In a narrative that thrills like a crime caper, best-selling biographer Christopher Sandford draws on newly released documents to tell the whole story of the greatest conman of the twentieth century.
The Victor Marx Story: With God, All Things Are Possible
by Victor Marx Wayne Atcheson James WerningThis is the story of Victor - he was the son of a pimping, drug dealing, street fighter, involved in the Cajun Mafia. Victor wanted nothing to do with his dad - that's me - and you can't blame him. I wanted nothing to do with his either.
Victor Serge
by Susan WeissmanRevolutionary novelist, historian, anarchist, Bolshevik and dissident--Victor Sergeis one of the most compelling figures of Soviet history. Set against some of themomentous events of the twentieth century, Victor Serge reveals dauntless vigor of a man whose views often reflect the struggles of our own time.
Victoria
by Evelyn AnthonyIn 1837 an 18-year-old girl ascended the throne of Great Britain. Much has been written about the Marriage of the Queen to the sensitive and country-loving Albert, but little has been said about the angry struggle that took place between husband and wife before before Victoria finally surrenderred to her love for him.
Victoria: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire
by Julia BairdThis page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen--a Victoria for our times. Drawing on previously unpublished papers, this stunning new portrait is a story of love and heartbreak, of devotion and grief, of strength and resilience. "A crisp, sparkling account of the extraordinary woman whose reign was as long as her legacy is vast."--Stacy Schiff When Victoria was born, in 1819, the world was a very different place. Revolution would threaten many of Europe's monarchies in the coming decades. In Britain, a generation of royals had indulged their whims at the public's expense, and republican sentiment was growing. The Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape, and the British Empire was commanding ever larger tracts of the globe. In a world where women were often powerless, during a century roiling with change, Victoria went on to rule the most powerful country on earth with a decisive hand. Fifth in line to the throne at the time of her birth, Victoria was an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary role. As a girl, she defied her mother's meddling and an adviser's bullying, forging an iron will of her own. As a teenage queen, she eagerly grasped the crown and relished the freedom it brought her. At twenty, she fell passionately in love with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, eventually giving birth to nine children. She loved sex and delighted in power. She was outspoken with her ministers, overstepping conventional boundaries and asserting her opinions. After the death of her adored Albert, she began a controversial, intimate relationship with her servant John Brown. She survived eight assassination attempts over the course of her lifetime. And as science, technology, and democracy were dramatically reshaping the world, Victoria was a symbol of steadfastness and security--queen of a quarter of the world's population at the height of the British Empire's reach. Drawing on sources that include fresh revelations about Victoria's relationship with John Brown, Julia Baird brings vividly to life the fascinating story of a woman who struggled with so many of the things we do today: balancing work and family, raising children, navigating marital strife, losing parents, combating anxiety and self-doubt, finding an identity, searching for meaning. Advance praise for Victoria: The Queen "Victoria was young enough when she assumed the throne to consult with her prime minister about her eyebrows (were they too thin?), confident enough when she married to elect to preserve the word 'obey' in her vows. Julia Baird vividly captures her in every light, at once bold and sentimental, stubborn and deferential."--Stacy Schiff "A stunning achievement . . . Neither sanitized nor mythologizing, Victoria: The Queen is a remarkably lucid, endlessly engaging account of Queen Victoria's life and rule."--Amanda Foreman "With elegance and keen insight, Julia Baird has painted a memorable, moving, and surprising portrait of one of the most important women in history. This is a remarkable book; in Baird's hands, Victoria's story resonates in our own time, shedding new light on why we live the way we do now."--Jon Meacham
Victoria: The Widow and Her Son
by Hector BolithoThe author of the “monumental, scholarly study” The Reign of Queen Victoria delves into her unique relationship with her son Edward during her final years (Kirkus Reviews). In this biography, Hector Bolitho paints a fascinating portrait of the life of the two monarchs, focusing on how their contentious relationship evolved after the death of Victoria’s beloved Prince Consort. Victoria and Edward are here given equal attention, with their often-conflicting perspectives presented without bias or retrospective judgement. Bolitho begins the narrative in 1861 with the death of Albert and Queen Victoria’s inconsolable grief at the loss of her love. As Victoria’s mourning begins to impact her rule, young Edward is torn between his youthful, pleasure-seeking nature and his duties as heir to the throne. In this authoritative and insightful biography, Bolitho illustrates the latter part of Victoria’s rule, highlighting the tumultuous relationship between a grieving widow and her unruly son. Under Bolitho’s sympathetic eye, these two giants of British history are, finally, rendered human.
Victoria
by Mercedes García OchoaEl 8 de mayo de 1953 Victoria Ocampo fue detenida, como otros presos políticos de la época, y pasó veintiséis días en la cárcel de mujeres del Buen Pastor en Buenos Aires. Esta novela narra sus días allí, las amistades que forjó, cómo conmocionó la noticia a diferentes personalidades de la cultura, y los recuerdos que más la conmovieron durante esta particular experiencia. Se puede vivir en una cárcel sin estar presa, y eso le ocurrió a Victoria Ocampo al enamorarse de Julián Martínez Estrada, el primo de su marido. El temor a que descubrieran esa pasión profunda estaba muy cerca del miedo que sintió cuando el 8 de mayo de 1953 la detuvieron. Los fantasmas del pasado reaparecen en Victoria, traídos a un presente que intenta sostenerse en ellos. Esta primera novela de Mercedes García Ochoa es conmovedora. Con gran destreza narrativa nos cuenta una historia de doble transformación. Por un lado, la de Victoria a sus sesenta y tres años al aprender a sobrevivir en la cárcel. Por el otro, la de la joven en su lucha frente a lo que la sociedad y su familia le imponían en las primeras décadas del siglo pasado, ese tiempo en el que se convertiría en una de las personalidades más importantes de la literatura argentina. La crítica dijo... «¿Nunca logramos hablar de lo que amamos? Es sorprendente, pero Victoria Ocampo parece lograrlo al contarnos, a través del talento de Mercedes García Ochoa, cómo de muy joven descubrió las verdaderas dimensiones del amor y luego la pasión de recordarlas».Enrique Vila-Matas «La investigación histórica detrás de la novela aporta luz sobre una época crucial para Victoria Ocampo».Juan Javier Negri, presidente de Fundación Sur (creada por Victoria Ocampo en 1963)
Victoria (History Heroes #4)
by Damian HarveyQueen Victoria was the longest ever reigning British monarch and saw extraordinary developments during her reign, from the development of the railways to the discoveries of Charles Darwin.Discover the stories of people who have helped to shape history, ranging from early explorers such as Christopher Columbus to more modern figures like Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web.These chapter books combine historical fact with engaging narrative and humourous illustration, perfect for the newly independent reader.
Victoria: Portrait of a Queen
by Catherine ReefCatherine Reef brings history vividly to life in this sumptuously illustrated account of a confident, strong-minded, and influential woman. Victoria woke one morning at the age of eighteen to discover that her uncle had died and she was now queen. She went on to rule for sixty-three years, with an influence so far-reaching that the decades of her reign now bear her name—the Victorian period. Victoria is filled with the exciting comings and goings of royal life: intrigue and innuendo, scheming advisors, and assassination attempts, not to mention plenty of passion and discord. Includes bibliography, notes, British royal family tree, index.
Victoria: Queen, Matriarch, Empress (Penguin Monarchs)
by Jane RidleyPart of the Penguin Monarchs series: short, fresh, expert accounts of England's rulers in a collectible formatQueen Victoria inherited the throne at 18 and went on to become the longest-reigning female monarch in history, in a time of intense industrial, cultural, political, scientific and military change within the United Kingdom and great imperial expansion outside of it (she was made Empress of India in 1876). Overturning the established picture of the dour old lady, this is a fresh and engaging portrait from one of our most talented royal biographers.Jane Ridley is Professor of Modern History at Buckingham University, where she teaches a course on biography. Her previous books include The Young Disraeli; a study of Edwin Lutyens, The Architect and his Wife, which won the 2003 Duff Cooper Prize; and the best-selling Bertie: A Life of Edward VII. A Fellow of the Royal Society for Literature, Ridley writes for the Spectator and other newspapers, and has appeared on radio and several television documentaries. She lives in London and Scotland.
Victoria: A Life
by A. N. Wilson"[A] shimmering and rather wonderful biography." --The Guardian (London)When Queen Victoria died in 1901, she had ruled for nearly sixty-four years. She was the mother of nine and grandmother of forty-two and the matriarch of royal Europe through her children's marriages. To many, Queen Victoria is a ruler shrouded in myth and mystique, an aging, stiff widow paraded as the figurehead to an all-male imperial enterprise. But in truth, Britain's longest-reigning monarch was one of the most passionate, expressive, humorous, and unconventional women who ever lived, and the story of her life continues to fascinate.A. N. Wilson's exhaustively researched and definitive biography includes a wealth of new material from previously unseen sources to show us Queen Victoria as she's never been seen before. Wilson explores the curious set of circumstances that led to Victoria's coronation, her strange and isolated childhood, her passionate marriage to Prince Albert and his pivotal influence even after death, and her widowhood and subsequent intimate friendship with her Highland servant John Brown, all set against the backdrop of this momentous epoch in Britain's history--and the world's.Born at the very moment of the expansion of British political and commercial power across the globe, Victoria went on to chart a unique course for her country even as she became the matriarch of nearly every great dynasty of Europe. Her destiny was thus interwoven with those of millions of people--not just in Europe but in the ever-expanding empire that Britain was becoming throughout the nineteenth century. The famed queen had a face that adorned postage stamps, banners, statues, and busts all over the known world.Wilson's Victoria is a towering achievement, a masterpiece of biography by a writer at the height of his powers.
Victoria & Abdul (Movie Tie-In) (Movie Tie-In): The True Story of the Queen's Closest Confidant
by Shrabani BasuSoon to be a Major Motion Picture starring Dame Judi Dench from director Stephen Frears, releasing September 22, 2017.History’s most unlikely friendship—this is the astonishing story of Queen Victoria and her dearestcompanion, the young Indian Munshi Abdul Karim.In the twilight years of her reign, after the devastating deaths of hertwo great loves—Prince Albert and John Brown—Queen Victoria meets tall and handsome Abdul Karim, a humble servant from Agra waiting tables at her Golden Jubilee. The two form an unlikely bond and within a year Abdul becomes a powerful figure at court, the Queen’s teacher, her counsel on Urdu and Indian affairs, and a friend close to her heart. This marked the beginning of the most scandalous decade in Queen Victoria’s long reign. As the royal household roiled with resentment, Victoria and Abdul’s devotion grew in defiance. Drawn from secrets closely guarded for more than a century, Victoria & Abdul is an extraordinary and intimate history of the last years of the nineteenth-century English court and an unforgettable view onto the passions of an aging Queen.
Victoria And Her Court
by Virginia SchompThis series of books explores what is perhaps the most dynamic era in the history of England.
Victoria Cross Heroes
by Michael AshcroftThis ebook edition contains the full text version as per the book. Doesn't include original photographic and illustrated material. VICTORIA CROSS HEROES tells the stories of over 150 individuals whose bravery has earned them the Victoria Cross, Britain's most prestigious medal for courage in action. The book is introduced by Michael Ashcroft, who owns over ten per cent of all VCs ever awarded. He explains the history of the medal and the story of his fascination with it. The main text of the book tells the stories of both those recipients whose medals are in his collection and those whose stories featured in the television series. Each chapter covers a different conflict, from the Crimean War to Iraq.
Victoria Crosses on the Western Front: Mons to Hill 60 (Victoria Crosses on the Western Front #1)
by Paul OldfieldThe research for this book commenced in 1988 while the author was serving in the Army. In the years since, numerous sources have been consulted, but career imperatives left insufficient time to complete the project until retirement from the military. In the past the author spent many days on the First and Second World War battlefields wondering precisely where the Victoria Cross actions took place. He resolved to find out.The book is designed for the armchair reader as much as the battlefield visitor. A detailed account of each VC action sets it in the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed sketch maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants. It will allow visitors to stand upon the spot, or very close, where the VCs were won. Photographs of the battle sites illustrate the accounts. There is also a comprehensive biography for each VC recipient and photographs. The biographies cover every aspect of their lives 'warts and all' - parents and siblings, education, civilian employment, military career, wife and children, death and burial or commemoration. There is also a host of other information, much published for the first time. Some fascinating characters emerge, with numerous links to many famous people and events.As featured on BBC Radio Wiltshire and in the Daily Record, Gloucestershire Echo, Canterbury Times and Barking & Dagenham Post.
Victoria Crosses on the Western Front: Battles of the Hindenburg Line—Havrincourt & Épehy, September 1918
by Paul OldfieldIn the past, while visiting the First World War battlefields, the author often wondered where the various Victoria Cross actions took place. He resolved to find out. In 1988, in the midst of his army career, research for this book commenced and over the years numerous sources have been consulted. Victoria Crosses on the Western Front: Battles of the Hindenburg Line - Havrincourt and Epehy is designed for the battlefield visitor as much as the armchair reader. A thorough account of each VC action is set within the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed sketch maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants. It will allow visitors to stand upon the spot, or very close to, where each VC was won. Photographs of the battle sites richly illustrate the accounts. There is also a comprehensive biography for each recipient, covering every aspect of their lives warts and all: parents and siblings, education, civilian employment, military career, wife and children, death and burial/commemoration. A host of other information, much of it published for the first time, reveals some fascinating characters, with numerous links to many famous people and events.
Victoria Crosses on the Western Front: Battle of Albert, 21-27 August 1918
by Paul OldfieldIn the past, while visiting the First World War battlefields, the author often wondered where the various Victoria Cross actions took place. He resolved to find out. In 1988, in the midst of his army career, research for this book commenced and over the years numerous sources have been consulted. Victoria Crosses on the Western Front: Battle of Albert, is designed for the battlefield visitor as much as the armchair reader. A thorough account of each VC action is set within the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed sketch maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants. It will allow visitors to stand upon the spot, or very close to, where each VC was won. Photographs of the battle sites richly illustrate the accounts. There is also a comprehensive biography for each recipient, covering every aspect of their lives warts and all: parents and siblings, education, civilian employment, military career, wife and children, death and burial/commemoration. A host of other information, much of it published for the first time, reveals some fascinating characters, with numerous links to many famous people and events.
Victoria Crosses on the Western Front – Battles of the Scarpe 1918 and Drocourt-Queant Line: 26 August - 2 September 1918
by Paul OldfieldIn the past, while visiting the First World War battlefields, the author often wondered where the various Victoria Cross actions took place. He resolved to find out. In 1988, in the midst of his army career, research for this book commenced and over the years numerous sources have been consulted. Victoria Crosses on the Western Front: Battles of the Scarpe & Drocourt- Quéant Line, is designed for the battlefield visitor as much as the armchair reader. A thorough account of each VC action is set within the wider strategic and tactical context. Detailed sketch maps show the area today, together with the battle-lines and movements of the combatants. It will allow visitors to stand upon the spot, or very close to, where each VC was won. Photographs of the battle sites richly illustrate the accounts. There is also a comprehensive biography for each recipient, covering every aspect of their lives warts and all: parents and siblings, education, civilian employment, military career, wife and children, death and burial/commemoration. A host of other information, much of it published for the first time, reveals some fascinating characters, with numerous links to many famous people and events.
Victoria Ocampo: Against the Wind and the Tide
by Doris Meyer Translated by Doris MeyerThe "first lady of Argentine letters," Victoria Ocampo is best known as the architect of cultural bridges between the American and European continents and as the founder and director of Sur, an influential South American literary review and publishing house. In this first biographical study in English of "la superbe Argentine," originally published in 1979, Doris Meyer considers Victoria Ocampo's role in introducing European and North American writers and artists to the South American public--through the pages of her review, through translations of their work, and through lecture tours and recitations. She examines Ocampo's personal relationships with some of the most illustrious writers and thinkers of this century--including José Ortega y Gasset, Rabindranath Tagore, Count Hermann Keyserling, Virginia Woolf, Adrienne Monnier, Vita Sackville-West, Gabriela Mistral, and many others. And she portrays an extraordinary woman who rebelled against the strictures of family and social class to become a leading personality in the fight for women's rights in Argentina and, later, a steadfast opponent of the Perón regime, for which she was sent to jail in 1953. Fifteen of Victoria Ocampo's essays, selected from her more than ten volumes of prose and translated by Doris Meyer, complement the biographical study. The "first lady of Argentine letters," Victoria Ocampo is best known as the architect of cultural bridges between the American and European continents and as the founder and director of Sur, an influential South American literary review and publishing house. In this first biographical study in English of "la superbe Argentine," originally published in 1979, Doris Meyer considers Victoria Ocampo's role in introducing European and North American writers and artists to the South American public--through the pages of her review, through translations of their work, and through lecture tours and recitations. She examines Ocampo's personal relationships with some of the most illustrious writers and thinkers of this century--including José Ortega y Gasset, Rabindranath Tagore, Count Hermann Keyserling, Virginia Woolf, Adrienne Monnier, Vita Sackville-West, Gabriela Mistral, and many others. And she portrays an extraordinary woman who rebelled against the strictures of family and social class to become a leading personality in the fight for women's rights in Argentina and, later, a steadfast opponent of the Perón regime, for which she was sent to jail in 1953. Fifteen of Victoria Ocampo's essays, selected from her more than ten volumes of prose and translated by Doris Meyer, complement the biographical study.
Victoria of England
by Edith SitwellA lively, opinionated biography of the queen, and a vivid portrait of nineteenth-century England, from a literary icon. ‘You call me the little Queen,’ she told her uncle the King of the Belgians; ‘my body is little, but my heart is not.’ Edith Sitwell’s endearing portrait of the young Victoria chronicles her unlikely ascension to the throne: spanning the succession crisis of King George III, her enduring love and marriage to Prince Albert, and her strength and power in a male-dominated world. Weaving in Victoria’s personal letters and diaries, Sitwell breathes life into the queen’s relationships with her family and her court. A rich exploration of Victoria’s reign and a social document of Victorian Britain, Victoria of England vividly illustrates the life of the iconic monarch with insight and emotion.
Victoria: An Intimate Biography of the Woman who Ruled an Empire
by Julia BairdNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY JANET MASLIN, THE NEW YORK TIMES'Victoria the Queen, Julia Baird's exquisitely wrought and meticulously researched biography, brushes the dusty myth off this extraordinary monarch' The New York Times Book Review (Editor's Choice).The true story for fans of the hit ITV drama series Victoria starring Jenna Coleman, this page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen. Drawing on previously unpublished papers, this stunning book is a story of love and heartbreak, of devotion and grief, of strength and resilience.When Victoria was born, in 1819, the world was a very different place. Revolution would begin to threaten many of Europe's monarchies in the coming decades. In Britain, a generation of royals had indulged their whims at the public's expense, and republican sentiment was growing. The Industrial Revolution was transforming the landscape, and the British Empire was commanding ever larger parts of the globe. Born into a world where woman were often powerless, during a century roiling with change, Victoria went on to rule the most powerful country on earth with a decisive hand.Fifth in line to the throne at the time of her birth, Victoria was an ordinary woman thrust into an extraordinary role. As a girl, she defied her mother's meddling and an adviser's bullying, forging an iron will of her own. As a teenage queen, she eagerly grasped the crown and relished the freedom it brought her. At twenty years old, she fell passionately in love with Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, eventually giving birth to nine children. She loved sex and delighted in power. She was outspoken with her ministers, overstepping boundaries and asserting her opinions. After the death of her adored Albert, she began a controversial, intimate relationship with her servant John Brown. She survived eight assassination attempts over the course of her lifetime. And as science, technology, and democracy were dramatically reshaping the world, Victoria was a symbol of steadfastness and security-queen of a quarter of the world's population at the height of the British Empire's reach.Drawing on sources that include revelations about Victoria's relationship with John Brown, Julia Baird brings vividly to life the fascinating story of a woman who struggled with so many of the things we do today: balancing work and family, raising children, navigating marital strife, losing parents, combating anxiety and self-doubt, finding an identity, searching for meaning. This sweeping, page-turning biography gives us the real woman behind the myth.
Victoria Rebels
by Carolyn MeyerQueen Victoria's personal journals inform this "intimate and authentic portrait" (Booklist) of one of history's most prominent female leaders.Queen Victoria most certainly left a legacy--under her rule as the longest reigning female monarch in history. But what was she really like? To be a young woman in a time when few other females held positions of power was to lead in a remarkable age--and because Queen Victoria kept personal journals, this historical novel from award-winning author Carolyn Meyer shares authentic emotional insight along with accurate information, weaving a fascinating story of intrigue and romance.
Victoria Rebels
by Carolyn MeyerQueen Victoria's personal journals inform this captivating first-person novel about of one of history's most prominent female leaders.Queen Victoria most certainly left a legacy--under her rule as the longest reigning female monarch in history, the British Empire was greatly expanded and significant industrial, cultural, political, scientific, and military changes occurred within the United Kingdom. To be a young woman in a time when few other females held positions of power was to lead in a remarkable age--and because Queen Victoria kept personal journals, this historical novel from award-winning author Carolyn Meyer shares authentic emotional insight along with accurate information, weaving a true story of intrigue and romance.
Victoria Victorious: The Story of Queen Victoria (A Queens of England Novel #3)
by Jean PlaidyIn this unforgettable novel of Queen Victoria, Jean Plaidy re-creates a remarkable life filled with romance, triumph, and tragedy. At birth, Princess Victoria was fourth in line for the throne of England, the often-overlooked daughter of a prince who died shortly after her birth. She and her mother lived in genteel poverty for most of her childhood, exiled from court because of her mother's dislike of her uncles, George IV and William IV. A strong, willful child, Victoria was determined not to be stifled by her powerful uncles or her unpopular, controlling mother. Then one morning, at the age of eighteen, Princess Victoria awoke to the news of her uncle William's death. The almost-forgotten princess was now Queen of England. Even better, she was finally free of her mother's iron hand and her uncles' manipulations. Her first act as queen was to demand that she be given a room--and a bed--of her own. Victoria's marriage to her German cousin, Prince Albert, was a blissfully happy one that produced nine children. Albert was her constant companion and one of her most trusted advisors. Victoria's grief after Prince Albert's untimely death was so shattering that for the rest of her life--nearly forty years--she dressed only in black. She survived several assassination attempts, and during her reign England's empire expanded around the globe until it touched every continent in the world. Derided as a mere "girl queen" at her coronation, by the end of her sixty-four-year reign, Victoria embodied the glory of the British Empire. In this novel, written as a "memoir" by Victoria herself, she emerges as truthful, sentimental, and essentially human--both a lovable woman and a great queen. From the Trade Paperback edition.