Born to Rule


Book Description

"This book weaves together the powerful and moving stories of the five royal granddaughters of Queen Victoria. These five women were all married to reigning European monarchs during the early part of the twentieth century, and it was their reaction to the First World War that shaped the fate of a continent and the future of the modern world." "Here are the stories of Alexandra, whose enduring love story, controversial faith in Rasputin, and tragic end have become the stuff of legend; Marie, the flamboyant and eccentric queen who battled her way through a life of intrigues and was also the mother of two Balkan queens and of the scandalous Carol II of Romania; Victoria Eugenie, Spain's very English queen who, like Alexandra, introduced hemophilia into her husband's family - with devastating consequences for her marriage; Maud, King Edward VII's daughter, who was independent Norway's reluctant queen; and Sophie, Kaiser Wilhelm II's much-maligned sister, daughter of an emperor, and herself the mother of no fewer than three kings and a queen, who ended her days in bitter exile."--Jacket.




The Statesman's Year-Book


Book Description

The classic reference work that provides annually updated information on the countries of the world.




The Statesman's Year-Book


Book Description

The classic reference work that provides annually updated information on the countries of the world.







Imperial Vancouver Island


Book Description

"During the century 1850-1950 Vancouver Island attracted Imperial officers and other Imperials from India, the British Isles, and elsewhere in the Empire. Victoria was the main British port on the north-west Pacific Coast for forty years before the city of Vancouver was founded in 1886 to be the coastal terminus of the Canadian Pacific Railway. These two coastal cities were historically and geographically different. The Island joined Canada in 1871 and thirty-five years later the Royal Navy withdrew from Esquimalt, but Island communities did not lose their Imperial character until the 1950s."--P. [4] of cover.













Little Book of Great Britain


Book Description

This little gem of a book is a repository of intriguing, fascinating, obscure, strange and entertaining facts and trivia about Britain and all the things that have made it great.Within this volume are such themes as myths and legends, traditions and customs, great Britons and great British places, while not forgotten is a celebration of the best of British music, food, entertainment and sport and a host of topics that explore the more eccentric and eclectic people and things that contribute to and define Great Britain.Despite being a relatively small collection of islands, there is always something new, fascinating, frivolous or even bizarre to discover about Great Britain – you will find much of it here.Did You Know?There is no location in Britain which is more than 741⁄2 miles from the sea.The first person in Britain to be convicted of speeding was Walter Arnold of Kent, who in 1896 was fined 1s plus costs for driving at a breakneck 8mph.Britain has some thoroughly unusual pub names, including: The Bucket of Blood in Phillack, Cornwall, The Honest Lawyer in Folkestone and The Old Thirteenth Cheshire Astley Volunteer Rifleman Corps Inn in Stalybridge – which also enjoys the honour of having Britain’s longest pub name.Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a well-known corgi fan. She has owned no fewer than 30 during her reign, the first being Susan, who was given to her in 1944.