Elizabeth II: Life of a Monarch byRuth Cowen

Elizabeth II: Life of a Monarch by Ruth Cowen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I got this as an Audible free offering with my subscription. I've really only have had a passive knowledge of the Queen Elizabeth II and her personal history. This story is a short biographical summary of her life and her time as queen. It's presented in a documentary style production with a modest amount of production with dramatizations, music and other sound effects.

As I mentioned I really only had modest amount of knowledge of the monarchy even so I did find this interesting as it did piece together the stuff I did know and filled in the gaps. It was interesting to see how Queen Elizabeth grew into her role and adapted and yet remained a steady figure amidst all the turmoil, gossip and controversy's. It does give a picture of how the monarchy has changed thru the years and how peoples attitudes towards them have changed also.

This is not the most in depth biography I'm sure but this will give someone the basic history of Queen Elizabeth II's life and the monarch itself in the last hundred years. I think it gives one a good starting point if one is really interested in them.

View all my reviews

Moon: The Life and Death of a Rock Legend by Tony Fletcher

Moon: The Life and Death of a Rock Legend by Tony Fletcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Who is the group I most identified with as a teen many decades ago. This is a must read for any fan of the group. It is quite extensive(over 600 pages) and rarely boring. Not only is this the story of the legendary and sometimes infamous Keith Moon it is also chronicle of the group that ascended to the heights of success unimaginable when they started. The group's final piece that brought them together was Keith and turned out to be key ingredient the their success. He became part of their image, sound and legend. When died the group was never the same again. They tried for several years after to continue but never regained their former glory.

Of course Keith will forever be remembered for being crazy and over the top in almost everything he did. To borrow a phrase from "This is Spinal Tap" he lived life to 11 on a scale of 1-10. He set the the standard of rock and roll excess and decadence.

View all my reviews

John Wayne: The Life and Legend by Scott Eyman

John Wayne: The Life and Legend by Scott Eyman
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

What could be said about John Wayne that hasn't been said. He became a character unto himself. I thought I knew a lot a Duke Morrison but this was a decent and thorough accounting of his life. From his dirt poor kid from Iowa to a legendary Hollywood movie star. He defined the American masculine model for decades. The book is well written and paced. Details of his personal life are intermingled with his on screen activities. I did enjoy this book and it has spurred me to watch more of his films. With his long career I was amazed how many I've missed or overlooked. I'm even watching one now as I'm writing this(Hondo). Perhaps the most moving part was the end of his life battling cancer. It remind me of my Dad's battle with it. It's worth a reading if your fan of John Wayne.

View all my reviews