Rating: 
Summary: Very interesting...
Review: A very well written book about Vicky, Alice, Lenchen, Louise, and Beatrice, the daughters who were hidden behind their mother as children and eventually behind their brother and nephew. The book also looks into the lives of the girls' children, some of whom became rulers of great countries. A very good book for those interested in Queen Victoria and her family.
Rating:
Summary: Well deserved biography of a 19th century icon's daughters.
Review: A well-researched and very readable account of the lives of this famous monarch's many daughters.There was the clever Vicky Prince Albert's darling. A woman who would one day give birth to the Kaiser and herself suffer from his cruelty. Gentle determined Alice who would make the enormous transition from being the mouse of Windsor into the Granduchess of Hesse. A friend of Brahms and (for a time an asthesist) she was a moderate supporter of women's rights including birth control a subject about which she was quite outspoken. Highly unusual for a woman in her day. Particularly one living in a conservative German backwater. She is of interest to both Mountbatten and Romanov aficionados as the mother of the future Empress Alexandra and the grandmother of Lord Mountbatten. Plain and timid Helena "Lenchen" who spent her life quietly in a "grace and favor" residence near her "darling Mama" married to a dull German Prince whose only known hobby seems to have been hunting. Something that would eventually cost him his sight in one eye. Louise artisitic misunderstood and in many ways ahead of her time. She too was a moderate proponent of women's rights and supported (unlike her relatives) such causes as Home Rule in Ireland. She was also the first Princess to take any kind of instruction outside of the tutoring given her at home (in her case this instruction was in art). She married the Duke of Argyll a handsome but slightly thick commoner who eventually became Gov-Gen of Canada and then spent the rest of his life apparently writing works which for the most part never sold. Finally there was Beatrice, her mother's confidante who against the wishes of her mother eventually married Prince Henry of Battenburg. The marriage proved happy but sadly shortlived and she spent her mother's remaining years with her at windsor. The author skillfully manages to draw you into the world of these varied and complex women leaving you feeling almost as if you knew them.
Rating:
Summary: A gem of a book that transports the reader back in time!
Review: As a passionate "devourer" of all books pertaining to European history, I had very high expectations of this work before actually picking it up. Was I ever surprised! Not only did it meet my expectations, but surpassed them by far! Thoroughly researched, Packard offers for the most part, a sympathetic view of his subjects; however, he does balance things out by touching on their less stellar qualities, as well. I became more emotionally caught up with each of Victoria's daughters, in turn, as well as with Victoria herself, than I ever thought I possibly could, since I usually tend to view Britain's royal family with a critical eye. Packard really made me feel with the family's triumphs and tragedies and I came away from this reading experience with a greater appreciation of just how much more difficult life was in the 19th century than it is today. Packard also illustrated that even royalty is not immune to life's disappointments. For instance, while I tended to be impatient with eldest daughter, Vicky's, lack of understanding about Prussian life and customs, and her arrogance in thinking that the British way could quite easily be forced down the throats of Europe's other countries, I did pity her frustration at the disintegrated relationship with primarily her 2 eldest children. Many of the dysfunctions that existed in Victoria's immediate family have managed to stay with the family through the present generation, which explains a lot about the present-day group. I highly recommend this book for afficianados of European history. The moment you crack the cover, you won't be able to put it down until you read the very last word!
Rating:
Summary: A gem of a book that transports the reader back in time!
Review: As a passionate "devourer" of all books pertaining to European history, I had very high expectations of this work before actually picking it up. Was I ever surprised! Not only did it meet my expectations, but surpassed them by far! Thoroughly researched, Packard offers for the most part, a sympathetic view of his subjects; however, he does balance things out by touching on their less stellar qualities, as well. I became more emotionally caught up with each of Victoria's daughters, in turn, as well as with Victoria herself, than I ever thought I possibly could, since I usually tend to view Britain's royal family with a critical eye. Packard really made me feel with the family's triumphs and tragedies and I came away from this reading experience with a greater appreciation of just how much more difficult life was in the 19th century than it is today. Packard also illustrated that even royalty is not immune to life's disappointments. For instance, while I tended to be impatient with eldest daughter, Vicky's, lack of understanding about Prussian life and customs, and her arrogance in thinking that the British way could quite easily be forced down the throats of Europe's other countries, I did pity her frustration at the disintegrated relationship with primarily her 2 eldest children. Many of the dysfunctions that existed in Victoria's immediate family have managed to stay with the family through the present generation, which explains a lot about the present-day group. I highly recommend this book for afficianados of European history. The moment you crack the cover, you won't be able to put it down until you read the very last word!
Rating:
Summary: Loved this book !
Review: Daniel Steele wishes that she had this kind of material to work with. Five sisters - One powerful woman - A story that spans generations and contintents. Lover -- War -- Hartbreak -- Nonfiction
Rating: 
Summary: Fascinating read...
Review: For anyone interested in reading about Queen Victoria and/or the British Royal Family, Victoria's Daughters by Jerrold Packard is sure to please. When a monarch rules as long and as prominently as Victoria, most books limit themselves to the highlights (or low points) of her reign. And considering that she had nine chileren, all of whom lived to adulthood (a rarity for Victorian times), it is only natural that we really find out very little about them in most biographies. So Victoria's Daughers gives us great details about their lives, thier personalities and especially, their relationship with their famous mother. Vicky is probably the most well-known of the daughters as she became Empress of Prussia and produced the obnoxious and overbearing Kaiser Wilhem. Next comes Alice, who married Louis of Hesse. Alice was nurturing, religious and was responsible for improving the quality of medical care in Germany. She was also the mother of the ill-fated Tsarina Alexandra. Helena was the dowdy, dull daughter but managed to find a husband who was well suited to her and had the longest and happiest marriage. Louise was the most beautiful daughter. She was an artist and also a rebel. She was the only one to marry a commoner and also, was the only daughter to remain childless. Baby Beatrice was the daughter expected to sacrifice her adulthood to care for the Queen. When Beatrice finally fell in love at the late age of 28, it took a 6 month battle before Victoria would allow her youngest child to marry--and only on the condition that Beatrice and her husband make their home with Victoria. There was such an age difference between the children that when Vicky (the oldest) got married, Beatrice (the youngest) was still a baby. This book is filled with many stories and anecdotes about growing up in Victorian society and under Victoria's influence. We learn that Albert, Prince Consort, was actually the better parent while the children were young. He spent countless hours tutoring Vicky and Alice in the skills and knowledge they needed to be first ladies in their new homelands. Ironically, neither Albert nor Victoria thought to prepare Bertie, their oldest son and heir to the throne, for the tremendous responsibilities he would face as King Edward VII. Victoria insisted that her daughters write to her daily and continued to try and influence them throughout their lives. She thought breastfeeding babies was common and vulgar, and was highly upset when she discovered that Alice and Vicky were both breastfeeding their children. Not only did Victoria employ wetnurses for this job, but insisted that these nurses stand while feeding her children--in deference to their royal status! When Vicky and Alice complained to their mother about customs in their adopted lands, Victoria urged them to continue doing things the English way (not something that endeared them to their new subjects). Even when Vicky became Empress of Prussia, Victoria considered her a British princess first and foremost. We also read about the trials and tribulations these daughters faced knowing they might be carriers of that dreaded disease, hemophilia. Alice and Beatrice ended up being carriers, while brother Leopold suffered from the disease. Finally, we read about the large number of grandchildren of Queen Victoria (40 in all) and the many problems associated with them. She was much more patient, understanding and loving to her grandchildren than she was to her own children. Many of this generation became rulers in their own right including King George V, Kaiser Wilhem, Tsarina Alexandra, Queen Ena of Spain, Queen Marie of Romania, Queen Sophie of Greece and Queen Maud of Norway. No wonder she is considering the Grandmother of Europe. There are some minor flaws in this book that prove to be distractions. First, Packard repeats himself over and over again. He keeps telling us that Victoria and Alice were estranged, but yet never really gives us concrete evidence of this. He also relates how the marriage between Alice and Louis was very unfulfilling to Alice, yet she continued to love him dearly (?). I think Packard should have presented the facts without trying to make assumptions. There were also quite a few typos and I wonder where the editor (or proof reader) was on this. Finally, I think the author could have done a better job selecting photographs and perhaps, had more of them. All in all, I think it was a good book that could have been a little better.
Rating:
Summary: Fascinating read...
Review: For anyone interested in reading about Queen Victoria and/or the British Royal Family, Victoria's Daughters by Jerrold Packard is sure to please. When a monarch rules as long and as prominently as Victoria, most books limit themselves to the highlights (or low points) of her reign. And considering that she had nine chileren, all of whom lived to adulthood (a rarity for Victorian times), it is only natural that we really find out very little about them in most biographies. So Victoria's Daughers gives us great details about their lives, thier personalities and especially, their relationship with their famous mother. Vicky is probably the most well-known of the daughters as she became Empress of Prussia and produced the obnoxious and overbearing Kaiser Wilhem. Next comes Alice, who married Louis of Hesse. Alice was nurturing, religious and was responsible for improving the quality of medical care in Germany. She was also the mother of the ill-fated Tsarina Alexandra. Helena was the dowdy, dull daughter but managed to find a husband who was well suited to her and had the longest and happiest marriage. Louise was the most beautiful daughter. She was an artist and also a rebel. She was the only one to marry a commoner and also, was the only daughter to remain childless. Baby Beatrice was the daughter expected to sacrifice her adulthood to care for the Queen. When Beatrice finally fell in love at the late age of 28, it took a 6 month battle before Victoria would allow her youngest child to marry--and only on the condition that Beatrice and her husband make their home with Victoria. There was such an age difference between the children that when Vicky (the oldest) got married, Beatrice (the youngest) was still a baby. This book is filled with many stories and anecdotes about growing up in Victorian society and under Victoria's influence. We learn that Albert, Prince Consort, was actually the better parent while the children were young. He spent countless hours tutoring Vicky and Alice in the skills and knowledge they needed to be first ladies in their new homelands. Ironically, neither Albert nor Victoria thought to prepare Bertie, their oldest son and heir to the throne, for the tremendous responsibilities he would face as King Edward VII. Victoria insisted that her daughters write to her daily and continued to try and influence them throughout their lives. She thought breastfeeding babies was common and vulgar, and was highly upset when she discovered that Alice and Vicky were both breastfeeding their children. Not only did Victoria employ wetnurses for this job, but insisted that these nurses stand while feeding her children--in deference to their royal status! When Vicky and Alice complained to their mother about customs in their adopted lands, Victoria urged them to continue doing things the English way (not something that endeared them to their new subjects). Even when Vicky became Empress of Prussia, Victoria considered her a British princess first and foremost. We also read about the trials and tribulations these daughters faced knowing they might be carriers of that dreaded disease, hemophilia. Alice and Beatrice ended up being carriers, while brother Leopold suffered from the disease. Finally, we read about the large number of grandchildren of Queen Victoria (40 in all) and the many problems associated with them. She was much more patient, understanding and loving to her grandchildren than she was to her own children. Many of this generation became rulers in their own right including King George V, Kaiser Wilhem, Tsarina Alexandra, Queen Ena of Spain, Queen Marie of Romania, Queen Sophie of Greece and Queen Maud of Norway. No wonder she is considering the Grandmother of Europe. There are some minor flaws in this book that prove to be distractions. First, Packard repeats himself over and over again. He keeps telling us that Victoria and Alice were estranged, but yet never really gives us concrete evidence of this. He also relates how the marriage between Alice and Louis was very unfulfilling to Alice, yet she continued to love him dearly (?). I think Packard should have presented the facts without trying to make assumptions. There were also quite a few typos and I wonder where the editor (or proof reader) was on this. Finally, I think the author could have done a better job selecting photographs and perhaps, had more of them. All in all, I think it was a good book that could have been a little better.
Rating:
Summary: Good book on the Victorian girls
Review: For anyone who is into Victoria's family, this is a must read. The five sisters are fascinating women, although yes, little Bea sholdn't have gone and DESTROYED her mom's papers. Vicky is, of course, brilliant, I agree with the reviewer who recommends An Uncommon Woman instead, but that was a book devoted exclusively to her, whereas this one has space constraints. There was no way this book could rival that one. Poor unattractive Lenchen, and independent girl Louise are a delight to get to know. Alice, the selfless spirit who dies the youngest is such a tragic story. I recommend this book.
Rating:
Summary: filled with interesting information
Review: For not being a long book, the information was all there about Victoria's daughters.. A very well written book. i would recommend it to anyone interested in the subject. I'm amazed so much is known about these people
Rating:
Summary: Very Informative
Review: I found this book to be a very informative narative about the lives of Queen Victorias daughters. It not only covers the lives of Vicky, Helena (Lenchen), Alice, Louise,and Beatrice in great detail, but also goes into great details describing Friz, Louis, Christian, John (Ian, Lorne), and Henry the men they married as well as delves into the lives of Queen Victorias more well known grandchildren including Kaiser William II(Vicky's son), Queen Beatrice of Spain (Beatrice's Daughter), and Emperess Alexandra of Russia(Alice's Daughter.) All in All I would have to say that this is a very good book for people interested in Victorian England or are interested in Queen Victoria's family
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