Elizabeth the Queen
The Life of a Modern Monarch
Anglotopia
March 20, 2012
“In the past year, I have read 7 biographies on Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. Many of the works read, had the same stories, same milestones and bits of facts and scattered throughout. One book though changed that, Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch by Sally Bedell Smith.” More »
Minneapolis Star Tribune
March 18, 2012
Michael Bonafield writes “Any book that carries a recommendation from great British historian Paul Johnson is a sure bet, and Sally Bedell Smith’s imposing, yet nimbly written, biography dwarfs the field.” More »
BookHampton
March 12, 2012
“It is wonderfully surprising to discover that Elizabeth, Queen of England, who is about to celebrate her 60th Anniversary on the throne, is perhaps the very model of a 21st century sovereign.” More »
The Oklahoman
March 11, 2012
Mary McReynolds writes “Elizabeth the Queen” “commands full attention while bestowing total satisfaction….In an age of ennui and sarcasm…a tribute to vows uttered and kept. How refreshing for those hungry for tradition and continuity.” More »
The Lady
March 2, 2012
The truth about the Queen’s Corgis. They are the Queen’s closest companions – so what’s it really like to be a regal pooch? Royal biographer Sally Bedell Smith reveals… More »
Carolyn Harris: Royal Historian
February 28, 2012
A thoughtful review of “Elizabeth the Queen” on an excellent royal website. Carolyn Harris knows her royal history. More »
Malibu Magazine
February 22, 2012
“Sally Bedell Smith is known for her impeccable writing and journalistic integrity…This esteem and trust earned Smith the palace’s help in the writing of her latest biography, Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch, in which Smith uncovers Queen Elizabeth’s fascinating life leading up to her Diamond Jubilee this year” More »
CBC Books
February 17, 2012
The life and times of Queen Elizabeth More »
Huffington Post Canada
February 9, 2012
Rebecca Zamon raises some intriguing questions about “Elizabeth the Queen” More »
San Francisco Chronicle
February 7, 2012
Leah Garchik, the San Francisco Chronicle’s witty and wonderful columnist, on the Monday Group’s lunchtime gathering for “Elizabeth the Queen.” More »
Everyday eBook
February 6, 2012
12 Surprising Facts About Queen Elizabeth II More »
The Telegraph
February 4, 2012
Writes Victoria Ward: “Contents of Queen’s handbag revealed: including £5 for church collection.” The contents of the Queen’s ubiquitous handbag have long been the source of much mystery and speculation. More »
Richmond Times-Dispatch
February 5, 2012
Books editor Jay Strafford of the Richmond Times-Dispatch on Elizabeth the Queen’s “fresh and admiring look” at the Queen’s life. More »
The Spectator
February 4, 2012
Charles Moore, one of Britain’s most admirable and talented journalists, writing in The Spectator’s Notes column, zeroes in on an important theme of “Elizabeth the Queen”: “that the Queen’s encounters with America may have helped her handle problems at home.” More »
Washington Times
January 30, 2012
Sally Bedell Smith’s “Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch” examines the monarch’s career – the 60th anniversary of the coronation will be marked in June – in prose that shines as brightly as a new proof sovereign coin, revealing one of the most impressive people of our age….
All this, and a great deal more, is detailed with graceful precision by Mrs. Smith, a best-selling biographer who previously detailed Princess Diana’s tumultuous life. This book brings a reader closer to the queen than one expects and offers a very human – and very humane – portrait.
A word must be said about the way in which Mrs. Smith tells her story: It is filled with insightful anecdotes and asides, framed in language that is delightful as it is instructive. And so I imagine even the most small “r” republican will say after encountering Sally Bedell Smith’s portrait of this remarkable person: “God Save the Queen!” More »
New York Times
January 20, 2012
“an excellent all-embracing new biography of Queen Elizabeth II by the superb chronicler Sally Bedell Smith….[who] pulls fascinating details into her portrait of Elizabeth, shining a beam onto unlighted corners of the monarch’s experience.” More »
Newsday
January 19, 2012
“Elizabeth the Queen: A monarch’s life” by Sarah Weinman. “Elizabeth the Queen…comes as close to answering [the] questions as anyone can without hearing directly from Elizabeth…a meticulously researched volume…with choice details gleaned from countless interviews of those close to Queen Elizabeth” More »
New York Social Diary
January 18, 2012
“…if you read this book you’ll get the picture. I love this book.” More »
National Post
January 18, 2012
Shinan: Queen Elizabeth, more than a pretty smile More »
Christian Science Monitor
January 17, 2012
Molly Driscoll: Sally Bedell Smith’s new biography ‘Elizabeth the Queen’ examines the life of Britain’s current monarch, from her father’s unexpected ascension to the throne to the wedding of William and Kate. Here are 10 stories you may not have heard about the reigning queen. More »
Huffington Post
January 16, 2012
Royal Bride Wars: Diana Was No Kate More »
The Sunday Times
January 15, 2012
“Crown, orb and…riding crop: Such is the Queen’s love of her horses that she follows every minute detail of their lives, even being present at their conception.” Imagine the prim and proper Queen watching the violent mating act of her valuable mares with multi-million-dollar prizewinning stallions. Also revealed for the first time: why the Queen doesn’t wear a hard hat while riding on horseback… More »
Toronto Sun
January 13, 2012
“Elizabeth II bio entertaining” by Nancy Schiefer. At first glance Elizabeth the Queen, Sally Bedell Smith’s biography of Britain’s present monarch, may seem more of the same, added commentary on what most readers already know. The book, however, is more than just a cursory glimpse of a currently celebrated figure in British history. It is a portrait with some degree of depth. More »
MSNBC.com
January 10, 2012
Sally Bedell Smith explores the life of one of the world’s most enigmatic women. More »
More.com
January 10, 2012
“A fascinating new biography on the monarch of Britain” by Rebecca Adler Warren
More »
USA Today
January 9, 2012
“Sally Bedell Smith’s bio reveals ‘Elizabeth the Queen'” by Dierdre Donahue. The British national anthem might be God Save the Queen, but according to Sally Bedell Smith’s new biography, Elizabeth the Queen, the petite monarch has done a heroic job of rescuing the royal institution herself. More »
LA Times
January 9, 2012
“Much has been written about the British monarch, but the American author manages to mine new tidbits – with the help of the queen’s family and friends.” More »
Daily Mail
January 8, 2012
“History’s repeating itself: Ex-Archbishop tells of the Queen’s ‘despair’ over Charles’s split from Diana and love for Camilla in a revealing new biography” by Sharon Churcher And Elizabeth Sanderson More »
Boston Globe
January 8, 2012
A sprightly 85 and still clutching her signature handbag, Queen Elizabeth II is more popular than ever. More »
“She was so young, and the task was so enormous. Yet with grace and a determination to do her duty come what may-and so much has indeed come-Elizabeth II studiously made herself part of the fabric of global civilization in the most tumultuous of times. This is a terrific book about a fascinating figure.”-Jon Meacham
“A deeply researched, unvarnished, and therefore totally fascinating portrait of the transcendent icon of our age… Many authors have written about Elizabeth II, but none of them can match the literary style, wit, or insightful commentary of Sally Bedell Smith.”-Amanda Foreman
“In an era plagued by flawed public figures, the world’s most famous woman has graced her realm impeccably for sixty years. She does so by being both mysterious and grounded. Sally Bedell Smith, through great reporting and insightful writing, provides a revealing look inside the palace to show how the Queen balances being both modern and traditional. Our celebrity-saturated world could learn a lot from her-and from this book.”-Walter Isaacson
“This is a biography that avoids none of the difficult questions. Sally Bedell Smith asks them in a way no one else has dared.”-Nancy Milford
“Elizabeth the Queen shows the woman as well as the monarch, and helps us to understand how Elizabeth has become a key figure in the history of our times.”-Margaret MacMillan
“Elizabeth the Queen is an engaging, insightful, and altogether entertaining journey through the life and trials of the world’s most beloved monarch. By the end of Sally Bedell Smith’s winning book, I felt as if I had a new friend in Buckingham Palace.”-Tom Brokaw
“A compelling, deeply human portrait of the remarkable Elizabeth II. This is a biography not to be missed.”-Lynne Olson
“Sally Bedell Smith’s Elizabeth the Queen is a remarkable and sympathetic portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. At the same time, it provides a fascinating picture of the major modern enterprise that monarchy has become. It is a deft and very readable book.”-Michael Korda
Sally appreciates hearing from you! Please take a moment to contact her directly to let her know what you think. She is not able to respond to every submission, but she will read them all.