FANFARE FOR ELIZABETH

by Edith Sitwell ‧ RELEASE DATE: July 30, 1946

Both title and publishers' ontalogue description of this book seem- to this reader- distinctly misleading. This is definitely not a book about the young Elizabeth; actually, except for the final pages, the little princess plays a distinctly minor role. One gets a shadowy picture of her comings and goings, of her periods of non-recognition and of occasional recognition, but always in the background of the drama played out by her dominant father and his six wives. But- compared with Margaret Irwin's Young Bess (Karsount, Brace 1945)- this throws little light on the personality of the child who became queen, and the controversial issue of her relations with her uncle, the Admiral, alone receives the focussed attention of the biographer. This is a much more scholarly book- a book composed in large measure of skilfully selected primary source material, in direct quotation, but it is anything but lively reading, and would- I should think-appeal chiefly to historians, students of the period, and Sitwell fans.

Pub Date: July 30, 1946

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Macmillan

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 1946

Categories: NONFICTION