sonia921's review against another edition
5.0
SO GOOD! What an educational and fun way to learn about some amazing women through out history and time. This book covers many different cultures and time periods, not just the normal european stuff. A totally fun read.
xxstefaniereadsxx's review against another edition
informative
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.0
This book was really interesting. It mentioned several queens, who all met with unfortunate ends. This is a small book, and it only provided a brief overview. I gave it five stars because it was interesting and entertaining. It helped pass the time and added to my reading challenge. I would love to read some more in depth biographies than what is provided her about some of the women, but it was good.
barbie16's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed this breezy read for what it was - snapshots of queens of the past. While it reads more like a "did you know" fun fact book, the author put a lot of time into illustrating and framing where the queen fell in her certain period. The author fully admits she had little information on some queens, particularly the earlier ones, but as a librarian I appreciate her bibliography she did her research.
rosebuddd's review against another edition
5.0
Perfect. Was short and sweet, just enough information about each queen to spark my interest, but it wasn't a book of biographies. Of course there is the always intresting Anne Boleyn, and Princess Di, but there were also women I'd never heard of at all, from all corners of the globe. I also particulary enjoyed the illustrations.
girlinacardigan's review against another edition
3.0
https://jenninsf.wordpress.com/2010/09/20/doomed-queens-by-kris-waldherr/
diannel_04's review against another edition
4.0
A fun little book about various royal women who have met bad ends starting with Jezebel's daughter and ending with Princess Di. Each story is told with slight tongue in cheek. Altogether an enjoyable read.
happilyruined's review against another edition
3.0
We all know that when it comes to books that bring a bunch of interesting historical figures together in short, concise essays--there's not much deviation. You get a few interesting stories out of them and hopefully a little bit of accuracy. I can't say that Doomed Queens brings any new ground to the "genre". The familiar women like Marie Antoinette and Anne Boleyn get the same old treatment as the always do. Waldherr does bring a few lesser-known ladies--Thessalonike among them--to the forefront, and that's a pleasant surprise.
The only thing I would critique is that every now and then Waldherr gets a little too judgmental when faced with certain women. She dismisses Cleopatra's relationship with Mark Antony as a seduction in which he was an alcoholic victim and Cleopatra a distant manipulator with no real feelings for the fathers of her children. Her favorites, on the other hand--like Anne Boleyn--get free passes. Anne was certainly innocent and more good than she was bad; but her feelings for Henry VIII could be questioned as much if not moreso than Cleopatra's for Antony.
Overall: fun, introduces you to new ladies, good way to pass the time.
The only thing I would critique is that every now and then Waldherr gets a little too judgmental when faced with certain women. She dismisses Cleopatra's relationship with Mark Antony as a seduction in which he was an alcoholic victim and Cleopatra a distant manipulator with no real feelings for the fathers of her children. Her favorites, on the other hand--like Anne Boleyn--get free passes. Anne was certainly innocent and more good than she was bad; but her feelings for Henry VIII could be questioned as much if not moreso than Cleopatra's for Antony.
Overall: fun, introduces you to new ladies, good way to pass the time.