Heather Frank
- 3
- reviews
- 1
- helpful vote
- 5
- ratings
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Kingmaker
- Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue
- By: Sonia Purnell
- Narrated by: Louise Brealey
- Length: 16 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 296
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 281
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 281
When Pamela Churchill Harriman died in 1997, the obituaries that followed were predictably scathing–and many were downright sexist. Written off as a mere courtesan and social climber, her true legacy was overshadowed by a glamorous social life and her infamous erotic adventures. Much of what she did behind the scenes–on both sides of the Atlantic–remained invisible and secret. That is, until now: with a wealth of fresh research, interviews and newly discovered sources, Sonia Purnell unveils for the first time the full, spectacular story of how she left an indelible mark on the world today.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Pamela reigns! But.....
- By Lucy Johnson on 11-30-24
- Kingmaker
- Pamela Harriman's Astonishing Life of Power, Seduction, and Intrigue
- By: Sonia Purnell
- Narrated by: Louise Brealey
Fascinating reset
Reviewed: 10-15-24
Wonderfully written and detailed reexamination of a pivotal, underestimated figure on both sides of the Atlantic. I really enjoyed it and was sorry in many ways for the story and the life to have ended The narrator’s voice is appropriately plummy but it is a shame that there are so many mispronunciations. In a biography of someone who was so famed for her attention to detail, it’s disappointing.
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1 person found this helpful
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Henry ‘Chips’ Channon: The Diaries (Volume 3): 1943-57
- By: Chips Channon
- Narrated by: Tom Ward
- Length: 48 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall5 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 34
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Story5 out of 5 stars 34
This third and final volume of the unexpurgated diaries of Sir Henry 'Chips' Channon begins as the Second World War is turning in the Allies' favour. It ends with a prematurely aged Chips descending into poor health but still socially active and able to turn a pointed phrase about the political events that swirl around him and the great and the good with whom he mingles.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Chips Channon Diaries
- By Penelope Alexander on 04-18-25
- Henry ‘Chips’ Channon: The Diaries (Volume 3): 1943-57
- By: Chips Channon
- Narrated by: Tom Ward
A gimlet eye on British history
Reviewed: 09-09-24
I keep listening to certain passages over and over — so full of details no one else would have known experienced or noticed. Such pointed and snarky comments that made me laugh out loud and unique portraits of the great and good of the day. And a life unapologetically well-lived and well-loved. The narration is so transporting that I found myself jolted when the narrator gives an aside about the diary manuscripts at the beginning but end of a chapter. Yes, there are comments and ideas that are ugly and have not aged well. But overall, I loved this cozy couple of weeks with Chips whispering in my ear.
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Catherine, the Princess of Wales
- A Biography of the Future Queen
- By: Robert Jobson
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
- Length: 8 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4 out of 5 stars 39
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Performance4 out of 5 stars 38
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Story4 out of 5 stars 38
Kate Middleton’s life story seems like a modern-day fairy tale. An attractive, clever, and ambitious girl from unexceptional beginnings meets and falls in love with a wealthy prince when they are both college undergraduates. Now, with the British monarchy in transition, Catherine is destined to become the first “commoner Queen” in British history since Anne Hyde, wife of James II.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Puff Propaganda from the Palace
- By Motherlawyrwmn on 08-23-24
- Catherine, the Princess of Wales
- A Biography of the Future Queen
- By: Robert Jobson
- Narrated by: Lucy Scott
Insipid
Reviewed: 08-14-24
Given the tight circle around the family, I wasn’t expecting any surprises, but this book was sycophantic to the point of being boring. The editing was also terrible — anecdotes and phrases repeated over and over. It seemed that the author had to pad out the word count to comply with the publisher’s contract. If you follow the Royal Family in even a casual way, there is nothing new or interesting in this book. The narrator did the best she could with this very thin and tired material.
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