Andrew Roberts
Rich in new material, wit, and original thought. With intimate and unrivalled access to those who really know the story, Queen of Our Times not only gives us the real Elizabeth II, but it also reminds us, often movingly, that we are living through one of history’s greatest reigns.
Simon Sebag Montefiore
The essential authoritative biography of the Queen that everyone needs to read. Queen of Our Times is packed with new research, gripping details and telling anecdotes on every page, equally masterful on matters high and low, power and family. Hardman not only explains her; he defines her and her epoch.
Professor Peter Hennessy
This is a beautifully crafted, deeply informed, and rounded portrait of the gold standard monarch and the age to which she has given her name. Robert Hardman’s Queen of Our Times has depth feel and insight in abundance.
Kirkus Reviews
2022-03-01
A celebration of the queen.
For his latest book on the monarchy, Daily Mail journalist Hardman has drawn on interviews, confidential conversations, official and unofficial biographies, declassified Cabinet papers, and unpublished diaries, all of which give his account authority and heft. Elizabeth, who will celebrate her Platinum Jubilee on Feb. 6, 2022, has faced daunting political, economic, and family crises during her seven decades in power, including her sister’s romance with a married man; the assassination of Prince Philip’s uncle Lord Mountbatten; the Suez Canal conflict; disagreements with Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher; her children’s divorces; the deaths of Diana and Prince Philip; unrest in some parts of the realm; cultural upheaval in response to British colonialism; anti-monarchists; and, most recently, the decision of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to withdraw from their royal obligations. No monarch, Hardman writes, “has weathered more change, both within and without the institution, than Elizabeth II. She has done so by avoiding grand, overarching masterplans and targets, by sticking to her strategy of ‘small steps.’ ” With unwavering admiration, the author portrays Elizabeth as a head of state who exemplifies “the prudent application of soft power” and who “genuinely likes being Queen.” He praises her restraint, which he believes comes from innate modesty and which often masks deep feelings. Even as a teenager in war-torn Britain, “Elizabeth was dutiful, reserved, reluctant to be the centre of attention, reticent with emotions and opinions.” In 1966, when she was criticized for not rushing to the scene of a devastating colliery accident in Wales, Hardman explains that she was afraid of publicly displaying overwhelming sorrow. More than his previous books, this one is structured as a detailed chronology, following Elizabeth on diplomatic voyages throughout the world and dutifully reporting on interactions domestic and foreign. He debunks critics and especially delights in exposing fictions perpetrated by The Crown.
A boon for royal-watchers.
