Ella: Princess, Saint and Martyr by Christopher Warwick
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Book Reviews of Ella: Princess, Saint and Martyr
Book Review: A Veritable Slog
Summary: 1 Stars
Having read many books on Russian History, I agree with a previous reviewer and state here that this is perhaps the worst one I've encountered. There are several misspellings, comma splices, etc., suggesting the need for an editor. I read this book to the end because I paid for it, but it was truly a veritable slog to the last page. The writing is dense and obtuse, suggesting a recent class in English Composition as evidenced by complex sentence structure that is needless and ultimately impedes understanding. There is no chart detailing the family relationships which would have helped in identifying some of the more distant family members mentioned. There are other books that are clearer, more easily digested, and don't leave this bad taste behind when one puts them down. This is a rehash of several other materials already out there - and while this is not usually a problem in many cases, there is nothing new added here except poor writing and a supercilious attitude that runs like a thread throughout the book. I do not recommend the book, but I do recommend the subject.Book Review: Not worth the effort to read it
Summary: 1 Stars
This book took forever to read, and it wasn't worth the effort. I kept having to go back and reread passages that weren't clearly written. I took a course on Russian history in college, and I have read a few books about Russian history, and the Romanov Dynasty. I was eager to learn more about Ella, because she seemed like such an interesting woman. I felt that most of the book was written about the people in Ella's life, without really focusing on Ella, and what made her compelling. This book didn't offer a lot of new information about Ella. I got a glimpse of what was going on in the world around Ella, but I didn't learn much about her. I was also surprised that a photo of Ella's body after it had been recovered was included in the photo section. It just seemed distasteful. I would not recommend Ella: Princess, Saint, and Martyr to a friend.