Craig Brown (1) (1957–)

This is a peculiar, mannered, compelling book. I read it end to end in two long sittings, at a somewhat deliberate pace. It made me feel at once like I was trawling through a middlebrow celebrity lifestyle omnibus of something like Heat magazine, whilst retaining an undeserved sense of self-regard about embarking on something rather more intellectually valuable than such. Compulsively digesting every page, enjoying the callbacks and repeated themes, never really with a firm grasp on where we show more were heading next or what I was learning. Enjoyably provocative.. show less

Mostly-bitchy-with-flashes of empathy take on a woman who is largely portrayed as snobbish and mean. As Brown himself says, it’s not the victors who write history but the writers, and writers make choices. Most of the time he portrays her negatively but there are hints here and there that there might be more to the story. It was fun to read but I did not feel like a very nice person as I cackled along with Brown's catty anecdotes of Margaret's cluelessness and superiority. He hits the show more appeal of his book on the head in an early chapter about Margaret's appeal to bohemians- her presence made them feel respectable/part of the establishment, but then they could mock her behind her back and feel superior. That's what the whole experience of reading the book was like for me. And I don’t think any of that is appealing to anyone’s better angels. show less

I've been planning to read a biography of the Queen since she died, but the reviews for Robert Hardman's very proper account put me off. 'This looks fun!' I thought, discovering Craig Brown's bright orange and pink cover; I enjoyed the author's 'history', if that's the right word, of the Beatles, and this is much the same style - eclectic, random, round the houses, irreverent, amusing - but FAR TOO LONG! At over 600 pages of footnotes, sources and formats, I nearly gave up - I'm not that show more into the Queen or the Royal family, I was just swept up in the pageantry of her death and funeral - but I persevered.

As with One, Two, Three, Four, this book is a mix of straight history, random sources, personal commentary, pop culture, long chapters, light chapters, and photographs (including one of Ringo as a hula girl at a Coronation celebration in 1953). There are segments on every part of the late Queen's life, from her beloved corgis (could have lived without the family trees), Prince Philip and his gaffs, the Queen in pop culture (Madame Tussauds to the Sex Pistols), famous/infamous meet and greets (Marilyn Monroe and Jackie Kennedy at one end of the scale, Idi Amin and Nicolae Ceaușescu at the other), poet laureates (plus poetry), Margaret Thatcher, the Royal yacht - and of course, Gyles bloody Brandreth (could have lived without his ha'p'orth too). The Family are also covered, from the irascible Princess Royal to Diana's death and the current social media circus with the Sussexes (Brown does not appreciate Harry's memoir at all).

There are weird chapters on people's dreams about the Queen - yeah, thanks, I'll pass - and a lengthy, rather jolly account of Rolf Harris' televised portrait painting in 2005. (I kept thinking, 'Really?' His conviction for sexual assault slots in at the end of an unnecessarily long chapter that could have been excised altogether.) To keep the subject interesting, Brown also throws in different formats - dialogue, quotes, multiple choice, and many sarky footnotes. Monarchist v republican is represented fairly, although I did come away with a slight distaste for the money wasted on one family, especially now that the Queen is gone.

And dear lord, we did not need a rehash of her death, funeral and public reaction from 2022! I know this book won't always be a contemporary history, but I ended up skimming through the last 50 or so pages. I could quite sympathise with HM, who by all accounts wasn't very good at spontaneous chitchat and had to shake countless hands over the years, and liked her best in her 'Paddington years' (2012-2022), and I don't envy the author having to compile this compendium of trivia, but my desire to learn more about the Queen is now quenched! show less

A vastly entertaining, eclectic, round the houses biography of The Beatles and their meteoric rise to fame. I'm not really a Beatles fan and Craig Brown's ode to the Fab Four is over 600 pages long, but I enjoyed every page!

The author's acknowledgments could fill a library, from Hunter Davies to Len Garry from The Quarrymen, yet his style is so quirky - and the chapters so brief - that the regurgitated timeline feels more like a series of random anecdotes instead. In between the potted show more biographies and standard Beatles milestones - drug references in songs, rumours of Paul's death, Yoko Ono - there are also quirky 'what if?' chapters and A LOT about the teenage fans. In fact, Brown is so irreverent at times that he almost had me believing that The Beatles were merely the first boy band, like Westlife or One Direction. So many obnoxious teenage girls - no wonder the four of them gave up touring!

I can't speak for dedicated Beatles fans, but this is a great introduction for others like myself, who like the music but can still learn something new from a fresh take on John, Paul, George and Ringo (and Brian!) show less