Victoria: Portrait of a Queen

Queen Victoria ruled the United Kingdom for nearly sixty-four years, a record only recently eclipsed by Queen Elizabeth II. During the Victorian era, there was a great expansion in the British empire and tremendous changes culturally, politically, industrially, and sciencally. To write a comprehensive biography of this woman who had such a rich and fascinating life and make it accessible to young people is quite a challenge. Author Catherine Reef, though, rises to the challenge through impeccable research and clear, lively writing. And, since it is for American young people, Reef faces the additional problem of bringing her audience up to speed on the complexity of a constitutional monarchy, one which will be quite foreign to her readers. With such daunting material, keeping those pages turning is quite a task, but the book is filled with beautiful illustrations and photographs from the Victorian period. The very specific captions for the illustrations impart a great deal of information and enhance the educational value of this fine book. While it is clear that those who are history buffs, particularly those interested in British history, will gravitate to this book, it could well turn others into history buffs.