Behind the Palace Doors

If People magazine or Entertainment Tonight published history books, this title could stand tall as part of their fall lineup. This unashamed romp dishes history in movie-trailer mode, relaying the juiciest components of each royal biography from Henry VIII through Queen Elizabeth II. Surprisingly, a fuller tapestry emerges despite the spice, allowing the listener to intake a good chunk of British history. Narrator James Langton lends his Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama cachet to transport the listener seamlessly to the British Isles. Farquhar is a master of hit-and-run history, with popular compilations such as A Treasury of Royal Scandals and A Treasury of Great American Scandals. The author's track record coupled with Anglophilia stoked by Prince William's wedding and The King's Speech film should keep this title curtsying off the shelves. Fun for history buffs and those loving all things about the royals, especially the dirt. ["A good selection for lighter history reading on the lives of British monarchs and really good scandals," read the review of the Random hc, LJ 1/11.—Ed.]—Judith Robinson, Dept. of Lib. & Information Studies, Univ. at Buffalo