A biography written in a new format which makes it interesting and chatty, sees the lady from a more human and emotional view. I really enjoyed this book. It’s one for skipping through, enjoying the snippets of gossip, the little bits of delicious old feuds and long forgotten times. However, after the war and the death of her husband she continued her years of service to the crown and her daughter, the Queen. My favorite parts were hearing about her personality. She smiled, teased and enjoyed a smart joke with the people around her regardless of their status. It seems that until the very end she took care of those around her and kept on smiling through all the tough times.

I thought from the somewhat comical cover, that the book might be less substantial and focus more on the quips and (perhaps) public gaffs that the Queen Mother was known for. Instead, the book was a very in-depth look at the life of the woman who was born while Queen Victoria was still on the throne and died a century later. Not only are well-known sources quoted, but also people who knew or met the Queen Mother and also private letters and diaries were consulted to form a more rounded picture of the QEII's mum -- warts and all. As Queen of England and later the Queen Mother, we see her tenacity and humorous side emerge as Elizabeth could be herself. She was a lover of life, and even though she had feuds with members of her family, such as Wallis Simpson and Princess Diana, she truly loved and fought for her family until the very end of her long life. The author is clearly fond of his subject. It's not without criticism but overall he tells a very flattering story. I did appreciate the considerations raised about the sexism faced by the Queen Mother (and other female members of the royal family) that was often exacerbated by the media. And the author paints quite a scathing (and entertaining) portrait of the abdicated King Edward VIII and his wife Wallis Simpson.

When told that Lady Mountbatten was being buried at sea, the Queen Mother replied cheerfully. ‘Dear old Edwina, she always did like to make a splash!’ The Queen Mother, of course, needs no introduction. Personally, I remember seeing her in photographs and footage of the royal family as a child. She passed away when I was 14 years old - I remember hearing of her passing and feeling saddened at the time but that's it.

Aside from the funny incidents referred to later in the book, the overall biography was top notch and I learned new kernels of information. For instance, in 1966 she had cancer resulting in a temporary colostomy. I never heard this anywhere before! So, the cover of this book is somewhat misleading because this is actually a quality biography with fresh, interesting and yes- often comical anecdotes. So if you're thinking this is some quirky take on The Queen Mother, know that you're in for an exceptionally good biography of Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother.Russell is an extraordinary author, and I would read anything he created, and this book is another to add to an essential collection. This book is a little walk through the past, showing a woman born during the rule of Queen Victoria, and living until after the turn of the millennium. An old-world woman living in a new world was always bound to create an interesting lifetime. As one might expect from the book’s title, alcohol figures prominently, recalling one equerry’s description of the Queen Mother as not an alcoholic, exactly, but “a devoted drinker’. Once, at a dinner in Hillsborough Castle, she responded to the loyal toast by inviting everyone to raise their glasses not only to “the people of Northern Ireland”, but to each of the six counties – one after another. By the end, says Russell, guests were swaying on their feet, while one old general staggered off to throw up in the Entrance Hall’s umbrella stand. The Queen Mother remained clear-headed throughout.