William Kuhn is a biographer, historian, and the author, most recently, of Reading Jackie, an account of the editorial life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. He has written three previous books: Democratic Royalism; Henry and Mary Ponsonby; and The Politics of Pleasure. Most recently Kuhn has been professor of history at Carthage College and he has held fellowships from the Social Science Research Council and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He lives in Boston, Massachusetts.
READER BIO
British-born Simon Prebble has played in everything from soaps to
Shakespeare on stage and television, but it is as a veteran
narrator of over four hundred audiobooks that he has made his mark
since coming to the United States in 1990. Simon is one of
AudioFile magazine's Golden Voices, has received over twenty
Earphones Awards, five Publishers Weekly Listen-Up Awards, and he
has been a finalist fourteen times for an Audie Award. He was
Publishers Weekly's 2006 Narrator of the Year, and Booklist's 2010
Voice of Choice.
Earphones Award Winner. ""Simon Prebble gives an impeccable
performance in this story about Queen Elizabeth's spontaneous and
unescorted journey on a train, which throws the staff of the Royal
Household into chaos... Prebble's pacing with the Queen's
soft-spoken, intentional speech is spot-on, as are his flawless
transitions from one character's accent to the next. His
intentionally exaggerated American and Indian accents and his
rendering of the subtle differences between various English accents
make a charming story even more entertaining. A sweet treat for
Anglophiles."" - AudioFile Magazine
3 out of 4 stars. ""...light comedy, romance, and royal
sensibilities, mixed with subplots touching on aging, political
correctness and respect for sexual preferences, make for a
delightful escape. We can only hope there are more train rides in
Her Majesty's future."" - USA Today
""Royal watchers and students of class alike will enjoy this smart,
if familiar, tale."" - Publishers Weekly
""Kuhn does a convincing job of inhabiting the heads of his
characters, crowned or not. ... An affectionate, sympathetic but
also unstinting look at the woman inside the sovereign."" - Kirkus
Reviews
""...a witty, contemporary story of the Downton Abbey-esque
tensions between servants and employers, the young and the old, and
tradition and modernity."" - Glamour
""...a delightful read, a bit of fiction (the train journey) set
into nonfiction (everything else), and a sly look at how the
monarchy is changing along with - or maybe two beats behind - the
rest of Britain."" - Star Tribune
""...a frivolously delightful fairy tale."" - Maclean's
""...Mrs. Queen Takes the Train is an easy read filled with
speculation, information, and possible insight about a woman we
think we know, but certainly do not - The Queen."" - The Examiner
(UK)
In his first novel, historian Kuhn (Reading Jackie: Her Autobiography in Books) attempts yet another imagining of the inner life of Queen Elizabeth II. Royalty is a lonely-if-privileged existence in the 21st century, and the queen has endured years of sordid scandals and stoic service. When she hears that the former royal yacht, Britannia, is moored in Scotland, she decides to visit, hoping to relive some happy memories. Disguised in a hoodie, she slips from the palace unnoticed. Upon discovering her gone, a motley crew of palace servants forms a search party. Included are the Queen's down-on-her-luck lady-in-waiting, Anne; a dedicated butler; an equerry just back from Iraq; a young mistress of the Mews; the queen's longtime dresser, Shirley; and a cheese shop clerk and sometime paparazzo. All are hoping to coax the monarch to return before the tabloids, or MI5, get wind of the adventure. Kuhn explores not only the queen's inner life, but the Downtown Abbey style-tensions between servants and royals, the old guard and the new. The servants are the real stars here, distinguishing this from other Elizabethan imaginings. Royal watchers and students of class alike will enjoy this smart, if familiar, tale. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
The Queen of England, overwhelmed by changing technology and bored by her official duties, on a whim hops a public train bound for Scotland. Six civilians, from a lady in waiting to a local cheesemonger, quietly follow along to ensure her safety. The fanciful premise is rounded out by a cast of interesting characters and just enough speculation into her majesty's mind. The narrative is both reflective and peppered with amusing interactions. Narrator Simon Prebble, an AudioFile Golden Voice, performs an array of characterizations that add warmth to this enjoyable debut novel. -VERDICT Anglophiles in particular will enjoy this audiobook, which is recommended for most libraries with contemporary fiction holdings. ["Expertly timed to capitalize on the glow emanating from the Diamond Jubilee, the satire here is featherweight (Kuhn is no Sue Townsend) in this 60-gun salute to the establishment that perpetuates the institution of the monarchy," read the less-appreciative review of the HarperCollins hc, LJ 8/12.-Ed.]-Amy Koester, St. Charles City-Cty. Lib. Dist., Wentzville, MO (c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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