Review: A neat personal and historical perspective
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 24, 2013
Born and bred in the U.S., I have always found monarchies to be both fascinating and mysterious. Of course, that meant I HAD to read this book because I love reading about monarchies--we don't have one! This fascinating look at the monarchy of the Netherlands focuses on Queen Maxima, and also gives a lot of information about her husband, Willem-Alexander. Beyond the interesting personal details of the Queen and King (what they are like as people and their roles), this book takes a deeper look a the relevance of monarchies in the modern age, including the role the monarchy plays currently, and what roles it COULD play. I've wondered this myself. The conclusions are pretty interesting (i.e., that monarchies like this one strengthen the national image and faith, as well as increase the "feel good" factor overall in the nation). A very interesting read for me, as a lifelong participant in the democratic process in a nation with no monarcht. What I like best about this book is that it's not just about Maxima as a person (not like a People magazine article), it's about the historical and future context of the young monarchy of the Netherlands. A really neat read for those who are interested in history and people, and how the two interact! Very well-written and professionally-done.