Book Review: Doomed Queens

An anonymous person once said, "Well behaved women seldom make history." This all-too-true quote constantly ran through my mind while reading Kris Waldherr's latest book, Doomed Queens. Who doesn't like reading about women who chose not to behave? Certainly not us.

Doomed Queens covers just about 3,000 years of queens who met unfortunate ends. The tales of 50 unfortunate queens' lives are retold with sassy panache and humorous commentary. To make the book even more fun Waldherr includes a graphics key that alerts readers to the method of doom. Some of these methods include beheadings, drownings, being burned alive, and imprisonment. Not only does Waldherr include some contemporary portraits of the queens but her own fabulous illustrations-accompanied by some great graphic design. I only wish she had an illustration for every queen. Oh, and did I mention, the book comes with its own paper dolls? Because it does! I became better acquainted with some queens and introduced to others. Here are some of my favorites from the book:

Juana of Castile











Marie Luisa of Orleans















Elisabeth of Bavaria











If you've been enjoying the lighthearted and (hopefully) fun approach to scandalous history that we try to give you here in the Gossip Guides, I think you will also enjoy this romp through unfortunate women rulers. I am so sure that you will like Doomed Queens that if you leave a comment before Monday 24 November you will qualify to be the one lucky reader to win a copy of the book courtesy of the fabulous Ms Waldherr.


Afterthought: If you would like to meet the author and see some of her art and are in New York City this weekend you should drop by her studio and ask her about her book!