"We Two" is one of those rarest of bookstore treasures, the readable history. Not historical-fiction mind you, but the straight up real thing. It's not funny or cutesy, it doesn't have dialogue, it doesn't "sex up" history. It doesn't need to. Not when the subject matter is such a complicated and intricate web of interpersonal relationships. Like peeling layers of old, yellowing paper from a wall, Gillian Gill tries to sift truth from PR nearly a century old. On top of that, somehow she manages to keep an dense text clear and lively despite the twisted and tortured mess of pre-WWII European political scene.

Aside from the neatly drawn picture and relationship of the couple that are arguably the most well known monarchs ever, we're also given some much needed clarity on their world. The royal marriage markets, the city-states of Germany with their multitude of princes, the sudden appearance of the Royal Residences at Osborne House, Balmoral castle and later, Sandringham House all become clear and logical.

Gill also does not shy away from dealing with the public opinion of the Prince-Consort either. Albert was respected by those who worked with him, and loved by family, but poorly received and tolerated by the aristocracy who had their excesses curbed and the lower classes who seem to have always perceived him as foreign- no doubt due to the German accent he never rid himself of. Her take on the Queen herself is a picture of a woman almost obsessed with her adored husband, yet short tempered and downright petulant at times. Before Albert's death we only see glimpses of the proud matriarch she is remembered as. She does avoid the whole John Brown controversy, covering it with a chapter or two, but then, that is only right as here we are dealing mostly with events previous to Albert's death.


All in all, it';s a strong, dense read. In all probability I'll be looking at some other works to contrast it with, just to get a clearer picture of whether there is much bias here, and if so where it lies.