Her Majesty the Queen

To commemorate Queen Elizabeth II's 60th birthday on April 21, Montgomery-Massingberd, a British freelance writer, has produced this chatty account of her life and reign. Much royal ground is covered, including the queen's relationship with Britain's prime ministers, her family, husband and court, and her upbringing, travels, homes and horses. Consequently, some subjects are given short shrift and many of the author's conclusions are foolish and simplistic. Montgomery-Massingberd is often more reverent than objective, and he rehashes secondary sources since the queen and her family do not deign to give interviews. The frequent digressions are confusing and it's very hard for us commoners to keep the royals straight; a family tree and an explanation of how and why titles are granted would have been instructive. Yet royalty-watchers will enjoy the read, and the queen emerges as an astute leader who looks striking, indeed, in the numerous photographs that comprise the bulk of this book. (April 21)