If you are truly devoted into learning about Albania, this book might be a bit of a disappointment. But, if you really have to have it, don't expect too gain much out of it. If you really want to learn about Albania, its people, culture, history, and politics you should then look at some of the other titles on Albania that Amazon has in stock. This book does not have much valuable insight on Albania. The book for the most part is very brief and gives the reader just a quick introduction on the country. Even with that, the brief introduction on Albania or the profile that is presented for the country is not very good. I would not even recommend this book for elementary school students. Save your money and find something else!

Geraldine of the Albanians suffers from its author's lack of critical distance. Robyns acknowledges in the foreward that she is friends with Geraldine, and as a result seems to take everything that she says at face value. The queen is of course beautiful and kind, and the king wise and debonair. So when Geraldine's husband, King Zog, addresses the problem of a drunk chauffeur by holding a gun to the man's neck, Robyns expects us to believe Geraldine's interpretation that this was an brilliant solution. The family's choice of friends, such as Franco of Spain and Ian Smith of the former Rhodesia, deserve comment. But Robyns doesn't oblige. If you can read between the lines, however, the story Robyns tells is an interesting one. The royal family of the poorest country in Europe, having been deposed by the communists in the early 40's, bounces from France to England to Egypt to America to Rhodesia to Spain to South Africa, and I've probably forgotten some. The bottom line: if you're interested in Albania, like I am, then you'll get some value out of this quick read. If you're a royalty fanatic, then you probably will, too. Otherwise, don't bother.