Crown of Thorns: The Reign of King Boris III of Bulgaria, 1918-1943 [Paperback]

Stephane Groueff (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 6, 1998

A fascinating biography of Bulgaria's tragic monarch, Boris III, based on private correspondence and extensive interviews with members of the Bulgarian royal family. The son of King Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha, Boris became king after the first World War. Noted for defying Hitler wishes for Bulgaria's Jews, the popular king died mysteriously in 1943 after a stormy meeting with Hitler.

Product Details

• Paperback: 440 pages
• Publisher: Madison Books (August 6, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1568331142
• ISBN-13: 978-1568331140
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #663,168 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #9 in Books > History > Europe > Bulgaria

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Crowning Achievement, April 28, 2007

By 

Gerald Courtney "Buckeye Gerry" (Lansdale, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Crown of Thorns: The Reign of King Boris III of Bulgaria, 1918-1943 (Paperback)

Having just finished this book, I would recommend this to anyone...whether a student of the Balkans, Bulgaria, World War II...or someone looking for a non-fiction book that reads like an engrossing thriller. Almost unknown to most Americans, King Boris III lived a very interesting life, full of political intrigue, love, loss, and legacy. This was one book worth staying up late to read. I hate to use the cliche "page-turner" but there is no better way to describe this book. Groueff's style is fluid and exacting. Even the flurry of Bulgarian names are easy to recall and fascinating to remember. This is one I will keep in my library.

19 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars the story of the reign of boris III of bulgaria (1918-1943), May 20, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Crown of Thorns: The Reign of King Boris III of Bulgaria, 1918-1943 (Paperback)

The author of this book is the son of an official of the government of royalist Bulgaria. Even though he states his story as unbiased, his defense of the Boris III leaves the reader wondering. Boris suceeded his father Ferdinand after the first World War. Boris was very inexperienced when he suceeded, and the government went from far left to far right. In the 1930s, a royal dictatorship was established by the King, and the government went to the far right. Throughout this story the author defends the King and lambasts the politicians. Eventually the country drifted into an alliance with Nazi Germany due to the economic and political situation in Europe. With the outbreak of World War II, the King chose to back Nazi Germany, and enlarge the territory of the country. This brought the country into conflict with the Allies, and the enslavement of the country by Soviet Russia. Boris III was not the evil ruler like Stalin and Hitler. His choice brought disaster to Bulgaria. The author's defense of the King is obvious. The book could have been more objective.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Man who would rather NOT be King, December 18, 2007

By 

Grey Wolffe "Zeb Kantrowitz" (North Waltham, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Crown of Thorns: The Reign of King Boris III of Bulgaria, 1918-1943 (Paperback)

Boris III Sachs-Coberg-Gotha was related to all the major royal houses of Europe. His great aunt was Queen Victoria, and his godfather was Nicolas the Tzar of Russia. His wife was the daughter of King Victor Emmanual II of Italy who ruled under Mussolini. His son, Simeon II, would become Prime Minister of Bulgaria after the overthrow of the communists.

But if Boris could have had his wish he would have been a lepidopterist (a collector of butterflies) and botanist. This sensitive man was forced to take over the throne of Bulgaria in 1918 after his father (King Ferdinand) was force to abdicate after World War I. He fought along side Bulgaria's soldiers in both Balkan Wars (1912, 1913) and during WWI. He was respected by his people because he never took on the 'air' of a monarch. He was known to give rides in his car (which he liked to drive in the countryside) to people who broken down on the roadside.

Leading up to World War II, to protect Bulgaria from the encroachment of Fascism, he was forced to take on the reigns of government and create a non-political state. His cabinet was made up of technocrats, and he was able to steer a middle course for many years, working with the League of Nations to settle border disputes. But, caught between the Soviet Union and the German Reich, he was eventually forced to take sides and joint the Tripartite Pact(though he never declared war on the Soviet Union).

Abandoned by the western powers, he fought a 'rearguard' battle with Hitler, to keep his army out of the war (they did occupation duty in Yugoslavia and Greece), and to keep 'his Jews' from being deported to Poland. (After the war, almost all of Bulgaria's 50,000 pre-war Jews were able to emigrate to Israel.)

He died in 1943, under mysterious conditions, two weeks after returning from a 'heated' meeting with Hitler. (NOTE: the author's father was a member of the Royal household, and was executed by the Communists after a coup d'etat in 1945.)