George III: America's Last King (The English Monarchs Series) (Hardcover)

~ Dr. Jeremy Black (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"'Jeremy Black's richly researched and thought provoking biography steers a judicious course between praise and criticism, examining George's life in the round, and, of special importance, placing him firmly in his wider British, European and American context.' BBC History Magazine 'This meticulous, impressively researched study concludes that George should be remembered not as a tyrant, but as a reasonably competent King who, at several vital moments, failed to be a wise ruler.' Jane Robins, The Daily Telegraph 'Jeremy Black is something of a phenomenon; easily the most prolific historian writing in Britain today, he consistently publishes learned and worthwhile books and articles on major subjects. This one proves he is on top of his form.' Andrew Roberts, History Today" --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Review

"A splended and, indeed, definitive biography - [it] has restored George's life and reign to a proportional perspective."-Journal of Modern History (Journal of Modern History 20081201)

"Thorough and honest. . . . Black provides a comprehensive insight into a provocative ruler for readers interested in King George, the British monarchy, and this transformative period of world history."-The University Bookman (The University Bookman )

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Yale University Press; 1St Edition edition (December 15, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300117329
• ISBN-13: 978-0300117325
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #623,973 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Biography, April 29, 2008

By	OldVineZin "oldvinezin" (Napa, CA United States) - See all my reviews

I am not a historian; I am a fan of history. I know enough modern history to recognize skillful writing, accomplished research and craftsmanship. Jeremy Black's book qualifies in all these categories. William Hays excellent review of this biography in the Wall Street Journal is a wonderful, concise summary of Mr. Black's book. Since it is unlikely I can match his fine description, I will confine my comments to cautious criticism rather than perform an academic dissection.

American readers should be warned that this is not an easy book to read. Mr. Black, who is a professional historian, write to an audience familiar with British politics that understands title inheritance (sixth earls), peer promotions (and name changes), Parliamentary procedure (ministerial nominations and dismissals) and English history (the Glorious Revolution). It is unlikely that American readers, who rarely have this kind of grounding, will understand these conditions upon opening his first chapter. Nor had I managed to greatly expand my knowledge base when I closed his last chapter. The biography would gain greatly from a brief introduction to late eighteen century British politics, even at the risk of boring our English cousins.

It is also not easy to read because Mr. Black's sentences are occasionally confusing and his paragraphs disjointed. Tighter editing should have corrected this problem. Perhaps his editors were intimidated by his academic position. I am not. A competent reader recognizes good grammar. A sentence that requires three readings qualifies for either better editing or waiting until one is sober. This doesn't happen often but it does with regularity.

I was quickly lost upon encountering the different orders of the King's bedchamber. A search through several internet sources was no help. Is the lord chamberlain superior in rank to the master of the groom? Perhaps it makes no difference. However, being curious about such matters left me cast ashore without resources. The Order of the Garter placed me in a similarly abandoned state. And I must say, at a minimum, I wondered why offices were named for intimate adornments (robes and garters). This are not meant as great criticism. It is simply that unsophisticated readers such as me are disadvantaged and would appreciate a brief introduction to the Georgian political world.

American readers will be slightly disappointed in Mr. Black's discussion of how Colonial politicians related to George III. Thomas Jefferson is mentioned occasionally as is John Adams. Both spent time in London and left original source documents. Yet I wondered if they were indeed snubbed. I find it unlikely although the same stories continue to be told. Jefferson is known to have manipulated truth to suit his purposes, and Adams is a prejudiced, judgmental and sometime unreliable journalist. I wanted to know if George III did, in fact, slight them, and if so, why. He would likely have left a note of such a performance I would appreciate Mr. Black's comments.

Yet this book is extraordinarily instructive. A careful reading of Mr. Black's biography yields an excellent assessment of George III. He ultimately appears as a steadfast, conscientious man thoroughly devoted to his wife, religion, country and duty. In short, he is the consummate royalist, and Mr. Black goes to great extremes explaining exactly why. A Freudian analysis will probably explain more. Surely some internal medicine specialist will eventually diagnose why this uniquely admirable and unfortunate man suffered so terribly and how he might have been more humanely treated in his declining years. After all, if we do not try to profit from our mistakes, reading history is a useless exercise in arrogant commentary. I highly recommend Mr. Black's biography and only graded it as four stars based on some minor concerns about my lack of preparation and his writing style.

1 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars George III: America's Last King, May 6, 2007

By	Gerda Karb "A. G-K" (Chicago, IL United States) - See all my reviews

It is not a book for someone who doesn't know anything about George III.
It is not for begginers. But it is very good book to get to know George very well. What he was thinking about politics, religion, etiquiete . But especially very well is described his relationship to his ministers.

1 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars George The III, May 12, 2007

By	H. Geary (Louisville, Kentucky) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was very well satisifed with the book. It was very enlightening. It was Hard cover and made very well. Thank you so much.

Sincerely

Diann Geary