Customer Reviews

The Image of the King: Charles I and Charles II

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While I agree with the previous reviewer that this book is not an historical chronicle of the reigns of Charles I and Charles II, it does not purport to be. What it does provide is superb insight into the personalities of these two fascinating monarchs, their public images and private personae. One can get excellent chronicles of the reign elsewhere. Here, one encounters vivid exposition and analysis of the thoughts, motives and manners of the kings, and how these were affected by the conscious cultivation of image. Ollard is, as always,elegant and eloquent.

Skip this book if you're looking for details into the reigns of these monarchs or specific instances of foreign policy, etc. This book mostly discusses the image of the kings, as the title suggests. There is little mention of Charles I's attempt to rule without his Parliment, but instead concentrates on his exquisit art collections, his vanity and his self-image. There is more written about Charles II and how his exile shaped his personality and made him so markedly different from his father. The book itself is small and is a fast read. It is a great character sketch on these two Kings.

Not only am I writing about Cavalier Spaniels, I am currently doing a story on the making of the breed and find you had what I needed for reference work. Thank you.