The Kings and Queens of England [Hardcover]

Nicholas Best (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 1996

Did you know that Henry I pushed a man from the top of Rouen Castle for breaking an oath of allegiance? That Henry VI was terrified of girls? Or that George II died in the lavatory? Spanning ten dynasties and more than nine centuries, this marvelous reference provides tart, inclusive profiles of all the men and women who have occupied the English throne. 43 color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Nicholas Best was educated in Kenya and at Trinity College, Dublin. He was commissioned into the Grenadier Guards, which gave him the material for his satirical novel WERE YOU AT WATERLOO? He left the Army to be a financial journalist, but soon became a full-time writer. He was fiction critic for the FINANCIAL TIMES for ten years and has written history books, travel books and many radio scripts. His work has been translated into many languages. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 96 pages
• Publisher: Bulfinch (April 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0821222554
• ISBN-13: 978-0821222553
• Product Dimensions: 5.6 x 4.1 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,798,027 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

39 of 40 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Tiny, inaccurate, but still has its place, June 13, 2000

By 

A. Maxham "Just trying to help..." - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Kings and Queens of England (Hardcover)

My boyfriend and I bought this book in the British Museum bookstore so we could keep the monarchs straight. For that purpose it is perfect. Each page is about the size of two credit cards, and each monarch gets two pages each- one page for a picture of him/her, and one page for a biography. The brevity of the biography obviously leads to inaccuracies in the interest of cramming it all into a single tiny page. In other words, I don't recommend using it to study for a history test, but if you want to put it in your backpack as you are touring London so you can say "Oookay, now Henry the VI was a [crummy] and weak king" as you stand over his tomb in St. George at Windsor and "Henry VII killed Richard the III, that bad guy from Shakespeare" as you stand next to Henry's tomb in Westminster Abby, it is absolutely perfect for that purpose. However, if you want a more thorough review (and loads of pictures, but less backpack friendly) of each monarch, I very much recommend Antonio Fraser's "The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England."

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beware - this book is very small!, October 4, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Kings and Queens of England (Hardcover)

I didn't pay attention to the dimensions of this book when I ordered it, so I wasn't prepared for it's size. The book is very small, as in tiny...it almost fits in the palm of my hand! Nevertheless, the book is still worth purchasing. It has beautiful color photographs of each monarch and includes a short summary on each. Although I didn't learn anything new from this book (and you probably won't either), it still makes a great addition to any historical collection.

If you are interested in reading something other than the "same old" stories about the British Monarchy, be sure to read "Kings, Queens, Bones & Bastards." It's one of the best!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Which William was Mary married to?, March 27, 2007

By 

Linda Pagliuco "katknit" (CT, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Kings and Queens of England (Hardcover)

This compact little volume is a handy resource, especially for readers who like English novels/mysteries/historical fiction. I keep it near my favorite chair to refer to whenever I need to keep straight the identity and era of one of the royals. Thumbnail bios and repros of famous portraits enhance the format. Who knew that King Steven (that usurper!) was crosseyed?