Customer Reviews

The Kings and Queens of England

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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."

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!

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?

My only complaint about this book is that it tells a complete falsehood of the blessed Anglican Martyr Charles Stuart. To put this in a nutshell, Queen Victoria had a grudge against several of her predecessors (including Charles the martyr.) During her reign she fabricated the tale that Charles was a self server. On the other hand she tried to make the monstrously evil Cromwell into a champion of constitution and democracy. (Don't take my word for it. Read Winston Churchill's "History of the English Speaking People" 1955). Otherwise, this book is EXCELLENT. It offers a brief listing of the different houses. It also offers a beautiful photograph of each monarch. For the most part, it offers a brief but accurate passage on each of the monarchs. One thing Best does very well is that he goes beyond common and inaccurate opinions of some famous monarchs (including Henry VIII) and gives a scholarly opinion of their contributions to England.

My only real complaint about this book is that Charles I is treated with less than justice here. For a more accurate view of his life and tragic death, I suggest you read Winston Churchill's "History of the English Speaking People."

That said, this book by Nicholas Best is a nice brief overview of the Kings and Queens of England from William I (1066-1087) to Elizabeth II (1952-present). It includes a nice photograph of each king and queen as well as brief description of their reign. (Now certainly, this book is not designed for an in depth study.) If that is your intention, you should look at Winston Churchill's book that I have mentioned.

Perhaps the greatest thing about this book is the chapter that focuses on King Henry VIII. While he certainly had his faults, he did accomplish a lot for England. (Authorizing the Bible's translation into English, revising and updating Parliament, building up the navy well, and keeping civil order during the dangerous times with no wars breaking out!) As Nicholas Best says in this book: "The country felt an enormous loss when he died."

While not the most thorough book, it belongs in the library of any English History buff.

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."