To coincide with the Channel 4 series to be aired at the end of this year -- David Starkey's 'Monarchy' charts the rise of the British monarchy from the War of the Roses, the English Civil War and the Georgians, right up until the present day monarchs of the 20th Century. David Starkey's magisterial new book Monarchy charts the rise of the British crown from the insurgency of the War of the Roses, through the glory and dangers of the Tudors, to the insolvency of the Stuarts and chaos of the English Civil War, the execution of Charles I, the rule of a commoner who was 'king in all but name', the importing of a German dynasty, and the coming-to-terms with modernity under the wise guidance of another German, Victoria's Prince Consort Albert. An epilogue brings to story up to the present and asks questions about the future. The crown of England is the oldest surviving political institution in Europe. And yet, throughout this book Starkey emphasises the Crown's endless capacity to reinvent itself to circumstances and reshape national polity whilst he unmasks the personalities and achievements, the defeats and victories, which lie behind the kings and queens of British history. Each of these monarchs has contributed, in their own way, to the religion, geography, laws, language and government that we currently live with today. In this book,Starkey demonstrates exactly how these states were arrived at, how these monarchs subtly influenced each other, which battles were won and why, whose whim or failure caused religious tradition to wither or flourish, and which monarchs, through their acumen and strength or single minded determination came to enforce the laws of England. With his customary authority and verve, David Starkey reignites these personalities to produce an entertaining and masterful account of these figures whose many victories and failures are the building blocks upon which Britain today is built. Far more than a biography of kings and queens, 'Monarchy' is a radical reappraisal of British nationhood, culture and politics, shown through the most central institution in British life.
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Editorial Reviews
Review
'this book!is vivid, lucid and engaging!his judgements delivered with quasi-Pontifical assurance are often acute!a very enjoyable book.' Daily Telegraph 'David Starkey tours England's monarchical horizon with gusto.' Sunday Times 'Excellent!the really crucial events in the history of the British Monarchy since the Middle Ages are assessed with authority, wisdom and wit!This is Starkey at his fluent and entertaining best.' Sunday Telegraph 'Combines compelling narrative and lucid analysis to guide us with a sure hand through two centuries of domestic turmoil unparalleled in any other period of English history!nowhere is there to be found a better short summary of the Glorious Revolution of 1688!Starkey's book will undoubtedly make him and his publishers a tidy profit.' The Spectator 'I found myself compelled by David Starkey's vivid recreation of the hazardous uncertainty of Elizabeth's early life, her successive exclusions from the centre of power, the studiedly ambiguous answers she offered her interrogators, her inevitable implications in conspiracies and narrow escapes from execution.' Times Literary Supplement 'Combines a relaxed and unfussy style with a thorough knowledge of the period and a sharp eye for detail. Elizabeth's life makes for a compelling story and Starkey tells it well.' Spectator 'Taken together!these two books supply the best short history of England written since J.R. Green in the 1870s!all of the familiar stories are here, from Alfred and his cakes, to the passion and elevation of St Diana of Knightsbridge!this is an enterprise of surpassing excellence. For those who wish for a panoramic view of English history!this is a study!that can be highly recommended.' Times Literary Supplement
About the Author
Dr. David Starkey is the Bye Fellow of Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge, and the author of many books including 'Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne', 'The Six Wives of Henry VIII' and 'The Stuart Courts'. He is a winner of the W. H. Smith Prize and the Norton Medlicott Medal for Services to History presented by Britain's Historical Association. Dr. Starkey lives in London.
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3.0 out of 5 stars
Starkey's olympian judgement,
By Sirin (London, UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Monarchy From the Middle Ages to Modernity (Hardcover)
Monarchy is an enjoyable romp through the history of the British Monarchy, from Henry VII to Elizabeth II. During this period the institution changed from a quasi-absolute power base, with Henry VII inspired by the autocratic French Monarchy, where he lay waiting in exile for years before the Battle of Bosworth, to a curbed, circumscribed home for confused for faith based do-gooders (Prince Charles).
Starkey's judgements are frequently lavish, well informed and brash to the point of annoyance. He is particularly interested in establishing a rank of intellect amongst the Monarchs of England - for instance Henry the VII had a 'second rate' mind. All this is based on the assumption that Starkey is secure in his own first rate intellect, but the price of media history is usually paid in the form of dodgy scholarship (other notable British historians - Simon Schama, Andrew Roberts, Niall Ferguson have fallen victim to this at times). Can Starkey really claim to know the mindsets and motivations of the protagonists of Britain's royal story as they plunge into civil wars, revolutions and social and industrial change? Was Charles II's only rigid quality his 'male member' as Starkey puts it, or George V so 'limited' he couldn't co-ordinate the war effort? - for that role had long since passed to the office of the Prime Minister and the War Office, irrespective of Churchill's qualities for the role. Starkey's vision of the Monarchy is a vivid and enjoyable one, and readers of all levels of knowledge will enjoy this telling of the royal story. But not everyone will agree with the author's implied vision that the Monarchy is an indispensable institution that could flourish once again if only the intellects forged out of a (sometimes shifting) hereditary principle could be galvanised once again. There is too much social and economic change that is given short shrift in this book to set the last 500 years of British Monarchy truly in context.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
If you ever thought History was boring...,
By Janet (Australia) - See all my reviews
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Monarchy: From The Middle Ages To Modernity (Kindle Edition)
If you ever thought history was boring - think again. Dr Starkey brings events and characters to life in his retelling of the happenings which made the Monarchy what it is today. He shows how the nature of the Monarchy was shaped and moulded over time, and shows how those characters who weilded the power changed and reshaped it into a working and profitable entity which functions to the benefit of the emerging Great Britain.
The path from the 15th to the 19th century was far from smooth and full of drama and excitement, driven by larger than life characters. This is an exciting read - a real page turner, and at last a book where the people in it can be followed in spite of their seemingly constant changing of names. This is history made exciting. |
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