Royal Murders [Paperback]

Dulcie M. Ashdo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 25, 2000

Spanning more than a thousand years of European history, this work looks at the motives, means and consequences of the murders of - and sometimes by - members of Europe's ruling families. In early centuries murder was usually a "family matter", the result of warring factions fighting for real power. Richard II's throne was usurped by his cousin Henry Bolingbroke, a dramatic coup famously recreated in Shakespeare's play, as was the usurpation of Macbeth. In the sixteenth century monarchs fell victim to religious fanatics or were the subject of witchcraft - King James had a coven of witches convicted for raising storms at sea when he was on passage in 1589. In the seventeenth century "judicial murder" became part of a revolutionary process. Political motives dominated the Royal murders of the nineteenth century, among them the assassinations of Alexander II in Russia in 1881 and the Austrian Empress Elisabeth in 1898. In 1914 it was the assassination by a Slav nationalist at Sarajevo of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, which precipitated World War I. In the late twentieth century it is the lone madman who is most feared. A compendium of "who-dunnits", gruesome fellings, witchcraft, infanticide and assassinations that have changed the course of history.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Dulcie M. Ashdown is an experienced writer of popular history and historical biography. She also worked for four years on the Macmillan Dictionary of Art, and has written numerous magazine articles. Her previous books include Queen Victoria's Family (Robert Hale, 1974), --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Sutton Publishing (March 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 075092439X
• ISBN-13: 978-0750924399
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,780,345 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning and most informative, April 3, 2000

By 

N. Reid (Kingston, Jamaica, W.I.) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Royal Murders (Hardcover)

Ms. Ashdown provided an interesting exposition of royal murders throughout the centuries and what was particularly pleasing about this book was the fact that she did not limit herself to British royalty but rather extended her analysis to Russian, Hungarian, French and Spanish monarchy. She was truly original in her analysis, establishing various lines of review - killings by poison, magic, for political purposes,self-aggrandizement etc. She also showed how the reasons for royal murders have changed over the centuries, reflecting in part the declining importance of royalty throughout the world. After completing this book, I was much more informed about this particular topic and I heartily recommend this to all. Ms. Ashdown's style is exciting, holding the reader's interest throughout.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Badly organized, but informative, October 17, 2001

By 

Moe811 (New York USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Royal Murders (Paperback)

This book contains a great number of anecdotes connecting royalty and murder, as victim and perpetrator. I found it very interesting, but at times, very difficult to follow. Until it resolved itself around the middle to be organized along a sort of time line, I couldn't figure out if it was sorted by country, family, or time. The author doesn't go into a great deal of detail in regards to each crime, so if you want an interesting overview of royals as murderers or victims, this book will suit your purposes well.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars `There is something in human nature that makes a murder story appealing to all sorts of people.', March 2, 2010

By 

J. Cameron-Smith "Expect the Unexpected" (ACT, Australia) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Royal Murders: Hatred, Revenge and the Seizing of Power (Paperback)

This book spans more than a thousand years of history, examining the motives, means and consequences of murders of - and by - Europe's ruling families. There are all manner of murders here: from the possible involvement of Mary Queen of Scots in the death of Darnley to the murderous killings undertaken by Tsar Ivan IV (Ivan the Terrible). There are murders that overthrew tyrants, ended dynasties and started wars. And how were these murders committed: swords and arrows, bombs and bullets, and poison. Witchcraft too, allegedly. The royal murderers have killed, often to gain (or retain) power. Consort queens have murdered their husbands, fathers their sons and sons their fathers.

The unifying theme of this book is murder or attempted murder of and by royalty, or those closely connected to royalty. It caught my attention, but didn't always keep it. I found snippets of information that I was previously unaware of, as well as some interpretations that I may not agree with. Despite the subject matter, I found this a comparatively light read, probably because I wanted more information about some of the individual cases than the book provided. Still, if you are interested in the lives and deaths of royalty, this book may well appeal.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith