On Royalty: A Very Polite Inquiry into Some Strangely Related Families [Paperback]

Jeremy Paxman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 10, 2008

The notable characteristic of the royal families of Europe is that they have so very little of anything remotely resembling true power. Increasingly, they tend towards the condition of pipsqueak principalities like Liechtenstein and Monaco—fancy-dress fodder for magazines that survive by telling us things we did not need to know about people we have hardly heard of.

How then have kings and queens come to exercise the mesmeric hold they have upon our imaginations? In On Royalty renowned BBC journalist Jeremy Paxman examines the role of the British monarchy in an age when divine right no longer prevails and governing powers fall to the country's elected leaders. With intelligence and humor, he scrutinizes every aspect of the monarchy and how it has related to politics, religion, the military and the law. He takes us inside Buckingham Palace and illuminates the lives of the monarchs, at once mundane, absurd and magical. What Desmond Morris did for apes, Paxman has done for these primus inter primates: the royal families. Gilded history, weird anthropology and surreal reportage of the royals up close combine in On Royalty, a brilliant investigation into how an ancient institution struggles for meaning in a modern country.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Paxman's book is everyhing that royalty is not allowed to be - witty, stylish, intelligent, pugnacious and political. The Times On Royalty is an absorbing, well-researched book, part serious enquiry, part rollicking anecdote. Evening Standard Action-packed and entertaining. -- The Sunday Telegraph --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Jeremy Paxman is a journalist, best known for his work presenting BBC's Newsnight and University Challenge. His books include Friends in High Places, The English and The Political Animal. He lives in Oxfordshire, England.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: PublicAffairs (June 10, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1586485741
• ISBN-13: 978-1586485740
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #995,131 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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