Customer Reviews

The Stuarts (A Royal History of England)

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The previous reviewer probably did not read the actual book, only the Book Description on the Amazon Website which incorrectly states that the mother of King James I of England was Margaret Tudor. Antonia Fraser, as her many readers know, would never allow a mistake like this to make it into print. (Ms. Fraser is actually the editor of this book, which was written by the late Maurice Ashley.) The very first paragraph of the introduction states that James VI of Scotland and I of England was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and goes on to give excellent, concise descriptions of the unique characteristics of each of the six Stuart monarchs (seven if you count William III, husband of Mary II), along with wonderful illustrations in both color and black-and-white. This book is actually the fourth in a series of six books called A Royal History of England which summarizes each English reign from 1066 to the present day. Highly recommended for anyone who wants an overview of the English monarchy rather than in-depth biographies.

This book, edited by Antonia Fraser, is the fourth book in a six book series: 'A Royal History of England'. This book is worth buying for its illustrations alone: including some reproductions of magnificent colour portraits which helps to bring these long dead historical figures to life in the eyes and minds of the reader.

Because this book is concerned with the royal history of England, it starts with James I of England and his accession to the English throne when Elizabeth I died in 1603. James was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and was a direct descendant of Henry VII. James I was also James VI of Scotland, where the Stuarts (Stewarts) had reigned since 1371.

The book provides a good overview of each of the Stuart monarchs and provides a useful starting point for someone seeking to follow the chronology of the Stuarts. From the accession of James I in 1603 to the death of Anne in 1714, this book lists significant events during an era that saw momentous change.
Four generations of Stuarts reigned during this period:

James I (1603 - 1625)
Charles I (1625 - 1649) (James I's son)
Charles II (1660-1685) (Charles I's son)
James II (1685- 1668) (Charles II's brother)
William III (1688 - 1702) and Mary II (1688 - 1694) (Mary was James II's daughter)
Anne (1702 - 1714) (James II's daughter)

Readers wanting more detailed information will need to look to other sources, but this is a great starting point.

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

I bought this book along with another in the series to bridge my British Royal history knowledge gap. I also purchased The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England, Revised and Updated edited by Antonia Fraser and found the text in this book is identical to that volume. I think there are additional photos in this book, but it is not something completely new. If you have The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England, do not bother with this volume.

I thought this was going to be an indepth book on the Stuarts and it's really only a picture book with a little on each monarch. Bought the one of the Hanovers (same series) and was disapointed with it too.

Just to let you know that James VI of Scotland's (and I of England) mother was MARY QUEEN OF SCOTS, not Maraget Tudor who was his great- grandmother. And the Stuarts, nee Stewart, started long before James VI. This deals with only the first King James of England who was really himself a Scot as well as the sixth King James to the throne.