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Christopher Hibbert

George III: A Personal History Paperback – March 14, 2000

by Christopher Hibbert (Author)

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In George III: A Personal History, British historian Christopher Hibbert reassesses the royal monarch George III (1738-1820). Rather than reaffirm George III's reputation as "Mad King George," Hibbert portrays him as not only a competent ruler during most of his reign, but also as a patron of the arts and sciences, as a man of wit and intelligence, indeed, as a man who "greatly enhanced the reputation of the British monarchy" until he was finally stricken by a rare hereditary disease. Teeming with court machinations, sexual intrigues, and familial conflicts, George III opens a window on the tumultuous, rambunctious, revolutionary eighteenth century. It is sure to alter our understanding of this fascinating, complex, and very human king who so strongly shaped England's "and America's" destiny.

Print length

464 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Basic Books
Publication date

March 14, 2000
Dimensions

6 x 1.29 x 9 inches
ISBN-10

0465027245
ISBN-13

978-0465027248
Lexile measure

1460L
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"George III make[s] a simply unputdown-able theater of the personal and political absurd. Altogether entertaining." -- The New York Times Book Review

"In Christopher Hibbert, George III has a sympathetic and scrupulous interpreter. Hibbert reveals a many-sided constitutional monarch, whose tragic private life overshadowed his public image." -- Boston Globe

About the Author

Christopher Hibbert has written many well-received biographies, including, most recently, Queen Victoria. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and an Honorary Doctor of Letters of Leicester University.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books (March 14, 2000)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 464 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465027245
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465027248
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1460L
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.55 pounds
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.29 x 9 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,370,210 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #429 in Americana Antiques & Collectibles
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- #3,080 in Historical British Biographies

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Christopher Hibbert

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Christopher Hibbert (born Arthur Raymond Hibbert) MC (5 March 1924 – 21 December 2008), was an English writer, historian and biographer. He has been called "a pearl of biographers" (New Statesman) and "probably the most widely-read popular historian of our time and undoubtedly one of the most prolific" (The Times). Hibbert was a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and the author of many books, including The Story of England, Disraeli, Edward VII, George IV, The Rise and Fall of the House of Medici, and Cavaliers and Roundheads.

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Daniel Putman

The personal life of George III

Reviewed in the United States on March 28, 2012

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Often, when a biography stresses the personal dimension of the subject, "personal" refers to an emphasis in the book. In Christopher Hibbert's biography of George III, the term "personal" in the subtitle is meant to the full. This is an enjoyable and highly readable biography. The reader learns more about the inner life of George than any other English monarch up to this point. A major reason is the large amount of documentation available about the private life of George. For example, Hibbert makes extensive use of Frances ("Fanny") Burney's careful diary of her experiences in the Royal household. Burney, who was a novelist herself, wrote detailed accounts of what happened and, given her eye for detail, is an invaluable source for the biographer. Another detailed source is the data available on George's mental illness which first manifested itself in 1788 and continued on and off until his death in 1820. In the last ten years it completely debilitated him. I got a strong sense of the pain and suffering George went through and the devastating effect on the Queen. Another source of the personal insights into George's life are the many details available about his irresponsible sons. His relationship with the first-born future George IV is spelled out throughout the book. But one of the most interesting chapters (out of many) is "The Royal Dukes" which summarizes the often dissolute lives of the other six surviving sons. "The Nunnery" summarizes what his daughters went through. This is a uniquely "modern" biography in that for the first time we have highly personal details about an English monarch and his family.

Hibbert has chapters that deal with the American Revolution. They are reasonably good summaries given his focus in the book. The only real aspect I did not like in the book was that, after the American Revolution, we know almost nothing about the effect of the larger world on the British nation. The major events on the continent like the French Revolution and Napoleon are barely touched upon. It would have been out of the book's focus to give any detailed account of these as related to England; this is not at all a political biography. But I do wish that Hibbert had chapters at least summarizing these events and their effect on England. Granted, this is a personal biography but surely the King's chief ministers, with whom he consulted in the long stretches of time when he was stable, had their hands full with these issues. For the reader it would be important context for the reign of this monarch. I thought the last third of the book was so intensely focussed on the King, his illness, and his family that I was missing what was happening to the nation around him at that time.

This biography marks a turn in English history that began a hundred years before George. Though George tried in the first part of his life, he and later monarchs no longer had the power to direct the nation's policies in a way that existed before the Glorious Revolution. So it makes sense that a biography of a king could be much more personal and less political. This book is thoroughly enjoyable reading and Hibbert is an excellent writer. But I do wish he would have included a little more context about events after 1789 that changed the world and that had an important effect on the direction of English history.

13 people found this helpful

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mirope

A different take on an monumental historical figure.

Reviewed in the United States on November 19, 2001

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Historian Christopher Hibbert brings his considerable talent for writing personal biographies to the fascinating subject of Britain's King George III. Not only is Hibbert's scholarship solid, but he also does a wonderful jo of combining all the important elements of the King's life into an entertaining and compelling read. George III was on the throne for almost 60 years during a period of great social and political upheaval throughout the western world, yet many don't know much about him. Americans especially know little more about him that the tyranical caricature popularized during the American Revolution.
The book begins with a chapter about the King's dissolute father whose personality and relationship with his family were remarkably similar to that of George III's own son, the future George IV. Hibbert establishes George III's own unique personality by examing both his early upbringing and the key political players who helped shape his dedication to duty. George III certainly lacked the flamboyance of both his father and son. In contrast, he was sober and prudish, but nevertheless quite interesting and complex. During his reign he weathered both the American and French Revolutions, long periods of war abroad, and various periods of political unrest at home. Throughout, Hibbert paints a portrait of a monarch selflessly concerned about his subjects and dedication to providing thoughtful leadership. As for his personal life, the King was faithfully resigned to an arranged marriage with a rather plain and increasingly unpleasant woman with whom he had 15 children. The family dynamics make for great reading. His relationships with most of his sons were difficult and a sources of much frustration since they frequently refused to comply with his strict mandates. His many daughters were mostly confined to the royal household and were expected to wait attendance on the King and Queen. A few daughters managed to ecape into marriage late in life, and others had scandalous love affairs with the King's courtiers. All of this family drama was further acerbated by the mysterious "madness" that George III began to suffer from periodically in his middle age. By the time the madness begins, Hibbert has done such a wonderful job of establishing the King's decency and dignity that the reader cannot help but be moved as these very qualities are brutally stripped away by his disease. Also, there is an appreciation of the magnitude of the political crisis it precipitated.
My one complaint about this book is that, at least in this American's opinion, Hibbert almost completely glosses over the American Revolution. His general analysis - that the Americans unjustly demonized the King - has some merit, but it virtually ignores the significant economic and social changes that created the Revolution. Perhaps such political theory is beyond the scope of this personal biography, but it should be examined more thoroughly, not only with regards to the American Revolution but also with regards to how these changes were successfully integrated into the British constitutional monarchy.

40 people found this helpful

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Nicholas Roberts

All hail King George!

Reviewed in the United States on January 2, 2014

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Hibbert does a good job going over the life of King George III. He describes his childhood, his assentation to the throne, his political wheeling and dealings and his insanity. The book can be a little drawn out at times, but the goal of the author was accomplished and I certainly learned a lot about George. Hibbert also does a good job of not demonizing him or praising him unconditionally. This makes the book a good read for many Americans who only know King George as a tyrant who wanted to oppress the American colonies. I wish he had gone into more detail about the American Revolution and other foreign policy matters such as Napoleon. These things are covered in the book but not in excessive detail. The book went into sufficient detail regarding his madness in 1788 and in subsequent years.

7 people found this helpful

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Gilberto Villahermosa

A Biography of America's Last King

Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2007

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This very well-written and researched book provides a wealth of detail on the life of Britain's King George III and his family.

The last British king of the American colonies, George III directed the ill-advised war against his independence-minded colonies. Long and terribly destructive, the war saw the defeat of George's armies and navies in North America. Still, having spent eight years fighting the Americans, the King quickly decided to lay the foundations of a lasting peace and friendship between the two countries.

Hibbert depicts King George as a constitutionally-minded monarch and a competent ruler. Initially detested by his people, he ended his life and reign greatly loved. Certainly his greatest challenges revolved around his large and dysfunctional family and his fight with porphyria and insanity.

"George III" is a scholarly work. Though not an easy read, it is an interesting one!

One person found this helpful

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Joe Salter

Perfect

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 19, 2020

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For someone with kids and a full time job, I find it difficult to find time to read, although I do at every opportunity. Read this from cover to cover in 4 sittings so really enjoyed it. Although a personal history of George III, the author sheds just enough light on events of the reign (such as American independence) without seeing off the subject of George too much. Perfectly balanced, energetically written, full of detail and for quite a long book, very light reading. There won't be a better book on George III.

2 people found this helpful

sharp45

King George III is one dimentional and limited history of a multi-talented man

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 7, 2013

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This book is written by a third party view who had digested a selected written resources about George III. The author called it a personal history not because is written by the George himself. The author had read a selected number of books and articles and complied a story about George III. In this sense it had become his view of the King. The limitation of the author and his lack of knowledge in other areas that George had been involved made the book a narrow and one dimensional history . King George III was a multi- talented man. He had a great interest in Science and agriculture and literature and music etc which were either ignored or mentioned casually in the book. Where the book is good are gossips, social interaction and pure history of the time.

2 people found this helpful

A E Richardson

Interesting and enjoyable history of George III

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 24, 2020

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As someone who enjoys reading history but is not an academic historian, this is my sort of book. Fascinating insights into the King throughout his life and how he shaped / was shaped by world events and other people strike, for me, the perfect balance. The writing style is perfect, and I looked forward to sitting down to read it.
I picked up a hard copy second hand from awesome books for just £3.41.

Mr S Brooks

Excellent Review of George III life and reign

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 4, 2022

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Provided an in depth review of George III as prince and king.

Mrs Margaret Henning

George 111 by Christopher Hibbert

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 11, 2013

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I enjoyed this book so much that I have started reading it again. I have always felt that King George's illness in later life has distracted historians from his true worth. A well-researched, well written biography and worth every penny.

2 people found this helpful

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