History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

Average customer rating:

Easy Breezy Read, 3.5 stars
Perfect Royal Read
THE PERFECT ROYAL MISTRESS
Passion from England
Love it!

The Perfect Royal Mistress: A Novel
Diane Haeger
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0307237516
Release Date: 2007-02-27

Book Description

Born into poverty and raised in a brothel, Nell Gwynne sells oranges in the pit at London’s King’s Theater, newly reopened after the plague and the Great Fire devastated the city. Soon, her quick sense of humor and natural charm get her noticed by those who have the means to make her life easier. But the street-smart Nell knows a woman doesn’t get ahead by selling her body. Through talent, charm, intelligence, and sheer determination—as well as a keen understanding of how the world operates—Nell works her way out of the pit and onto the stage to become the leading comedic actress of the day. Her skills and beauty quickly win the attention of all of London—eventually even catching the eye of King Charles II. Their attraction is as real as it is unlikely, and the scrappy orange girl with the pretty face and the quick wit soon finds herself plunged into the confusing and dangerous world of the court, where she learns there are few she can trust—and many whom she cannot turn her back on.

From the gritty streets of seventeenth-century London, to the backstage glamour of its theaters, to the glittering court of Charles II, The Perfect Royal Mistress is a love story for the ages, the rags-to-riches tale of a truly remarkable heroine.

Customer Reviews:

Easy Breezy Read, 3.5 stars.......2007-09-06

This is the rags to riches story of Nell Gwynne, a one time orange girl and then actress of The King's Theatre who captured the heart of Charles II, The Merry Monarch. Since two other reviewers have done such a fine job of recapping the story, I needn't rehash it again.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the story, I felt the characters could have been better defined. Maybe it's because I've read Forever Amber and Dark Angels and I kept wishing for more like that. The author did a nice job of defining the Reformation society and the court, but it just wasn't enough for me. Buckingham's intrigues came off as too lighthearted, Queen Catherine a non-existent sap, and Louise a whiny immature child. I could never figure out how Lord Bockhurst started out as a worthless hellion that Nell dumped to being one of her greatest friends and supporters, along with Buckingham. Like another reviewer, I found the "h" dropping didn't quite do the dialect justice and I found at least one instance where Nell "forgot" to drop the "h".

All in all an enjoyable entertaining read, just not something to write home and friends about, one of those books that will go right back to the library and probably soon forgotten. 3.5 stars.

Perfect Royal Read.......2007-08-05

I read THE RUBY RING when it came out and wasn't that impressed with the depth of the characters or even the plot of Hager's first novel. However, I thought I'd give her books another try and I'm really glad I did. The Perfect Royal Mistress is a huge step above her previous work, and the story of King Charles II and his mistress Nell reads like some of the best historical fiction around. The pair of them drive this tale of jealousy, love and politics, and anyone who's a fan of English history will enjoy this romp through Charles's life, complete with affairs, mistresses, and illegitimate children!

THE PERFECT ROYAL MISTRESS.......2007-07-17

I had heard of Nell Gwynne in reading history, but I knew little about her except that she was an actress who became a King's mistress. This book really brought her to life. I couldn't put it down. The author Diane Haegar really brought Nell and the other people who surrounded her to life. I love historical novels, historical romances and anything that is historical. I shall continue to read other books by Diane Haegar, and I recommand this book to anyone who enjoys historical novels as much as I do.

Passion from England.......2007-06-28

This book brought front and center the traggic existance of a woman loving a king. This woman showed spirit and a true appreciation for her position. This novel very closely followed historical notes on the romance between Nell Gwynne and the king of England. It was a pleasure to read, written by a great author.

Love it!.......2007-06-28

This was my first Diane Haeger novel and I must say I can't wait to read more from her. I thought it was wonderfully written and an intriguing look into a woman's life in England in a time where nothing was certain.

A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Read!
My history teachers should have read it
Good, Quick Read... but it's not for history scholars
Funny, sad, shocking
Heather's "Courtesans" Review

A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors
Michael Farquhar
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140280243
Release Date: 2001-05-01

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Read!.......2007-08-10

This book is great, especially for those who don't have a lot of free time. The chapters are short and juicy! I really learned a lot about history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

My history teachers should have read it.......2007-08-10

When I learmed history in my school days, the classes of history were very boring.
If my history teachers had read this book, they should have made their classes fun and interesting.
Especially, students are interested in the lives of kings or queens as well as normal people.

Good, Quick Read... but it's not for history scholars.......2007-07-04

To sum up this book quickly: it's good potty reading. In the forward Farquhar explains that he avoids the entire 20th century (with the exception of a few stories about Wallis Simpson). He basically points out that the "scandals" of the 20th century are nothing compared to let's say ordering a small cache of boys to swim naked with you, so they can nip at the treat between your legs. Marrying a divorcee just seems milquetoast in comparison.

Anyhow, it was an enjoyable read. Sad at times, sometimes even disturbing, but for the most part is written with a witty dark humor that will make you laugh at even the most sickeningly, depraved noble. While Farquhar sticks to European royalty for the book, he does include an entire section on Roman Caesars, and early Popes, all of which easily out-deprave the nobles the rest of the book is about.

Each story is short, a sort of Cliff's Notes. This is especially true if you are familiar with some of the stories. For the stories I already knew, his facts were accurate, if a bit summary. This is good, because each tale is bite-sized, making the book good for niblet reading here and there.

The tales Farquhar chooses to tell are sometimes hits, and sometimes misses. I particularly did not see how the detailed accounting of the murder of the Romanov's really fit with some of the other stories, for example.

If you like a good scandal, need some quick reads for here and there, or have a fascination with the excesses that unbridled power brings, this is a book worth checking out.

Funny, sad, shocking.......2007-06-11

I really enjoyed A Treasury of Royal Scandals! It was a fun, fast-paced read. Organized wonderfully and told in sections and chapters, Treasury tells the shocking tales of royalty throughout the ages. From Marie Antoinette's terrible demise, Mary of Scot's botched beheading, Nero's incest, to the tales of popes whose crimes were greater than those of the worst Roman emperors- it's all here! Told in a sometimes sarcastic, very readable way, you will be hooked.

Heather's "Courtesans" Review.......2007-01-19

This is a great book. I read it last year, but I remember how much I enjoyed it. You will learn so much about their lives and about the times they lived in. You will also learn about a woman named Grace Dalrymple Elliot. She was a courtesan who kept a journal. You can look that up yourself. This kind of book opens up the imagination and leads you on and on to the next interesting book. But be warned. As the author states, some biographies were written by people in their inter circles who didn't like them. READ THIS BOOK!

Royal Navy Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces)

Average customer rating:

Exciting Exploits of Little-Known Royal Navy Fighter Aces!

Royal Navy Aces of World War 2 (Aircraft of the Aces)
Andrew Thomas
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1846031788
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) served with distinction in every theater of war throughout World War II. From its poorly equipped beginnings - it started the war with few suitable, modern, carrier-born fighters - to the final campaigns over the Japanese home islands, the FAA proved an effective fighting force wherever it went.

Desperate action over Malta and the Mediterranean during 1940-42, in the Indian and Pacific Oceans over Sumatra, the Atlantic battles and Artic Convoys, and the invasion of Okinawa, were just some of the famous and terrible actions they took part in.

FAA Pilots, despite the initial poor equipment, had the distinction of being responsible for both the first, and last, enemy aircraft to be shot down during the war.

Featuring first-hand accounts, combat reports, photographs from private collections, and an array of color plates depicting the range of profiles and symbolic markings that were used, this book will detail the history and combat experiences of these forgotten pilots who served with such distinction for the Allied cause.

Customer Reviews:

Exciting Exploits of Little-Known Royal Navy Fighter Aces!.......2007-08-20

Considering the aerial duds Royal Navy fighter pilots flew, especially in the early war years, it was an eye-opener to discover that 36 RN pilots made ace in World War II! The aerial exploits of this unique group of men is the subject of Andrew Thomas' latest book for Osprey, #75 in their Aces series. It's a wonderfully interesting story that all air combat fans should enjoy.

The Royal Navy only regained control of its Fleet Air Arm from the Royal Air Force in May 1939. Consequently, at war's outbreak, RN fighter squadrons were equipped with the underpowered Blackburn Skua, Gloster Gladiator biplanes and the gun-turreted abortion, the Blackburn Roc! Despite being saddled with these second-stringers, Fleet Air Arm fliers like Skua pilot Bill Lucy used their mounts effectively, Lucy becoming the first Fleet Air Arm ace of the war.

Lumbering Fairey Fulmars were next on the scene and again, enterprising RN pilots used their aircraft to the fullest. The top Fulmar ace, Graham Hogg, scored 12 kills! The subsequent arrival of first-class fighters such as the Wildcat, Sea Hurricane, Seafire, Corsair and Hellcat enabled later RN pilots to score the magic five kills.

Aside from flying an incredible variety of aircraft, RN fighter pilots served in all theaters. Thomas does an excellent job of relating the far-flung exploits of what were some incredible fighter pilots. This is an especially lively entry in the Osprey Aces series due, in part, to the 'characters' that flew RN fighters and Thomas' engaging writing style.

The book includes over 90 photographs and 12 pages of color profiles by Chris Davey.

In short, a very nice piece of work, well-written and informative.

Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, England, 1544 (The Royal Diaries)

Average customer rating:

A Forgotten Princess, A Queen Remembered
Red Rose of the House of Tudor
Ok Book
My review
A great book for those who love English history

Elizabeth I: Red Rose of the House of Tudor, England, 1544 (The Royal Diaries)
Kathryn Lasky
Manufacturer: Scholastic Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0590684841

Amazon.com

"Do you know who I am? I shall tell you. I am Elizabeth, Princess of England, daughter of Henry VIII and his wife Anne Boleyn. I am eleven years old. My mother, once Queen, is now dead. Almost eight years ago, when I was not yet three, Father chopped off her head."

Daughter of a fallen queen, young Princess Elizabeth lives a complicated and dangerous life. She fears her father's famous temper but loves him dearly, noting that she would trade all her jewels just to be noticed by him. She also loves her brother Edward, heir to the English throne, but doesn't like her older sister Mary, who torments her and conspires against her. Kat, her governess, is so worried for Elizabeth's life that she spends hours checking their room for poison whenever they move to a new palace. Court intrigues swirl around her, the French are threatening an invasion, and Kat is clamoring for her to have another bath--that makes nearly six in three months! Through Elizabeth's diary, author Kathryn Lasky brings the Tudor world to life: glittering banquets of peacock, eel, and swan; palaces so stinky that "everyone goes about with their noses buried in pomander balls to hide the stench"; archery contests, where Elizabeth excels; and Latin and logic lessons... where she needs a little work. Some of the history is slightly flawed (a misplaced date or two), but readers will enjoy the great detail as they learn about the childhood of one of England's greatest monarchs. An epilogue, with Tudor family trees, paintings, and background information enhances this already excellent and entertaining book. (Ages 10 and older) --Sunny Delaney

Book Description

N/A

Customer Reviews:

A Forgotten Princess, A Queen Remembered.......2007-04-02

This book provides a unique look at what life may have been like for Elizabeth long before she was queen. It's easy for historical figures like Elizabeth to become so much larger than life that we forget they were real people, once. Elizabeth I recreates the emotions and thoughts of an adolescent girl in a way that shows that even a princess feels the universal emotions of loneliness, fear, and doubt.

Elizabeth I addresses two themes especially well: a daughter's longing for her father's affection, and a keen political mind's awareness of what it takes to be a successful ruler. Despite the fact that he had her mother beheaded, Elizabeth still loves her father and lives for the moments when he shows her favor. She is also an astute observer of the goings on in the world of royals and nobility, and early on comes to the realization that if she should become Queen, she must remain unmarried to retain her rule.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves diaries and memoirs and takes an interest in the intricacies of queendom.

Red Rose of the House of Tudor.......2007-03-27

This is one of the first in the Royal Diary series that I have read and It is by far my favorite. It gives a great insight in to palace life and into the life of a teenager. It is a great read for all Princess. This book also includes historical facts and pictures about Elizibeth the 1st and her family. I recomend this book for anyone who likes princess, drama and historical fiction. This is one of my favorites in an intriuging and educational series

Ok Book.......2007-03-06

I really like to read books about people and what happened in their life. I have read alot of diaries from different people in different time periods. I found as I was reading that this book starts out medium exciting. In the middle of the book it gets boring and I just felt like starting over on a different book, but by the end of the book I just didn't want to put it down. I really didn't know anything about Elizabeth 1 but after reading this book I would be able to tell you good, bad, and interesting things that happened to her. I found as I read the book that she is like me in many ways. She likes to be outside on sunny days, be around people, be adventurous and free, and she loves animals. It made it easier to read the book because I could look for more ways she was alike me. Even though there were many interesting things that happened in this book I wouldn't recomend this book to a friend. I wasn't really excited to read the book and I went really slow through it.

My review .......2007-02-25

I loved this book it made me relize that the world has changed alot from 1544to now (2007). The best part was that I felt like i was the one going through all the trials and challanges , That Elzibeth went through .

A great book for those who love English history.......2006-11-20

Having taken English History in a British school many years ago, I found this book to be very enlightening in reference to this period of time. This book gives a great insight into the formation of the Elizabethian period.

To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World (P.S.)

Average customer rating:

The British Navy Saves the World...
Forget Johnny Depp. This is the real thing.
Interesting read, but ...
Excellent Overview
Nice read but battles descriptions slightly short

To Rule the Waves: How the British Navy Shaped the Modern World (P.S.)
Arthur Herman
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060534257
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Book Description

To Rule the Waves tells the extraordinary story of how the British Royal Navy allowed one nation to rise to a level of power unprecedented in history. From the navy's beginnings under Henry VIII to the age of computer warfare and special ops, historian Arthur Herman tells the spellbinding tale of great battles at sea, heroic sailors, violent conflict, and personal tragedy -- of the way one mighty institution forged a nation, an empire, and a new world.

This P.S. edition features an extra 16 pages of insights into the book, including author interviews, recommended reading, and more.

Customer Reviews:

The British Navy Saves the World..........2007-10-20

Arthur Herman's "To Rule the Waves" is the best kind of popular history: a thrilling narrative wrapped around an interesting idea and punctuated with lots of the kind of human-size details the average reader will enjoy.

Herman's subject is the British Navy, from its origins among Elizabeathan sea dogs little removed from pirates, to the professional Navy that helped beat Napoleon and Hitler while holding together Britain's far-flung empire, to the twilight triumph in the Falklands in 1982. Herman's thesis is that the Royal Navy's control of the seas helped make possible the modern world, with its global trade ties, international order, and the survival and success of democratic government.

Herman's efforts to explain everything in terms of sea control is inevitably a little strained in places. Also inevitably, in a single volume history covering some 400 years of crowded history, some of the details get stretched or misplaced. These faults aside, this is fun history.

Herman takes an unflinching look at such successful but tough-minded mariners as John Hawkins, Francis Drake, Horatio Nelson, Jack Fisher, and Sandy Woodward. Familiar historical figures such as Queen Elizabeth and Winston Churchill appear at the appropriate moments, along with a slew of lesser-known but equally important persons. The battle vignettes, from Panama to Trafalgar to Jutland to the North Atlantic to the Falklands, are crisply and concisely written, allowing the reader to grasph the tactics and outcome, without becoming bogged down in detail.

The descriptions of life aboard ship from age to age are simply fascinating. The repeated innovations in naval architecture as the world moved from wooden walls and sails to steel hulls and coal or oil-fired engines help explain how Britain stayed in the forefront as a naval power for so long. Along the way, it turns out that the British naval establishment was just as bureaucratic as any other large institution.

This book is highly recommended as an entertaining and educational experience for the average reader with any interest in naval matters and especially in the British Royal Navy.

Forget Johnny Depp. This is the real thing........2007-10-08

Chapter 1, page 1, a hurricane in the Caribbean of 1568. The author casts us upon the pitching deck of the "Jesus", a leaking old tub commanded by John Hawkins. His approved mission for queen and country? Why, theft, of course. Take your dramamine and hang on, mates. You are on an unrelenting voyage that won't end until the Falklands War. Sure, some priggish reviewers can nibble away at Mr. Herman's occasional errors. Let it go! On a 400-year voyage there are bound to be a few minor errors. Frankly, the man writes well. This isn't your college history book. It's more like a compelling sea adventure. The author at his most insightful? Herman's description of Captain Bligh and the HMS Bounty mutiny, and the story of the rise of the complex Admiral Nelson should have been part of my MBA management class. Herman at his weakest? His description of Napoleon as a terrorist. Terrorist? A Corsican-born military dictator, yes, but a terrorist? No way. Herman describes John Paul Jones as a vengeful Scot, deprived of a Royal Navy midshipman's billet, who becomes a blood thirsty U.S. Navy captain. Provocative words, but an egregious misread of history. OK, both darts and laurels for Mr. Herman. My recomendation? Buy the book. Herman goes beyond the cold facts. He provides the elusive "Why" so often lacking when reading history. Nicely done.

Interesting read, but ..........2007-06-14

An interesting read for the most part, and a lot of history fairly well organized. However, I can't understand the multi-page rant about the French Revolution and the "terrorist" Napoleon. What in the world got into Herman?

Excellent Overview.......2007-04-23

This is an excellent overview of the history of the Royal Navy from medieval times to the modern era. The book dispells a few myths along the way and makes a splendid read.

Nice read but battles descriptions slightly short.......2007-04-10

Saw this book off the shelf and decided to get it due to its interesting title. The book covers from San Juan de Ulloa right up to the Falklands War and beyond. Reading is straightforward and enjoyable. Content are generally well covered with both on-shore and off-shore history well described. However some battles are too skimpy on details whereas some like the San Juan are covered more.
Overall a good book for reading on the British Royal navy. For more details on any specific events will need to specifically hunt for some other books that are more dedicated.

The World of Jack Aubrey: Twelve-Pounders, Frigates, Cutlasses, and Insignia of His Majesty's Royal Navy

Average customer rating:

Well worth reading and owning!!!
Good book on Royal Navy
The World of Jack Aubrey: etc
A good book, but needs editing
Good starting point

The World of Jack Aubrey: Twelve-Pounders, Frigates, Cutlasses, and Insignia of His Majesty's Royal Navy
David Miller
Manufacturer: Running Press Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0762416521
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Book Description

Here's a stunningly illustrated guide to the ships, weapons, uniforms, and equipment described in Patrick O'Brian's sequence of 20 popular novels about the 19th century British Royal Navy officer Jack Aubrey and his surgeon colleague Stephen Maturin. Called "the best historical novels every written" by The New York Times, the books have sold more than 3 million copies and inspired a highly anticipated fox film adaptation starring Russell Crowe, set to premiere later this year. A must for O'Brian's enthusiasts, this volume boasts striking full color photographs illustrating a vast array of equipment, medals, weapons, and other objects, and is unique in that many of the featured items are actual battle relics, such as the coat Admiral Nelson wore at the Battle of Trafalgar-complete with bullet hole.

Customer Reviews:

Well worth reading and owning!!!.......2006-06-26

Anyone interested in the 19th century world of the British Royal Navy will find this book invaluable. Although Captain Jack Aubrey is fictional, the history is correct of that era. There are photos of museum relics, and much information fron primary sources. It is the most complete and affordable book I have yet seen that explains the ships of that era.One section even describes the uniforms of the Royal Navy and the Marines
of that era, a subject somewhat difficult to locate primary sources about.A great, hardback book that will keep the reader interested.

Good book on Royal Navy.......2005-11-04

This is a small coffee table book (less than a hundred pages) that is intended as an introduction to Patick O'Brian's Jack Aubrey novels. It is chock-full of diagrams, drawings, tables, pictures and so on. It covers a wealth of topics, such as types and ratings of vessels, sails and sailing, weapons. Uniforms, naval powers other than Great Britain, and privateers. It also includes a glossary at the end. There is a lot of information packed into those 90 or so pages and the reader can learn a lot. However, there is one great drawback to this book: it is written in a style that is sometimes hard to follow and assumes the reader already has a certain command of naval vocabulary. One example (page 43) will suffice:
"The lower mast passed down through holes in the deck known as partners and was stepped on the kelson. Masts were held in position by forestays which extended forward on the centerline of the vessel, while there were two sets of backstays extending aft to be secured to the sides by channel plates. The masts were stayed athwartships by shrouds."
Huh? If you can follow that, great, but in a book designed as an introduction, it's a bit much. One has to keep flipping to the glossary to figure out what's going on. However, not all the problematic words are in the glossary, kelson for example is absent (Kelson does appear in Sea of Words-see my review of that excellent book). This style diminishes the value of the book somewhat. If you find a copy, read it, but make sure you have Sea of Words at hand.

The World of Jack Aubrey: etc.......2005-08-20

A ripoff of bad, but large picts, no text to speak of.

A good book, but needs editing.......2004-12-17

This slim volume is very attractively put together. The layout is pleasing, and the many photos and historical paintings are easily the best part of the book. Past that, though, the quality drops off.

The text is reasonably well written, but doesn't always flow well. Often you'll turn the page and be surprised that the chapter is over. Or you'll read fairly detailed information on one subject, yet find gaps in others. For instance, there is a detailed chart of the actual weight of cannon shot depending on the nationality of its manufacture. This is interesting, but seems oddly out of place. In many places the book feels like a hastily organized jumble of facts. A bit more effort, and the services of a decent editor, would have improved this book.

Another improvement that could have been made by an editor is the removal of numerous typos and glitches. On one page, two illustrations have their captions transposed. In many other places obvious typos are present. If I can catch them by reading the book once, they shouldn't be there.

Perhaps the worst flaw of this book is its incompleteness. It's missing a serious discussion of how ships were sailed, information on battle tactics, and recurring locales from the novels. Worse, the book uses terms that it never explains. For instance, the caption of one illustration mentions that the bowsprit gammoning is ommitted for clarity. But gammoning is not in the glossary. (As it turns out, if you google for "bowsprit gammoning" you'll find an amazing online reference, geared towards model ship builders, with more detail than you can shake a stick at) The book is filled with such omissions. I'm pretty familiar with nautical terminology, but I'd worry for someone who got this book as their only reference.

Overall, I enjoyed the book; I received it as a gift and am happy with it. The numerous contemporary illustrations and photos of actual items are a joy, and the book did contain facts that I had not previously been aware of. However, as a reference book, it is somewhat lacking.

Good starting point.......2004-07-17

Very helpful in filling in background to the Aubrey/Maturin series only too brief (only 80 pages). This book is a good place to start acquiring info on the subject matter of the books, especially if you are a hopeless lubber like myself.

The Pursuit of Victory: The Life And Achievement of Horatio Nelson

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An Engrossing Description of Nelson's Career and Era
Best One Volume Biography on Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson
The Best Biography of Nelson I've Read
Great Nelson Biography
Praise for author - keelhaul the publisher!

The Pursuit of Victory: The Life And Achievement of Horatio Nelson
R. J. B. Knight
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 046503764X

Book Description

A dazzling biography that is destined to be the definitive account of Horatio Nelson's life for generations

How did Horatio Nelson achieve such extraordinary success? In this authoritative biography, the eminent scholar Roger Knight places him firmly in the context of the Royal Navy of the time. Nelson was passionate and relentless from the outset of his career; his charisma and his coolness in battle are legendary. But his success depended also on the strength of intelligence available to him, the quality of the ships he commanded, the potency of his guns, and the skill of his seamen.

Based on a vast array of new sources, this biography demolishes many of the myths that have for two centuries surrounded Nelson. Knight demonstrates that this great Romantic hero was in his time a shrewd political operator and often a difficult subordinate. He was occasionally na•ve, often impatient, and only happy when completely in command.

Readers will emerge from this biography with a greatly enriched understanding of this singular man-one who was brilliant, severely flawed, and never to be crossed.

"A wonderfully clear portrait of a complex man, seen squarely in his time. There is every reason to think that this superb work will become the definitive Nelson biography." (The Economist)

Customer Reviews:

An Engrossing Description of Nelson's Career and Era.......2006-11-18

I highly recommend The Pursuit of Victory: The Life And Achievement of Horatio Nelson, a new biography of England's greatest warfighting admiral, Horatio Nelson.

This biography does a superb job of providing context and background for Nelson's astonishing rise to fame and his equally astonishing victories at sea--and lesser known defeats, which always occurred on territory unfamilar to Nelson, i.e. land. We find that the extreme risks of Britain's war with Napoleonic France created a brief window of opportunity for commoners such as Nelson to rise within the class-conscious and peerage-dominated Admiralty. Merit was so essential to victory that the Admiralty could not afford to advance captains by favoritism alone.

Equally interesting is the author's careful descriptions of the role of mentors in Nelson's career arc--captains and admirals above him in the bureaucratic Royal Navy who guided, aided and promoted him, not so much to benefit themselves but in recognition of his talents. Without these mentors--several of whom he maintained as close personal friends until death--his rise from the ranks of hundreds of junior captains to admiral at a young age would not have happened.

Not that Nelson enjoyed a perfect career. A gross political miscalculation--falling under the influence of the King's ne'er do well son, who had been given a position as Admiral not on talent but on birthright--caused Nelson's career to falter at a critical juncture. Having fallen out of favor for his destructive sycophancy, Nelson was sent home without a command, where he languished for seven long years as a poor gentleman landowner.

A renewal of the war with France gave him one more chance, and with the aid of his mentors, he assumed command of the Mediterranean Fleet (bypassing many jealous senior admirals), enabling him to score his first great strategic victory in the Battle of the Nile.

Life at sea was not easy, and Nelson was often ill and exhausted. Having lost an eye and an arm in two land engagements (he was deployed twice to joint Army-Navy commands, both of which ended badly, partly due to Nelson's ignorance of land warfare), he was often in pain. he also had to make judicious political decisions regarding allies, harrass the Admiralty for supplies, maintain discipline on a huge fleet of wooden ships in poor weather, and a host of other challenges which would have ground down by sheer workload alone a lesser commander.

This engaging, masterly paced work covers not just Nelson's life but the political context of the Royal Navy and the role of senior commanders in his rise to the highest levels of command. It is a portrait of one man's life set within a detailed account of his family, era, superiors and comrades.

Best One Volume Biography on Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson.......2006-10-20

Noted Nelson scholar Roger Knight has written an elegant biography of Great Britain's greatest fighting admiral, Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, which was published shortly after the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar; both Nelson's greatest victory and the scene of his tragic, yet heroic, death. But is it the definitive biography devoted to Admiral Nelson's life and career? Although it does come close, regrettably, the answer is "no", since another eminent Nelson scholar, John Sugden, is currently at work on the second volume of his Nelson biography, which will cover Nelson's exploits from late 1797 to the Battle of Traflagar, which occurred on October 21, 1805 (This review is being published here at Amazon.com one day prior to the 201st anniversary of this battle.).

Knight covers Nelson's life and career in a massive tome of more than 800 pages, breaking it down into five sections. Much to my amazement, Knight has successfully covered Nelson's life and career from his birth in 1758 to his appointment as captain of HMS Agamemnon in January, 1793 in slightly more than a hundred pages, "I Youth and Disappointment 1758-1793" (Readers who think they are missing important aspects of Nelson's career should turn instead to the first volume in John Sugden's Nelson biography, "Nelson: A Dream of Glory", which emphasizes the young Nelson's rapid rise through officer ranks to becoming among the Royal Navy's youngest post captains.). Here Knight demonstrates how Nelson relied upon patronage from well-connected relatives like his uncle Captain Maurice Suckling and substantial exposure to good seamanship and officer conduct, which allowed him to secure rapid promotion to Post Captain and command of a frigate during the American Revolution. We also get our first glimpse of the heroic Nelson through his participation in an ill-fated joint Royal Navy and Army invasion to seize Nicaragua from the Spanish, which will not only cost him his command of a heavily armored frigate, but also his good health, and indeed, almost his life. Knight covers succinctly Nelson's two tours of duty in the British West Indies, devoting substantial coverage to Nelson's adulation of the mediocre Prince William Henry, later, Duke of Clarence, and eventually, King William IV, assigned to Nelson's command as a junior Royal Navy frigate captain (Here we see Nelson's unabashed admiration for royalty emerge unexpectedly, which will have serious consequences for his career in the late 1790s.).

The biography's second section, "II Maturation and Triumph 1793 - 1798" covers Nelson's early career during the French revolutionary wars, chronicling his eventual rise to Rear Admiral and his hard-fought victories at the battles of Cape Saint Vincent and the Nile. Nelson learns how to command a squadron at sea, cultivating friendships with many of the Royal Navy officers who would become his celebrated "Band of Brothers"; distinguished captains such as Thomas Troubridge, Samuel Hood, Benjamin Hallowell and Thomas Masterman Hardy. Knight also discusses Nelson's complex relationships with his superiors, most notably Admiral Sir John Jervis, later Earl Saint Vincent, his commanding officer at the Battle of Cape Saint Vincent. We also witness the disastrous attack on Tenerife, Santa Cruz, in the Canary Islands, which nearly costs him his life.

The biography's third section, "III Passion and Discredit 1798- 1801", is devoted to the most controversial period of Nelson's career; his service as Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, in which he finds himself supporting unabashedly the Bourbon royal dynasty of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. Knight demonstrates clearly that Nelson's actions in "liberating" Naples following a French-supported popular insurrection, were motivated solely by his notions of loyalty and duty to a royal family in dire need of both, and though quite critical of them, he does not agree with Terry Coleman, author of "The Nelson Touch: The Life and Legend of Horatio Nelson", that these acts amounted to war crimes. Moreover, he demolishes completely the myth that Nelson fell immediately in love with Emma Hamilton, the young wife of Britain's ambassador to the Bourbon court at Naples, showing that it blossomed months later. And Knight, while sympathetic to Nelson, does show that Nelson's actions immediately before and after the Battle of Copenhagen, left much to be desired for someone serving as a fleet commander.

In "IV Adulation and Death" Knight opens with Nelson, now living openly with Emma Hamilton, enjoying nearly 18 months of peace, finding time to take a leisurely journey through Wales and serving in the House of Lords. With the resumption of hostilities between Great Britain and Napoleonic France, Nelson, now a vice admiral, returns to the Mediterranean Sea as the Royal Navy's Commander-in-Chief, Mediterranean, hoisting his broad pendant aboard HMS Victory. Some of Knight's finest prose is devoted to the long chase across the Atlantic Ocean to the West Indies in search of French admiral Pierre Villeneuve's fleet, culminating of course in the bloody Battle of Trafalgar. In "V Transfiguration", Knight describes not only Nelson's funeral in London, but also takes stock of the admiral's character, yielding a sympathetic, yet highly nuanced, appraisal of Nelson's life and career.

"The Pursuit of Victory: The Life And Achievement of Horatio Nelson" includes several appendices, of which the most important ones are the brief chronologies of the major events in Nelson's life and career, and of world events during Nelson's life, especially with regard to the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. There is also a chronological recounting of Nelson's service aboard various Royal Navy warships, which, regrettably, isn't nearly as succinct as both chronological outlines. Less successful, but still quite useful, are the brief biographical sketches devoted to Nelson's family, friends, and associates, both in the British government, and of course, in the Royal Navy itself.

The Best Biography of Nelson I've Read.......2006-06-05

As others have noted, there are many biographies of Nelson, and almost all of them suffer from the same problem: that a man so brilliant, talented, contradictory, demented, jealous, generous, gracious, foolish, naive and clear-thinking is very hard to understand. The fact that his death at the triumphant British naval victory of Trafalgar in 1805 immediately turned his life into legend, means that from first to last it's been hard to get a handle on Nelson the flawed but unique human being.

I've read many biographies of the man, and I was shocked to find that many second-hand truths fine biographers have relied on in prior biographies are incorrect. Knight's meticulous scholarship, his lifetime of study of the age of fighting sail in Britain and France, means that his careful analysis of sources in this book is stunning and irrefutable. No book I have ever read on Nelson is so thorough in finding every possible source to illuminate the daily life at sea, as well as by land, of this remarkable leader. That he quietly sets the record straight on innumerable myths and errors of past biographies with grace is simply another pleasure of the book. The fact that Knight deals tautly with the fairly disastrous consequences of Nelson's affair with Emma, Lady Hamilton, without letting it swallow his book, is a fine achievement. The heart of Nelson's importance in English history lies in his life at sea, and there Knight's study is especially enlightening.

Although not a book for everyone - you need to want to learn about both Nelson and the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic Wars - I tend to agree with the dust jacket blurb, that this book will be THE definitive factual study of Nelson. But as Knight himself admits - in the end, the whole of the man is greater than the sum of his parts, and probably always will be.

Great Nelson Biography.......2006-05-02

There is no shortage of books about Nelson. The past couple of years have added several more titles. There is no shortage of interest in the man, and the great days of the Royal Navy.

This book is very good--I doubt there are any better. It is detailed, full of new information, and extremely readable. The man can write, and the book carries you away.

Nelson is presented as a man with some great abilities-- and some faults. He did not always distinguish himself, but he never made any fatal blunders. It is interesting to note that he, too, was able to benefit from connections--something that was almost impossible to get along without in the Royal Navy, with so many officers, and so few ships.

Nelson's faults did cost him, but his strengths and abilities overcame them. He was lucky. His ability to ignore orders helped him, when it would have hurt others. His connections carried him through other difficulties, and , in the end, he was the right man at the right time.

As is usual, the reader also comes to appreciate his great friend Collingwood. If Nelson had a secret weapon, it had to be Collingwood, who was less impetuous, and more reasoned in his actions. His behavior and skill helped Nelson more than a few times. This book, like so many others, makes it obvious.

Nelson will always fascinate--his affair with Lady Hamilton, his bravery in battle, his fearless method of attack, and his brilliance always appeal to new generations. A great story about a great man.

Praise for author - keelhaul the publisher!.......2006-04-11

This 800-plus page book, painstakingly put together by its author is one of the worst copy-edited books I have ever seen. Additionally its binding is cheap and flimsy. There is no pagination of the charts it includes and the biographical sketches that could clarify much of the text are hopelessly out of order. It is another demonstration that slovenliness in publishing is acceptable.

A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings

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Thoroughly Enjoyable
Scandalous Sibs and Revolutionary Colonies... enough to drive a king crazy!
Love, Scandal, and Tragedy, Eighteenth Century Style
Illicit loves, marriages and madness
fine gossip with a scholarly twist

A Royal Affair: George III and His Scandalous Siblings
Stella Tillyard
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 140006371X
Release Date: 2006-12-05

Book Description

The acclaimed author of Aristocrats returns with a major new book that reveals the story of a regal family plagued by scandal and notoriety and trapped by duty, desire, and the protocols of royalty.
History remembers King George III of England as the mad monarch who lost America. But as a young man, this poignant figure set aside his own passions in favor of a temperate life as guardian to both his siblings and his country. He would soon learn that his prudently cultivated harmony would be challenged by the impetuous natures of his sisters and brothers, and by a changing world in which the very instituation of monarchy was under fire.

At the heart of Stella Tillyard’s intimate and vivid account is King George’s sister Caroline Mathilde. Married against her will at fifteen to the ailing king of Denmark, she broke all the rules by embarking on an affair with a radical young court doctor. Their rash experiment in free living ended in imprisonment, death, and exile and almost led their two countries to war. Around this tragedy are woven the stories of King George’s scandalous brothers, who squandered their time and titles partying and indulging in disastrous relationships that the gossip-hungry press was all too delighted to report.

Historians have always been puzzled by George’s refusal to give up on America, which forced his government to drag out the Revolutionary War long after it was effectively lost. Tillyard suggests that the king, seeing the colonists as part of his family, sought to control them in the same way he had attempted to rule his younger siblings.

In this brilliantly interpretive biography, Stella Tillyard conjures up a Georgian world of dynastic marriages, headstrong royals, and radical new ideas. A compelling story of private passions and public disgrace, rebellion and exile, A Royal Affair brings to life the dramatic events that served as a curtain-raiser to the revolutions that convulsed two continents.

Customer Reviews:

Thoroughly Enjoyable.......2007-07-31

This is the first book I've read by Ms. Tillyard, but it won't be the last. She is an outstanding writer, and the tale she tells here is both novel and worthwhile. Despite having read a good deal about George III and his reign, including Christopher Hibbert's terrific biography, I nonetheless was relatively clueless about his troublesome siblings, especially the precocious and infinitely ambitious Caroline Matilda. Good story very well told.

Scandalous Sibs and Revolutionary Colonies... enough to drive a king crazy!.......2007-04-01

The book is at it's best when it develops the characters, be they the pricipals, their spouses, tutors, ambassadors, in-laws. Tillyard's description of the parental situation and upbringing of George III is an excellent prelude to his responses to his family's challenges.

George III was true believer in the monarchial system. For him, it was an unchallenged law of nature: his brothers and sisters were his diplomatic pawns. Other generations of siblings had been more compliant. Other monarchs didn't face such a free press or such a powerful parliament. George, by his temperment and training, would and could never understand that the world had fundamentally changed.

The story of Caroline Mathilde is both sad and exciting. Tucked away in Denmark at age 16, what was she to do? George's condescending letter and attitude provide no preparation for a normal monarchial role, let alone the one she's thrust into. It would only be human for her to seek companionship, mentorship and comfort.

The princes, according to George, must also scarifice their lives for dynastic marriages. Having more say in their future, they respond in quite predictable ways. Their choices are complicated by not only their brother the King, but a society that has largely bought into the monrachial system.

I held back a star, because many times details interferred with the flow
(I think biographers who work with original material, are often disposed to include something in order to document/preserve it whether or not it is interesting to the reader or germain to the larger story) and that the US Revolution is treated separately and briefly at the end.

Love, Scandal, and Tragedy, Eighteenth Century Style.......2007-02-21

Stella Tillyard's latest effort brings to mind her magnificent earlier work Aristocrats. In A Royal Affair she moves from the nobility to the Royal Family itself, and has produced another fine, scholarly work which has more drama and interest than any novel.

George III and his siblings were the children of Frederick, Prince of Wales and his wife Augusta of Saxe-Gotha. Frederick was despised by his parents King George II and Queen Caroline for no very good reason except that he was the next generation in line to the throne. Despite a lonely upbringing devoid of love and affection he appears here to have been a caring and fairly decent husband and father until his untimely death in 1751.

Losing their father at an early age had an enormous impact on Fred's children. Raised in somewhat straitened and isolated circumstances by a mother who had few maternal feelings, they grew up with various quirks and personality problems which made their lives painful but fascinating to read about. George III, as the oldest son, tried to take on a paternal role even before he became King. His siblings not unnaturally rebelled at this and showed it in a variety of ways. His three brothers Edward Duke of York, Henry Duke of Cumberland, and William Duke of Gloucester caroused and whored their way around London, shocking society and the literate public and infuriating their older brother, who had become oppressively staid and inflexible in dealing with sins of the flesh. The two daughters who lived to adulthood made unhappy political marriages, especially the youngest Caroline Mathilda, who was married off at the age of 15 to the King of Denmark, a 16 year old who was already displaying signs of what today would be diagnosed as schizophrenia.

Tillyard tells the stories of these royal siblings compassionately and well. As she does so she also provides some fascinating discussions of such varied subjects as Enlightenment philosophy and how it led to the development of a literate English public and a national press inclined to investigate and criticize the conduct of royalty, nobility, and politicians alike; the well-developed espionage networks in northern Europe and the Baltic; power politics between and within Britain, Denmark, Germany, and France; and, most importantly, the similarities between George III's troubles with his family and his problems with the American colonists.

If after reading A Royal Affair you are eager for more about the House of Hanover, I recommend Tillyard's earlier work Aristocrats; Christopher Hibbert's George III: A Personal History; and Flora Fraser's Princesses and The Unruly Queen.

Illicit loves, marriages and madness.......2006-12-18

After reading Stella Tillyard's previous work, Aristocrats about the four Lennox sisters and their romances, I was hooked on this author's wit and style. Most of all it was her ability to look down deep into the hearts of her subjects and help the reader understand why someone would do what they did. Now Tillyard takes on another British family in A Royal Affair.

This time, it's none other than the Hannoverian kings, who first took the British throne in 1714 after the death of Queen Anne. Having a tenuous descent from the Stuarts, they took to the English in a way, happy to have control of a growing empire, and a well-established military and navy, but perhaps not quite comfortable yet with a government that shared power with Parliment and where the monarch was an example and figurehead, and expected to defer as needed to the actual government. Compared to other monarchies in Europe, where the King's word was absolute, it was a very new system to adjust to. Sons who did not become the monarch would be expected to take on leadership roles in the army and navy, and daughters would become bargaining points in arranging treaties and making marriages with other royalties, leaving the homes they had known and doing as best they could in foreign lands.

Unfortunately for King George II, he loathed his eldest son, Frederick, Prince of Wales, and the relationship was anything but good. Harried, and accused of trying to commit treason, Frederick turned to his wife, a German born princess for love and comfort, and their growing brood of children. There would eventually be eight children, the eldest son, George, would become George III, most famous for losing the American colonies and his madness. Two of the daughters, Augusta and Caroline Matilda, would survive childhood and marry into European dynasties. The other sons grew up without the seriousness of their elder brother, and all of the siblings would cause anguish for their brother and king, who after the deaths of their father and grandfather, viewed himself as both a brother and parent.

While Tillyard touches a bit on the other siblings, it is on the youngest child, Caroline Mathilde that she focuses most of her attention. Only four months old after the early death of her father Frederick, Caroline grew up knowing that she would be married off to some prince or king, and watching her own mother's unhappiness and that of her elder sister, was no doubt a sobering influence on her own prospects. She was pretty and blonde, with the pale blue eyes and full mouth that ran her family, and figure that promised to be plump later on in life. At the age of fifteen she was married by proxy to the young king of Denmark, Christian VII. He was also a cousin, with Great Britain and Denmark having regularly suppling princesses to serve as queen consort in each others countries for a while. An etching survives of Caroline at the time, dressed in ermine and pearls, her eyes brimming and a look of misery on her face; she knew that it was unlikely that she would ever return to England, or see anyone in her family again.

Unfortunately for Caroline, her husband was young and immature, and subject to fits of mania, and a strong sadomasochistic streak. Caroline managed to bear her husband a son and heir, and tried to make the best of a bad situation; she hated formality and ceremonial, and yearned for simplicity and more pastorial life. When a doctor came to consult for the king, Caroline found herself involved in intrigue, and a scandal erupted that rocked Europe.

Struensee was ambitionous, much older than Caroline, and a man that Christian VII trusted. It became a sort of three-sided relationship, with Caroline acting more for the king when he was lost in his fits of violence, and turning ever more to Struensee for advice, which the good doctor was more than happy to give to her. Eventually, the relationship became much more intimate and personal, and when the scandal broke, Caroline had not only given birth to a child who was not the king's, but faced the very real possibility of exile, imprisonment or even execution.

What happens next was a shocker. I was fascinated by this story of royalty gone wrong and especially one that I had never heard of before. It also shed light on George III's relationships with his own children, from the sons who gambled, were spendthrifts and married all sorts of the wrong women, and to his six daughters that he adored, but didn't want to marry. Could it be that his own observations on his sisters' and mother's fates influenced his decisions for his daughters' futures?

Tillyard's writing is excellent, and the stories of these unfortunate royals makes for compelling reading. While the story does get a bit dry in the telling of it, the emotional pitch is high, and I found myself caring if anyone in these stories was going to have a happy ending. It's also a very personal tale of love and politics.

Included in the text are two inserts of colour and black and white depictions of the main characters, and there is a map of Denmark, as well as two genelogical charts showing the links between the English and Danish royal families. Extensive notes, bibliography and index provide an opportunity for future research.

fine gossip with a scholarly twist.......2006-12-17

Stella Tillyard continues in her singular mode of enlightened gossip from the age of enlightenment that she has employed in previous histories. I was delighted a few years ago by her "Citizen Lord: The Life of Edward Fitzgerald, Irish Revolutionary," which gave a spirited biography of a real-life romantic figure. In "A Royal Affair," the era is a little earlier and the environs a bit more easterly. Once again, Tillyard has done her homework and cites heavily from original sources. Yes, it is gossip on a grand scale. But if it were just that, it would simply be People Magazine transposed by two-hundred and thirty-odd years. Instead, Tillyard brings the zeitgeist of London and Denmark to this readable book; moreover, she links the personal actions of the principals to the intellectual eddies brought forth by the French philosophes Rousseau, Voltaire, etc. Most interesting to me was her consideration of how budding aristocrats were educated. This linkage between grand ideas and real actions of large players on the European stage which welded both childcraft and statecraft renders this a winning book. The final chapter gives an interpretation of how George III's behavior in his family affairs may be mirrored in his actions to his rebelling colonies. I must re-read this section before I am convinced that it is not a tidy, but stretched, bow to wrap around an otherwise fine book.

Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: Sixth Series (Royal Historical Society Transactions)

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Transactions of the Royal Historical Society: Sixth Series (Royal Historical Society Transactions)
Royal Historical Society
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0521583306

Book Description

The Royal Historical Society Transactions offers readers an annual collection of major articles representing some of the best historical research by some of the world’s most distinguished historians. Also available as a journal, volume five of the sixth series will include: ‘The Peoples of Ireland, 1110–1400: II. Names and Boundaries’, Rees Davies; ‘My special friend’? The Settlement of Disputes and Political Power in the Kingdom of the French, tenth to early twelfth centuries’, Jane Martindale; ‘The structures of politics in early Stuart England’, Steve Gunn; ‘Liberalism and the establishment of collective security in British Foreign Policy’, Joseph C. Heim; ‘Empire and opportunity in later eighteenth century Britain’, Peter Marshall; History through fiction: British lives in the novels of Raymond Wilson, David B. Smith; and ‘Institutions and economic development in early modern central Europe: proto-industrialisation in Württemburg, 1580–1797’, Sheila Ogilvie.

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