The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England ANNOTATION
Spanning 10 dynasties, this guide to almost 1,000 years of history, told through the lives and deeds of England's kings and queens, features biographies from the invading Normans to the contemporary House of Windsor. Accompanying the text are contemporary and historical illustrations, genealogical tables, and drawings and explanations of all the royal coats of arms.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
Since 1066, that most famous date in English history, forty people from ten dynasties have sat on the throne of England. Antonia Fraser introduces this pageant of royalty and eight specialist contributors bring to life the characters of each incumbent. Accompanying the text are extensive family trees, a range of contemporary and historical images, and essays on the heraldic devices of the different monarchs.
Over the last nine centuries the role and powers of the crown have changed hugely, partly as a result of the characters and abilities of its various holders but also because of evolving historical circumstances. The biographers touch on politics, society and the economy to highlight important features of a reign, but above all they convey the personal histories, the strengths, weaknesses and convictions of the monarchs and the impact they had on their kingdom. From the colourful medieval kings who led their armies to battle, inspiring playwrights and poets, the dignified if repressed court of the Queen-Empress Victoria, to the present day, the whole spectrum of English royal life is displayed in a succinct and fascinating way.
SYNOPSIS
Spanning ten dynasties, this is a guide to almost one thousand years of history, told through the lives and deeds of England's kings and queens. Biographies of the English monarchs, from the invading Normans to the contemporary House of Windsor, bring to life the complex characters of both well-known figures, such as Victoria, and enigmatic sovereigns, such as Richard III. Accompanying the text are contemporary and historical illustrations, genealogical tables, and drawings of the royal coats of arms, whose origins and significance are clearly explained.
A concise and useful reference, The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England is an invaluable resource.
[Note: This 1995 paperback edition is now out of stock. A New Updated Edition is available in cloth and paperback.]
Author Biography: Antonia Fraser is an internationally acclaimed writer. Her historical biographies include Mary, Queen of Scots, Cromwell, Our Chief of Men, Charles II, and The Six Wives of Henry VIII.
FROM THE CRITICS
Library Journal
First time on CD, over 1000 years of English history told through the lives and deeds of its monarchs. Read by Audio- file's Golden Voice Wanda McCaddon. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
AudioFile - David A. Walton
Eight historians (including Neville Williams for the Tudors and Andrew Roberts for the Windsors) tell the story of the royal houses of England from 1066 to the present. Fraser's somewhat apologetic introduction acknowledges the limits of monarchical history, but this fascinating and mesmerizing chronology has too many colorful characters and startling reversals to ever feel limited. At last, one learns why Henry IV was Henry Bolingbroke and his son Henry V was Henry Monmouth (after the castles where they were born), who exactly Lady Jane Grey was, and why a line of German princes ended up on the English throne. McCaddon's initially harsh, schoolmarmish tone turns out to wear well, bringing vigor and continuity to what easily might have been a numbing chronology of names and centuries. In her commanding voice this unsurpassable listening experience stirs both mind and imagination. D.A.W. c AudioFile, Portland, Maine
Home
