The Kings & Queens of England: The Biography

by David Loades

This is the history of the men and women who have occupied the highest position in English and later British society. For about a thousand years, they were superior lords, the leaders of nobility, which ruled; and for about three hundred years thereafter they were sovereigns, whose servants ruled in their name. Now, with the rise of democracy, they no longer rule. The Queen is a symbol and a social leader, vastly experienced in the ways of the world, and the head of a family, which strives to be useful in a modern community. The records of the monarchy vary from one period to another, and many of them are political in nature. However, it is always necessary to remember the human being behind the constitutional facade. This is an attempt to recover their identities.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

512 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

David Michael Loades was a British historian who specialised in the Tudor era. After military service in the Royal Air Force from 1953 until 1955, Loades studied at the University of Cambridge. In the 1960s and 1970s he taught at the universities of St. Andrews and Durham. From 1980 until 1996 Loades was Professor of History at the University of Wales; after taking emeritus status, Loades served as Honorary Research Professor at the University of Sheffield from 1996 until 2008.

Reviews

[Helene Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review - I think that this is one of the best Kings and Queens books I have read, as it has the detail for each of the monarchs, and a summary of the different houses. However, what it could do with more of is the links between the English and Scottish houses as they eventually become one. It also encompasses the family trees of the monarchs. It's an interesting summation of the monarchs and the relations between them.

General Subject/s? - History / Ancestry / Monarchy

Recommend? – Yes

Rating - 18/20

[Annette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Source: Free copy from Amberley Publishing for the purpose of review.

The Kings and Queens of England is an encyclopedic biography. Beginning in 925 AD with Athelstan's reign in Mercia and followed by his reign in England 927 AD; through to our current era of Elizabeth II and her family. David Loades, mentions three times in the introduction, this book is not a "political narrative." "This is not a constitutional history, but essentially a narrative of the lives of men and women, because until comparatively recent times England was a personal monarchy." The introduction in brief, shares information on the period of 500 to 927 AD. These were the years following the Roman occupation, the invading Anglo-Saxon's and Vikings. Sometime in the 500s the Anglo-Saxon's settled in England; the original inhabitants, the Briton people, moved "farther west." The Anglo-Saxon's established themselves into individual kingdoms, not a one united kingdom of England until Athelstan. Although the early historical years are written in brief summary, it is a fascinating and solid introduction.

Pros:
1. I feel as if I've taken a short, but extensive coarse on British history. At no point did the information become dry and brittle. I felt intrigued, curiosity satisfied and entertained.
2. Easy to understand and grasp. Loades is a born teacher, meaning he has the talent for teaching information in such a way that a person of any education level can grasp.
3. At times I wished to hear Loades audibly speak, because the sentence structure is fluid and engaging.
4. I never felt Loades was bias in his observations of historical figures. The closing remarks on Richard III showed the "probable bias of the Tudor's," as well as Richard's "illegal act."
5. I loved the added information on personal habits and twerks of the kings and queens, for example:
King James I of England. "He was physically ungainly, untidy in his personal habits, and his court was crude, boisterous and chaotic." By sharing this information I'm given a humanity on royalty that is often unspoken.
6. During the reign of King George III, America was in rebellion against England; it was interesting to read the other side of history.
7. Reading The Kings and Queens of England, has led me to want to read more books on the following people or historical periods: Oliver Cromwell, The English Civil War, Edward I, George III, war with American colonies, Jane Grey, Prime Ministers (all of them), George V, Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.

Cons:
I did not want the book to end.

[Hannah S · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ambitious book which is well researched.

I think that a glossary of terms for each section would have been really useful for readers like myself who were not familiar with terms or factions for each historical period. I would have perhaps liked a little more information about the monarchs themselves as sometimes there was a heavy focus on the politicians and politics of the time. This is understandable, but a bit more on the monarchs would have been welcome.

Not the easiest of reads, but rewarding and now I've read it once, is will be good to dip into when I need an overview of a period or monarch I encounter in other books.

[Kas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Informative

[Calida · Rating 4 out of 5]

The beginning of the book (between the intro through the Stewarts) was very thorough and fascinating to read, and everything past felt like a chore. It's more likely due to my disinterest in "recent monarchy" but I also wasn't impressed with the author's writing style nor did I feel that he had invested a lot of interest in the later monarchs.
Definitely is exactly what you would expect it to be. Outlined each monarch based on available information and as far as I could tell was rather unbiased and accurate.

[Bob Sagadin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Billed as a biography, it's as much political chronicle and social commentary as it is a biography of England's Kings and Queens. Nevertheless it's an enjoyable and eminently informative rollercoaster ride through English history. Advice: Keep a score card to track the number of prime ministers, constituencies and legislation during Victoria's reign - along with the who, what and where of her children.