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The English Monarchs
George III: America's Last King
The sixty-year reign of George III (1760–1820) witnessed and participated in some of the most critical events of modern world history: the ending of the Seven Years’ War with France, the American War of Independence, the French Revolutionary Wars, the campaign against Napoleon Bonaparte and battle of Waterloo in 1815, and Union with Ireland in 1801. Despite the pathos of the last years of the mad, blind, and neglected monarch, it is a life full of importance and interest.
Jeremy Black’s biography deals comprehensively with the politics, the wars, and the domestic issues, and harnesses the richest range of unpublished sources in Britain, Germany, and the United States. But, using George III’s own prolific correspondence, it also interrogates the man himself, his strong religious faith, and his powerful sense of moral duty to his family and to his nation. Black considers the king’s scientific, cultural, and intellectual interests as no other biographer has done, and explores how he was viewed by his contemporaries. Identifying George as the last British ruler of the Thirteen Colonies, Black reveals his strong personal engagement in the struggle for America and argues that George himself, his intentions and policies, were key to the conflict.
Jeremy Black’s biography deals comprehensively with the politics, the wars, and the domestic issues, and harnesses the richest range of unpublished sources in Britain, Germany, and the United States. But, using George III’s own prolific correspondence, it also interrogates the man himself, his strong religious faith, and his powerful sense of moral duty to his family and to his nation. Black considers the king’s scientific, cultural, and intellectual interests as no other biographer has done, and explores how he was viewed by his contemporaries. Identifying George as the last British ruler of the Thirteen Colonies, Black reveals his strong personal engagement in the struggle for America and argues that George himself, his intentions and policies, were key to the conflict.
448 pages, Hardcover
First published December 15, 2006
14 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Jeremy Black
431 books198 followersJeremy Black is an English historian, who was formerly a professor of history at the University of Exeter. He is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.
Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).
Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
January 15, 2024
I wanted this work to be more interesting. Repetitive to the point of being humorous. How many times should we have to read that George was pious? Several dozen?
July 27, 2018
A dry but rich and intelligent biography of George III.
Black ably describes George’s impact, and he comes off as good but not great, partly due to his mental illness. George III also provided one of the first examples of the king as a ceremonial figurehead; unlike other kings of the era George was willing to rule as a constitutional monarch and seemed to prefer it, and saw the value of the monarchy as a symbol of unity.
Black also describes how previous Hanoverian monarchs embraced Hanover over Britain and how George wanted to move away from this and often showed little interest in Hanover. Black also describes the difficulty George had with accepting change; he often was simply unable to recognize why some people favored reform in the House of Commons, why there was discontent in North America, and why some people advocated ending the slave trade or emancipating Catholics. Black also describes his contradictions; George had a reputation for dullness but was also cultured; he was reserved but also made himself more visible and approachable than previous monarchs. George’s mental problems and his doctors’ crazy treatments are told with sympathy. Black also does a great job covering George as elector and how he bonded with his German subjects. He is also critical of George’s policies in America and Ireland, as well as his feud with Fox.
The narrative, however, is not in chronological order, and it sometimes seems like it has too much tedious detail on random people (often ones whose importance is unclear). At times the narrative can be a bit disjointed. The American Revolution gets only a single chapter (odd given the title and Black’s apparent view that America was the defining issue for his reign and reputation), as do the wars with France. Also, at one point Black writes that George Washington preferred the title “His Mightiness, President of the United States and the protector of their liberties,” although this was a proposal by John Adams, and one that Washington rejected. Also, at one point Black writes that George’s funeral was in November 1820, and that Wellington’s was in 1851. There are also a few typos and some untranslated French.
An accessible, well-researched biography overall.
Black ably describes George’s impact, and he comes off as good but not great, partly due to his mental illness. George III also provided one of the first examples of the king as a ceremonial figurehead; unlike other kings of the era George was willing to rule as a constitutional monarch and seemed to prefer it, and saw the value of the monarchy as a symbol of unity.
Black also describes how previous Hanoverian monarchs embraced Hanover over Britain and how George wanted to move away from this and often showed little interest in Hanover. Black also describes the difficulty George had with accepting change; he often was simply unable to recognize why some people favored reform in the House of Commons, why there was discontent in North America, and why some people advocated ending the slave trade or emancipating Catholics. Black also describes his contradictions; George had a reputation for dullness but was also cultured; he was reserved but also made himself more visible and approachable than previous monarchs. George’s mental problems and his doctors’ crazy treatments are told with sympathy. Black also does a great job covering George as elector and how he bonded with his German subjects. He is also critical of George’s policies in America and Ireland, as well as his feud with Fox.
The narrative, however, is not in chronological order, and it sometimes seems like it has too much tedious detail on random people (often ones whose importance is unclear). At times the narrative can be a bit disjointed. The American Revolution gets only a single chapter (odd given the title and Black’s apparent view that America was the defining issue for his reign and reputation), as do the wars with France. Also, at one point Black writes that George Washington preferred the title “His Mightiness, President of the United States and the protector of their liberties,” although this was a proposal by John Adams, and one that Washington rejected. Also, at one point Black writes that George’s funeral was in November 1820, and that Wellington’s was in 1851. There are also a few typos and some untranslated French.
An accessible, well-researched biography overall.
December 11, 2017
As a history fan but only just really reading large biographies, this was the perfect mix of fact without it being too dry. What I enjoyed most about the book was how the author didn't dwell on the two things we know about George III already: his descent into madness and the loss of America. Of course these were among it but there was equal stress put on his control of government, his family (and bad relationships with his sons) and his love of the arts.
I read the book in chunks; for me a lot of information goes into my brain better that way, but it's not too dense to put off anyone who wants to read it in one fell swoop.
I read the book in chunks; for me a lot of information goes into my brain better that way, but it's not too dense to put off anyone who wants to read it in one fell swoop.
March 15, 2010
I'm reading this book in very small nibbles because I find it more enjoyable that way. It's very dense with information, and I like to be able to process the information before moving on to the next clump. This might make it sound as though the book is dull or academic, but it's not. It's written like an intelligent, thoroughly researched, comprehensive, detailed biography of a fascinating character surrounded by other fascinating characters. I have a feeling that in the end, this will be the only book I ever need to read on George III.
September 27, 2013
Jeremy Black has written a very good biography of one of the most important monarchs in world history: King George III. I think in the end George III was a good king, just not great one. He might have been able to be a great one but his mental health stood in the way of any possible greatness. George III did however provide precedence for the monarch as a ceremonial figurehead of unity rather than an active ruler. He was a person of great abilities and great flaws.
Unlike a lot of his contemporary monarchs of the same time period George III accepted the concept of constitutional monarchy. During this period Gustav III of Sweden suspended his country's constitution, Louis XVI tried to undermine the constitution forced upon him, and Russians dared not challenge the rights of the Tsar. King George III was not only loyal to the British constitution, but he actually loved the idea of the British system. George III understood that his family's very claim to the throne of Great Britain was dependent on the very idea of revolution and he was committed to the British ideal.
Unlike his immediate predecessors George III was very British. The Royal Family for the bulk of the last century had been what we would now call an immigrant family. Like most immigrant families after a few generations they embrace their family's adopted home over mother country. George I and II were German princes who were Kings of Great Britain; George III was a British prince. George however had several problems. The first of these problems was even though he believed in his constitution, his constitution was unwritten. Today in the United States we often debate about what our written constitution means, imagine debating what the unwritten one is suppose to mean. And it seems that everyone's interpretation of this unwritten constitution is the interpretation that gives their political group the most power. George knew he was King and as King he had certain rights under the constitution to govern his country under the law and traditions established.
I have some sympathy with George, although I do not agree with monarchy, if you are going to have one does it not make sense to let the monarch do his job? It seems throughout his reign King George would try to his job as the unwritten constitution defined it, only to be criticized as a Stuart want-a-be. He thought he had to job to do, tried to do it, and was criticized for undermining the constitution that he actually loved.
He also had a hard time accepting any change what so ever. He could not see that the House of Commons need to be reformed, he could not listen to the needs and legitimacy of the plight of the American colonists, and he needed to be nudged into supporting the abolition of the slave trade. Most importantly he saw the emancipation of Catholics in Britain to be a betrayal of the Glorious Revolution that brought his family to power.
His last major problem was his battles with mental illness. This problem would undermine his reign and destroy his attempts to make an active monarchy. He would have to accept a more ceremonial figurehead role during the Napoleonic wars, although in that role he would have his greatest rise in popularity.
An ironic twist in King George III's career is although he most known for losing the thirteen American colonies that became the United States of America, under King George III, Britain actually underwent a very large expansion of its imperial borders.
"In 1779, firmly stating his resolution never to grant American independence, George claimed that such a measure `must entirely fix the fall of this empire.' Instead, on the global scale, the reach of British power provided one of the most lasting legacies of George's reign, and one that, in the shape of political culture, survived the end of the British empire. As a result of this reach, this chapter is necessarily eclectic, but it reflects the range of activities and topics in which George was engaged as a result of the spread of the empire, and the very different ways in which he was of real or symbolic importance. One of the most enduring aspects was naming which marked British imperial expansion with the royal presence. The process of naming is still readily apparent, especially in areas where the end of imperial control was not accompanied by a determination to reject the legacy of the past. The royal nomenclature of place indeed is the most persistent for the Hanoverian period, when empire was largely a case of North America and the West Indies: Georgetowns and Charlottes testify to the reach of British power and the determination to identify colonies with the crown and the royal family." (p.329)
When he ascended to the throne of Great Britain he had two goals. The first goal was to restore the monarch to a more active role in the government from the more a supervisory role of his grandfather and great-grandfather. The second was to make the monarchy above politics and a symbol of unity. On first point he failed and the second he succeeded. The reason for this is these were contradictory goals. You cannot act political and be above politics.
Jeremy Black wrote a very great book about a very difficult ruler. I only a have few quibbles, for example why is words `king' and `king of Great Britain' not capitalized but the words `Elector' and `Elector of Hanover' are. Also there is slight error; George Washington never preferred the title `His Mightiness, President of the United States and the protector of their liberties'. That was John Adams, Washington rejected that, although everything else Black said about Washington is true. Other than those two things the book is perfect.
Unlike a lot of his contemporary monarchs of the same time period George III accepted the concept of constitutional monarchy. During this period Gustav III of Sweden suspended his country's constitution, Louis XVI tried to undermine the constitution forced upon him, and Russians dared not challenge the rights of the Tsar. King George III was not only loyal to the British constitution, but he actually loved the idea of the British system. George III understood that his family's very claim to the throne of Great Britain was dependent on the very idea of revolution and he was committed to the British ideal.
Unlike his immediate predecessors George III was very British. The Royal Family for the bulk of the last century had been what we would now call an immigrant family. Like most immigrant families after a few generations they embrace their family's adopted home over mother country. George I and II were German princes who were Kings of Great Britain; George III was a British prince. George however had several problems. The first of these problems was even though he believed in his constitution, his constitution was unwritten. Today in the United States we often debate about what our written constitution means, imagine debating what the unwritten one is suppose to mean. And it seems that everyone's interpretation of this unwritten constitution is the interpretation that gives their political group the most power. George knew he was King and as King he had certain rights under the constitution to govern his country under the law and traditions established.
I have some sympathy with George, although I do not agree with monarchy, if you are going to have one does it not make sense to let the monarch do his job? It seems throughout his reign King George would try to his job as the unwritten constitution defined it, only to be criticized as a Stuart want-a-be. He thought he had to job to do, tried to do it, and was criticized for undermining the constitution that he actually loved.
He also had a hard time accepting any change what so ever. He could not see that the House of Commons need to be reformed, he could not listen to the needs and legitimacy of the plight of the American colonists, and he needed to be nudged into supporting the abolition of the slave trade. Most importantly he saw the emancipation of Catholics in Britain to be a betrayal of the Glorious Revolution that brought his family to power.
His last major problem was his battles with mental illness. This problem would undermine his reign and destroy his attempts to make an active monarchy. He would have to accept a more ceremonial figurehead role during the Napoleonic wars, although in that role he would have his greatest rise in popularity.
An ironic twist in King George III's career is although he most known for losing the thirteen American colonies that became the United States of America, under King George III, Britain actually underwent a very large expansion of its imperial borders.
"In 1779, firmly stating his resolution never to grant American independence, George claimed that such a measure `must entirely fix the fall of this empire.' Instead, on the global scale, the reach of British power provided one of the most lasting legacies of George's reign, and one that, in the shape of political culture, survived the end of the British empire. As a result of this reach, this chapter is necessarily eclectic, but it reflects the range of activities and topics in which George was engaged as a result of the spread of the empire, and the very different ways in which he was of real or symbolic importance. One of the most enduring aspects was naming which marked British imperial expansion with the royal presence. The process of naming is still readily apparent, especially in areas where the end of imperial control was not accompanied by a determination to reject the legacy of the past. The royal nomenclature of place indeed is the most persistent for the Hanoverian period, when empire was largely a case of North America and the West Indies: Georgetowns and Charlottes testify to the reach of British power and the determination to identify colonies with the crown and the royal family." (p.329)
When he ascended to the throne of Great Britain he had two goals. The first goal was to restore the monarch to a more active role in the government from the more a supervisory role of his grandfather and great-grandfather. The second was to make the monarchy above politics and a symbol of unity. On first point he failed and the second he succeeded. The reason for this is these were contradictory goals. You cannot act political and be above politics.
Jeremy Black wrote a very great book about a very difficult ruler. I only a have few quibbles, for example why is words `king' and `king of Great Britain' not capitalized but the words `Elector' and `Elector of Hanover' are. Also there is slight error; George Washington never preferred the title `His Mightiness, President of the United States and the protector of their liberties'. That was John Adams, Washington rejected that, although everything else Black said about Washington is true. Other than those two things the book is perfect.
May 10, 2020
Jeremy Black strikes an excellent scholarly balance between George III: The obstinate who provoked crisis in North America and in Ireland by refusing to reform and the man who was, just, flexible enough to ensure the monarchy adapted to the Enlightenment age at a time when, many post-1789 monarchies, failed. The title somewhat indicates which side Black falls upon, but it's a balanced book nonetheless.
Also decent commentary on how George III oversaw gradual disassociation from Hanover and the creation of a 'British' king in contrast to his grandfather and great-grandfather.
Also decent commentary on how George III oversaw gradual disassociation from Hanover and the creation of a 'British' king in contrast to his grandfather and great-grandfather.
July 3, 2009
Not sure what I was thinking this book was going to be about but it turned out to really change my opinion of George III, the American Revolution, and Lord North. This was really a biography of George III in his own words. Yes towards the end of his life he did lose his mind but in the beginning and the middle of his life he was a much greater man than US history books portray him to be. In effect he was not 'the enemy' as is taught in school but a very honorable man
October 29, 2021
George III of the House of Hanover, is by now the third longest reigning monarch of Great Britain, after Queen Elizabeth II of Windsor, and her granddaughter, Queen Victoria. In popular, contemporary imagination, he is more known as the king who behaved like a tyrant over his subjects in British’s Thirteen Colonies of America, while later descended into madness. During his long reign, Britain saw the lost of its thirteen colonies in America, war with Napoleonic French, and the establishment of British’s foothold in India through the role of East India Company, all were momentous events in British imperial history.
This book seeks to uncover George III, both as public and personal figure. Guided with a strong sense duty caused by his devotion to religion, paternalism as father of all British people, and instinctual conservatism, he spent his early reign trying to influence the course of Britain’s politics, although the results left much to be desired. His firmness, unfortunately became his weakness, since his refusal to even recognize the complaints of American colonists forced their hands into open rebellion in which George ultimately lost his subjects in Thirteen Colonies, a circumstance that can be avoided if he were more flexible in dealing with the grievances. During Napoleonic War, George III was able to ride on the wave of patriotism, especially with his status as the first England-born Hanoverian (both of his predecessors were born in German, and even cannot speak english). Although at first ridiculed as ‘Farmer’ George, who preferred to live simply and eschewed pretentiousness, because of this he was viewed more favourably in comparison with his libertine son, George IV. A family man, he sired many children, although almost of them failed to follow his course of familial fidelity. In the end, assessments of George, made both by his contemporaries and future historians are also discussed.
In the end, George possessed numerous qualities that distinguish him from other monarchs of his time. Although he meant well, his obstinacy made some serious political problems, making him a sometime unwise ruler. I find this book an objective look upon life of George III and recommend it to everyone who is interested in British Monarchy.
This book seeks to uncover George III, both as public and personal figure. Guided with a strong sense duty caused by his devotion to religion, paternalism as father of all British people, and instinctual conservatism, he spent his early reign trying to influence the course of Britain’s politics, although the results left much to be desired. His firmness, unfortunately became his weakness, since his refusal to even recognize the complaints of American colonists forced their hands into open rebellion in which George ultimately lost his subjects in Thirteen Colonies, a circumstance that can be avoided if he were more flexible in dealing with the grievances. During Napoleonic War, George III was able to ride on the wave of patriotism, especially with his status as the first England-born Hanoverian (both of his predecessors were born in German, and even cannot speak english). Although at first ridiculed as ‘Farmer’ George, who preferred to live simply and eschewed pretentiousness, because of this he was viewed more favourably in comparison with his libertine son, George IV. A family man, he sired many children, although almost of them failed to follow his course of familial fidelity. In the end, assessments of George, made both by his contemporaries and future historians are also discussed.
In the end, George possessed numerous qualities that distinguish him from other monarchs of his time. Although he meant well, his obstinacy made some serious political problems, making him a sometime unwise ruler. I find this book an objective look upon life of George III and recommend it to everyone who is interested in British Monarchy.
January 19, 2021
Black’s biography is a good starting place for those who would like to learn more about the life of King George III. While the political details can be overwelming, Black provides interesting accounts of George’s religious views, cultural interests and intellectual pursuits. American readers should have a dictionary handy when reading, as the author uses many words not generally used on this side of the Atlantic. Despite this stylistic limitation, I recommend this biography for a more complete assessment of George’s life and contributions.
February 5, 2025
Jeremy is a fan boy of George III, but I think he gives him too much slack, and too much credit. For example, his treatment of his bride Charlotte, his sons George and Frederick as well as his opposition to ending the slave trade are hardly virtues, even for the England of his days.
But for such a partisan book, it's an entertaining read.
But for such a partisan book, it's an entertaining read.
September 7, 2017
Professor Black's book ignited my interest in King George III. Written with his usual thorough research and scholarship, but with a delicate touch towards King George's problematical life.
June 17, 2008
So far a great look into what shaped a King who navigated through both the American and French Revolutions.
March 18, 2018
Too dense to read, but at least the cover was cute.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews