Royal Sunset: The European Dynasties and the Great War

by Gordon Brook-Shepherd

Examines the reasons for the inability of the European monarchies to prevent World War I and focuses on Franz Josef of Austria, William II of Germany, and Nicholas II of Russia

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War I

357 pages, Hardcover

First published February 26, 1987

About the author

Gordon Brook-Shepherd was a British historian and journalist, best known for his work on the history of central and eastern Europe. A graduate of Cambridge University, where he earned a Double First in history, he joined the staff of the Daily Telegraph in 1948 as a foreign correspondent based n Vienna, and he later served as Diplomatic Correspondent and Assistant Editor for the Sunday Telegraph.

Reviews

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does not particularly add any new major facts to one's knowledge of the Great War............but it provides detail into the machinations of the royal houses of Europe as they marched toward that hell. I particularly liked the fact that the author gave quite a bit of space to the minor royals of Serbia, Montenegro,Albania, Bulgaria, etc. The usual history of that time tends to ignore those countries except for the assassination in Sarajevo which sparked the conflagration. The author has a very readable style and the book holds your interest throughout. I enjoyed it and now know exactly where Montenegro is located!!!

[John Sinclair · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick reread. I remember how it ended! #Books2019 #Books

[Cera · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was by no means a perfect book, but it was compulsively readable and on the whole well-documented, which is a winning combination for history. The book covers the various European dynasties whose interactions led up to WWI, focusing not only on the big guns such as Austria, Russia, Germany & England, but also on the dynastic histories of the Balkan states. I now have a much better understanding of _why_ Franz Ferdinand was assassinated in Sarajevo, and what it meant in the moment that it happened, before it turned into 'that thing that set of WWI'.

The main flaw of the book is that the author doesn't always keep his own cultural judgments out of his writing. The most painful example of this was his statement that "bringing a clutch of Sofia prostitutes into court to accuse him [the ex-Prime Minister of Bulgaria] of having raped them" was "a somewhat bizarre charge, given their profession" (57). Apparently, Brook-Shepherd believes that a prostitute can't be raped! He's also too fond of sharing his own feelings about a historical figure's appearance, clothing, attractiveness & so forth, which for me gets in the way of the history; I'm reading the book to better understand the period, not to hear that the author thinks mustaches are silly. I know that such comments often serve as enjoyable 'colour' for readers, but they really take me out of the book.

I'm also a little concerned that he may have taken some of his contemporary evidence out of context in order to prove points; there was one particular quote (from an English governess in Italy describing the court of the first Italian king) which fascinated me so much I ended up looking it up on Google books. Brook-Shepherd uses the description as evidence of how crude & undignified the court was, but in its original (fuller) context the author seems to be giving it as an example of the generosity of the Italian king towards his hungry subjects. This is a *very* minor quibble, since unlike many authors he actually cites his sources, so the information is there for the finding and disagreeing with.

The compulsive readability and copious contemporary quotes (even if they are occasionally interpreted in ways I disagree with) definitely make this a 4-star book.

[Catherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am learning about the intricacies of the European theatre pre- World Wars. I remember that in primary school I thought their decisions were incredibly stupid. However the book gives me all the factors of what they were dealing with and really expands the history conscious, I think.
Caution: Gordon's book can be a bit dry and lengthy.

[Franz · Rating 3 out of 5]

One by one, each of the dynasties that were eclipsed by WWI are dicussed and their relationships explored. Well done.