The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy

by John Cannon and Ralph Griffiths

This is the most authoritative account ever published of that most envied of British institutions: the monarchy. With over 400 illustrations - no less than one third of them in colour - it tells the full story of the monarchy, presenting a vivid picture not only of the lives of individual kings and queens, but also of the monarchy as a political and social force from Anglo-Saxon times to the present. The story begins in the fifth century; progressing through the Dark Ages, Ralph Griffiths describes the emergence of recognizable kingdoms in Scotland, Wales, and England. He then goes on to discuss the continental role of English monarchs from William the Conqueror to King John, and the refocusing of royal power in Britain from the thirteenth century with the extension of English rule to Wales, the consolidation of the Scottish kingdom, and the forging of a new relationship between monarch and nation. He also explains the way in which key traditions evolved, including the right of succession, coronations and marriages, oaths of loyalty and military service, the granting of lands and titles, and the propagation of a powerful image of royalty. John Cannon takes up the story from the reign of Henry VIII, and continues the exploration of these crucial themes. Guiding the reader through the governing monarchy of the Tudors and Stuarts and the changes that followed the loss of the throne in the Civil Wars, he goes on to look at the Hanoverians and the combination of personal rule and government by Parliament. Finally, he describes the emergence of the constitutional role of the crown in Queen Victoria's reign, and the enduring basis this has bestowed upon today's popular symbolic monarchy. Alongside this colourful and eventful tale of power and government, the book also looks at the many ways in which our social and cultural history has been shaped by monarchs and the image of royalty - as landowners, builders, sportsmen and women, patrons of the arts, and as the focus of court life, whether idealized or profane. The main account is interspersed with individual panels which focus in vivid detail on each monarch and on key general themes, such as the peerage, chivalry, and coronation rituals. The book is lavishly illustrated throughout, and the text is accompanied by a comprehensive body of reference material, including colour maps, an illustrated section on royal residences and tombs, a consolidated list of monarchs, genealogies, suggestions for further reading, and a full index.

Genres: History, Reference, Nonfiction, Biography, British Literature, World History

727 pages, Leather Bound

First published October 27, 1988

Reviews

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good readable resource. The prose is not dull, and each ruler seems to be dealt with fairly.

Perhaps this book’s greatest flaw is that monarchy comes across as the most awesome thing on the face of the earth. There is some criticism but at no time is there a feeling that living under any of the monarchs would be a bad thing.
Still it is full of historic information and brings up some good points about monarchs who may have gotten so bad raps.

[Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must admit that I wanted more information about the individual monarchs than was presented in the book, but it is a history of British monarchy (as the title says), not monarchs. However, it is a decent reference book and engagingly enough written.

[Regina Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very short descriptions, but I loved the lists of dates in the back and family tree. I was mostly sad how short it was on descriptions of first few 500 years of the kings. Additional pre-reading required otherwise thre is a possibility of being lost in all of the cities, kingdoms and so forth.

[Doris Raines · Rating 3 out of 5]

NICE BOOK,

[Mandee Karp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty dry reading, but very informative! Overall, enjoyable read!

[Peter Swanson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm enjoying and learning from this book, but it's not an easy read, in no small part due to the sheer weight of the volume! The average human cannot lie in bed with this book on his or her chest, but must have it on a table or a well-supported lap.
I must admit that I didn't read every page of this most informative tome. It's more of a reference work than something to sit down and read through. I need the Reader's Digest version.

[D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book. It's got great illustrations and histories of each of the kings and queens of England, and also from Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. I pick it up to reread or for reference regularly.

[Russ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book had a quite meandering structure, lazily weaving in and out of history, politics, sociology. I was looking for something more structured in a history of the monarchy. But, there were interesting parts.

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great resource on the history of the British monarchy from the 5th century to modern times.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous resource for history buffs, anglophiles, and writers alike!

[Peter Haik · Rating 5 out of 5]

enjoyed the historical preview; illustrations were most enlightening

[Melinda Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always loved British History and my parents gave me this book over 20 years ago. I have used it as a reference since then, but this is the first time I have sat down and read it cover to cover. I really enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed seeing how the monarchy has changed over the last 1300 years going from a King that ruled over roughly 1/3 of England all the way to the constitutional Monarchy of today.