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The King Over the Water: A Complete History of the Jacobites
Shortlisted for the Military History Matters Book of the Year Award, 2020
Few causes have given rise to such dramatic tales of loyalty, passion and betrayal as the Jacobite dream of restoring the Stuarts to the British throne. Although its failure brought savage retribution from the Hannoverians, the Jacobite flame continued to burn decades after Culloden.
This is the first modern history of the entire Jacobite movement in Scotland, England and Ireland, from the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688 that drove James II into exile and the death of his grandson, Cardinal Henry, Duke of York, in 1807. The Battle of Culloden and Bonnie Prince Charlie's flight through the heather are well known, but not the other risings and plots that involved half of Europe and even revolutionary America. The King Over the Water weaves together all the strands of this gripping saga into a vivid, sweeping narrative, full of insight, analysis and anecdote.
Few causes have given rise to such dramatic tales of loyalty, passion and betrayal as the Jacobite dream of restoring the Stuarts to the British throne. Although its failure brought savage retribution from the Hannoverians, the Jacobite flame continued to burn decades after Culloden.
This is the first modern history of the entire Jacobite movement in Scotland, England and Ireland, from the 'Glorious Revolution' of 1688 that drove James II into exile and the death of his grandson, Cardinal Henry, Duke of York, in 1807. The Battle of Culloden and Bonnie Prince Charlie's flight through the heather are well known, but not the other risings and plots that involved half of Europe and even revolutionary America. The King Over the Water weaves together all the strands of this gripping saga into a vivid, sweeping narrative, full of insight, analysis and anecdote.
466 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published September 19, 2019
39 people are currently reading
245 people want to read
About the author
Desmond Seward
59 books61 followersDesmond Seward was an Anglo-Irish popular historian and the author of over two dozen books. He was educated at Ampleforth and St, Catherine's College, Cambridge. He was a specialist in England and France in the Middle Ages and the author of some thirty books, including biographies of Eleanor of Aquitane, Henry V, Richard III, Marie Antoinette and Metternich.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
January 31, 2020
I did rate this with 4 stars because it covers untilled ground but it’s not particularly well written nor is it particularly analytical in the coverage of the Stuart Farewell Symphony. The book traces the last of the Stuarts from James VII and II to Henry, a Cardinal and the last of the direct line. The author describes all the important as well as the trivial manifestations of support for the Stuarts in the three kingdoms and the strength and durability of the belief was new to me. Strangely he doesn’t dwell much on the military aspect of the Jacobite story but in fairness, this is well covered elsewhere. It’s worth reading however.
May 25, 2020
Elizabeth 1’s Childless death would have far reaching consequences . In cane the Scottish Stewarts, and with them the whole drama of the civil war and the restoration. When the Stewarts returned after Cromwell’s death and his son’s failure, Charles II was popular due to moral, if not political or religious, liberalism after the Puritan era , but his brother James was not. And so came the Williams and the Georges.
The division between those who were for the old and new regimes would be one of the formative factors of our political parties: the tories would be pro Stewart, the Whigs (who became the liberals and then the Lib Dem’s ) the new regime.
While the Glorious Revolution was bloodless in England , it wouldn’t be elsewhere and the Battle of the Boyne would be a reference point for the twentieth century Irish troubles. In Scotland, of course, Culloden would be the grim nadir.
This was a long game , that involved many countries . Though the Stewarts flitted between Catholicism and Presbyterianism, Catholic countries were tapped up to aid the cause ; for France, this offered the chance to settle old scores. Native American tribes who had converted to Catholicism Would be enlisted too. Meanwhile the English , who often believed the Irish to be savages , enjoyed propaganda that portrayed the Scots as cannibals.
This is a book that covers a subject that doesn’t often get its own volume . It does it quite well, and I enjoyed the appendix about coverage of the Jacobites in literature. But there are some wild speculations too: we are told that had the Stuart campaign for England succeeded , there may not have been American or French revolutions. Why? How ? No explanation is forthcoming.
The division between those who were for the old and new regimes would be one of the formative factors of our political parties: the tories would be pro Stewart, the Whigs (who became the liberals and then the Lib Dem’s ) the new regime.
While the Glorious Revolution was bloodless in England , it wouldn’t be elsewhere and the Battle of the Boyne would be a reference point for the twentieth century Irish troubles. In Scotland, of course, Culloden would be the grim nadir.
This was a long game , that involved many countries . Though the Stewarts flitted between Catholicism and Presbyterianism, Catholic countries were tapped up to aid the cause ; for France, this offered the chance to settle old scores. Native American tribes who had converted to Catholicism Would be enlisted too. Meanwhile the English , who often believed the Irish to be savages , enjoyed propaganda that portrayed the Scots as cannibals.
This is a book that covers a subject that doesn’t often get its own volume . It does it quite well, and I enjoyed the appendix about coverage of the Jacobites in literature. But there are some wild speculations too: we are told that had the Stuart campaign for England succeeded , there may not have been American or French revolutions. Why? How ? No explanation is forthcoming.
June 28, 2022
After getting hooked on the Outlander show and books recently I figured I needed to learn more about the background history. This complete look at the Jacobite cause from the 17th century onwards is a good introduction to the era and the politics of the time. Written in an engaging style, I feel I learned a lot from this book.
August 14, 2022
So much I didn't know. So much I'd picked up about the 18th century that was just wrong. This was a fantastically informative (and very easy) read.
But I've docked a star because every so often I'd check a minor but interesting point only to find that the author was wrong, and also because he accepts contemporary misogynistic judgements of women far too easily.
---
On one thing my mind has not changed: however nice, pious, or principled the Stuart Pretenders may have been, they had a streak of solipsistic foolishness that doomed them.
But I've docked a star because every so often I'd check a minor but interesting point only to find that the author was wrong, and also because he accepts contemporary misogynistic judgements of women far too easily.
---
On one thing my mind has not changed: however nice, pious, or principled the Stuart Pretenders may have been, they had a streak of solipsistic foolishness that doomed them.
August 13, 2021
This summer I completed the goal of a life-time: to hike the West Highland Way, all 96.5 miles from Milngavie to Fort William. It was late afternoon on an eerily hot July day, following on from a week of searing sunshine, when my girlfriend and I stumbled into Fort William town centre. Though hard to summarise the experience one aspect for me was a deeper appreciation of History, with a capital 'H'. The Scottish Highlands are replete with an equal-parts rich and sumptuous yet savage diaspora of tales which echo through its glens and rustle the heather. Case in point: no one who knows the broad strokes of Scottish history can utter the words 'Glen Coe' without awakening the trauma of first hearing the story of the 1692 massacre, an echo of a crime so terrible we feel it deeply today. Not only that, but the stories of that dramatic era are almost inseparable from the WHW trail. Endearing to learn more about the broader political events surrounding episodes such as these, I bought this book from the Fort William bookshop.
The Jacobite Uprisings, spanning a period of pan-British and Irish civil tumult from 1688 to 1746 echoing beyond, are a subject of endless fascination to me, as they are to millions. There is a strange and undefined place that "The '45", in particular, has taken in Scottish History. It is at once a great, sweeping romance inflected with tragedy: Bonnie Prince Charlie and the seven companions making the crossing from France on the 'Du Teillay', the raising of the Royal Standard at Glenfinnan and the gathering of the Highland Clans, the high watermark hubris of making it as far south as Derby unbeaten and unopposed then the crushing retreat and final devastating defeat at Culloden. This is so misunderstood in the popular imagination it beggars belief, little to the fault of the popular imagination. It was not a Scots-Anglo conflict, nor was it Protestant Establishment vs. deposed Catholic Monarch and his loyal followers of the Celtic fringe. There were plenty of English Jacobites, as well as lowland and Highland Scots who fought for the British Army, a.k.a. 'Redcoats'.
In the course of reading this book I visited Urquhart Castle near Inverness where I got talking to a re-enactor and avid reader of this era. Among the fascinating insights he told me was this little kernel of insight: there has been significant political influence against the teaching of this era in schools because it is 'Anti-Union'. Perhaps what many of the Jacobites were fighting for was not merely a quaint, antiquated belief in The Divine Right of Kings, and the shock of King James' deposition, but in fact freedoms sought after which form the basis of ultra-contemporary grass-roots movements: Scottish independence, a united Ireland.
Anyway, the book...
Seward has a flair for the dramatic and an open pro-Jacobite bias which is on display from page one. Each chapter starts with an extract from a contemporary writer, poet, or song which captures the essence of 'the struggle' from the Jacobite side. Rather than hindering insight, if you choose to go with him, he can and does illuminate a bold, revisionist perspective on a topic that just keeps on giving. He is clearly trying to rattle established cages here, and certainly manages to provoke if not always to convince. Claims towards the end of the book that a restored Stuart Monarchy would have ensured aforementioned Scottish independence, a free and united Ireland, and maybe even have brought the USA into the fold under a more lenient, liberal monarchy are as bold as they are baffling. Food for thought, at least.
Regardless, he spins a good yarn. The main players of the time are brought to life through vivid descriptions backed up by solid research, each chapter is brief yet detailed, the tone ranges from the depths of depraved brutality to moments of levity which can be downright hilarious. (One cheeky observer expressing their disbelief that King James VII and II's mistress had 'such exquisite limbs' belonging to her face got a good chuckle.) Some of the early chapters on the seminal battles in Ireland to secure the ascendancy of King William of Orange are visceral in their savageness. I think I actually suffered a minor form of PTSD when reading that, during the Battle of Aughrim (the bloodiest in Ireland's history), French military leader Charles Chalmot de Saint-Ruhe was mid-way through rousing his unit with promised glory when a canonball blasted his head off his shoulders.
TL;DR - This is a rousing, sweeping history of the whole Jacobite era told in narrative form from a quite deliberately pro-Jacobite slant. If you want an introduction to the topic this is perfect. By the end I actually felt a loss for what could have been. I confess I spent days listening to renditions of old Jacobite songs, 'Will Ye No Come Back Again' and the like. If it hits hard on the emotions then it does quite possibly falter on historical analysis, in which bold claims are made somewhere between speculation and fantasy. Overall, however, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
*I have just bought John Prebble's 'Culloden' and can't wait to dive back into another narrative re-telling of an era which defined modern Scotland, and Britain...!
The Jacobite Uprisings, spanning a period of pan-British and Irish civil tumult from 1688 to 1746 echoing beyond, are a subject of endless fascination to me, as they are to millions. There is a strange and undefined place that "The '45", in particular, has taken in Scottish History. It is at once a great, sweeping romance inflected with tragedy: Bonnie Prince Charlie and the seven companions making the crossing from France on the 'Du Teillay', the raising of the Royal Standard at Glenfinnan and the gathering of the Highland Clans, the high watermark hubris of making it as far south as Derby unbeaten and unopposed then the crushing retreat and final devastating defeat at Culloden. This is so misunderstood in the popular imagination it beggars belief, little to the fault of the popular imagination. It was not a Scots-Anglo conflict, nor was it Protestant Establishment vs. deposed Catholic Monarch and his loyal followers of the Celtic fringe. There were plenty of English Jacobites, as well as lowland and Highland Scots who fought for the British Army, a.k.a. 'Redcoats'.
In the course of reading this book I visited Urquhart Castle near Inverness where I got talking to a re-enactor and avid reader of this era. Among the fascinating insights he told me was this little kernel of insight: there has been significant political influence against the teaching of this era in schools because it is 'Anti-Union'. Perhaps what many of the Jacobites were fighting for was not merely a quaint, antiquated belief in The Divine Right of Kings, and the shock of King James' deposition, but in fact freedoms sought after which form the basis of ultra-contemporary grass-roots movements: Scottish independence, a united Ireland.
Anyway, the book...
Seward has a flair for the dramatic and an open pro-Jacobite bias which is on display from page one. Each chapter starts with an extract from a contemporary writer, poet, or song which captures the essence of 'the struggle' from the Jacobite side. Rather than hindering insight, if you choose to go with him, he can and does illuminate a bold, revisionist perspective on a topic that just keeps on giving. He is clearly trying to rattle established cages here, and certainly manages to provoke if not always to convince. Claims towards the end of the book that a restored Stuart Monarchy would have ensured aforementioned Scottish independence, a free and united Ireland, and maybe even have brought the USA into the fold under a more lenient, liberal monarchy are as bold as they are baffling. Food for thought, at least.
Regardless, he spins a good yarn. The main players of the time are brought to life through vivid descriptions backed up by solid research, each chapter is brief yet detailed, the tone ranges from the depths of depraved brutality to moments of levity which can be downright hilarious. (One cheeky observer expressing their disbelief that King James VII and II's mistress had 'such exquisite limbs' belonging to her face got a good chuckle.) Some of the early chapters on the seminal battles in Ireland to secure the ascendancy of King William of Orange are visceral in their savageness. I think I actually suffered a minor form of PTSD when reading that, during the Battle of Aughrim (the bloodiest in Ireland's history), French military leader Charles Chalmot de Saint-Ruhe was mid-way through rousing his unit with promised glory when a canonball blasted his head off his shoulders.
TL;DR - This is a rousing, sweeping history of the whole Jacobite era told in narrative form from a quite deliberately pro-Jacobite slant. If you want an introduction to the topic this is perfect. By the end I actually felt a loss for what could have been. I confess I spent days listening to renditions of old Jacobite songs, 'Will Ye No Come Back Again' and the like. If it hits hard on the emotions then it does quite possibly falter on historical analysis, in which bold claims are made somewhere between speculation and fantasy. Overall, however, this is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
*I have just bought John Prebble's 'Culloden' and can't wait to dive back into another narrative re-telling of an era which defined modern Scotland, and Britain...!
August 9, 2023
Accessible but with something to get your teeth into
September 15, 2022
In 1689, the course of the English monarchy changed forever when James II fled London and declared abdicated by what was essentially a Protestant coup. James was an unapologetic Catholic and thence "unsuitable" to many of the key power players in the court and nobility. They found somebody acceptable to replace him, the 53rd in line to the throne (!) in William of Orange. Supporting his cause, the Dutch William invaded and James fled. From there, the royal line was severed from the Plantagenet and Stuart descendance to an obscure branch centered in Hanover. This is how Germans came to the throne and have held it ever since - yes, even the Windsors.
But the story of the Jacobites only begins there. Based on the Latin for "James", many British subjects remained loyal to the Stuart line and actively fought to restore them to the crown. It helped that everybody loathed the Hanoverians - mainly through xenophobia.
Seward traces the full line of the Stuarts until their end. Books on the Jacobites usually focus on the events of 1745. Though important and dramatic, they are only part of the story. James II eventually died in exile in Paris, though not without several attempts at regaining the throne. His son - unofficially James III - was the cause the Jacobites fought for most vigorously. His son Charles - Bonnie Prince Charlie - is the most famous Jacobite, who came within 100 miles of seizing London and the crown at the head of a successful group of Scottish Highlanders still eager to restore the Stuarts 50 years later. Both father and son eventually were buried in St. Peter's in Rome, fully backed by the Catholic Church.
In a way, the story of the Jacobites - and certainly of this book - is an alternate history. Books covering this period eventually take the perspective of the Hanoverians, the reigning monarchs, even though the true line of descendance was indeed the Stuarts. Seward covers them as well as the large amount of people who remained loyal to this "shadow monarchy", the King who resided over the water in Paris. It's fascinating counter history, a "what if" of all time. Ultimately, Catholic and Protestant, Scotland and England, loyalty and power grabbing faced off not exactly always on national lines. For 118 years, Jacobites continued to hold out hope of a Stuart restoration, finally squashed by the decline of the Stuart line, as well as the dissipation of Catholic support, and the cataclysmic war with Napoleon. A little known but fascinating pocket of history for British and European historical enthusiasts.
But the story of the Jacobites only begins there. Based on the Latin for "James", many British subjects remained loyal to the Stuart line and actively fought to restore them to the crown. It helped that everybody loathed the Hanoverians - mainly through xenophobia.
Seward traces the full line of the Stuarts until their end. Books on the Jacobites usually focus on the events of 1745. Though important and dramatic, they are only part of the story. James II eventually died in exile in Paris, though not without several attempts at regaining the throne. His son - unofficially James III - was the cause the Jacobites fought for most vigorously. His son Charles - Bonnie Prince Charlie - is the most famous Jacobite, who came within 100 miles of seizing London and the crown at the head of a successful group of Scottish Highlanders still eager to restore the Stuarts 50 years later. Both father and son eventually were buried in St. Peter's in Rome, fully backed by the Catholic Church.
In a way, the story of the Jacobites - and certainly of this book - is an alternate history. Books covering this period eventually take the perspective of the Hanoverians, the reigning monarchs, even though the true line of descendance was indeed the Stuarts. Seward covers them as well as the large amount of people who remained loyal to this "shadow monarchy", the King who resided over the water in Paris. It's fascinating counter history, a "what if" of all time. Ultimately, Catholic and Protestant, Scotland and England, loyalty and power grabbing faced off not exactly always on national lines. For 118 years, Jacobites continued to hold out hope of a Stuart restoration, finally squashed by the decline of the Stuart line, as well as the dissipation of Catholic support, and the cataclysmic war with Napoleon. A little known but fascinating pocket of history for British and European historical enthusiasts.
November 15, 2023
Sensational book. Beyond enjoyable it surpasses any and all expectations I had.
Regrettably an area I am not familiar with, I found this book to be perfect in the manner that it educates the reader on a thorny time in British/Scottish/Irish/European history.
The emphasis is always on Britain and the struggles there and the diplomacy in Europe takes a bit of a back seat but all in all I found this book to be incredibly engaging and at no point did it feel sluggish.
As an interesting aside, I feel the explanations of the Act of Union and the issues inherently afterwards, acting as a foundation for the uprising in Scotland, to have done a better job of flaming Scottish nationalism than anything I've ever seen read by the SNP. Maybe next time they should approach Desmond Seward to help with their message, if he's that way inclined. Such a fun book and the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie's adventure in Britain pre and post Culloden to be especially engaging and almost reads like a Stevenson or Scott story.
If I could read it again for the first time I would, certainly a book which can be read every once in a while without losing any of the enjoyment from increased familiarity.
Regrettably an area I am not familiar with, I found this book to be perfect in the manner that it educates the reader on a thorny time in British/Scottish/Irish/European history.
The emphasis is always on Britain and the struggles there and the diplomacy in Europe takes a bit of a back seat but all in all I found this book to be incredibly engaging and at no point did it feel sluggish.
As an interesting aside, I feel the explanations of the Act of Union and the issues inherently afterwards, acting as a foundation for the uprising in Scotland, to have done a better job of flaming Scottish nationalism than anything I've ever seen read by the SNP. Maybe next time they should approach Desmond Seward to help with their message, if he's that way inclined. Such a fun book and the story of Bonnie Prince Charlie's adventure in Britain pre and post Culloden to be especially engaging and almost reads like a Stevenson or Scott story.
If I could read it again for the first time I would, certainly a book which can be read every once in a while without losing any of the enjoyment from increased familiarity.
March 26, 2025
I found the first 3/4 of this book hard going and struggled to keep on track with all the people, places and battles. By the time the book deals with the failed rising of ‘45 and the terrible defeat at Culloden however, I was gripped.
The book becomes much more interesting to me when it turn to the exploits of Charlie, the ‘Bonnie Prince’. What an incredibly fascinating character he was. In his young manhood his courage, strength and cheerfulness in impossible and brutal circumstances was an inspiration to his loyal devotees and admired even by his enemies. I became so fond of him I even bought a little vintage Bonnie Prince tea caddy spoon to remember him by. The account of his later moral decline and descent into alcoholism was a grief to read.
I’m very glad that I stuck with the book through the obscure places, dates and names of random earls and dukes already forgotten. By the end I was loathe to arrive at the final page.
The book becomes much more interesting to me when it turn to the exploits of Charlie, the ‘Bonnie Prince’. What an incredibly fascinating character he was. In his young manhood his courage, strength and cheerfulness in impossible and brutal circumstances was an inspiration to his loyal devotees and admired even by his enemies. I became so fond of him I even bought a little vintage Bonnie Prince tea caddy spoon to remember him by. The account of his later moral decline and descent into alcoholism was a grief to read.
I’m very glad that I stuck with the book through the obscure places, dates and names of random earls and dukes already forgotten. By the end I was loathe to arrive at the final page.
November 2, 2020
No cliche left unturned. This is not a serious history book.
This is an area I know something about; by the time I'd reached Page 32, I'd counted five serious and undocumented claims (eg in 1692, nine of ten priests in the Church of England were Jacobite). As early as the 15th century, diplomats noted the English dislike of foreigners; Jacobite leaders constantly confused lack of enthusiasm for the Dutch (William) or Hanoverians with enthusiasm for the Stuarts. Seward has less excuse.
To support his own exaggerations, Seward constantly references the 19th century Whig Macaulay, who modern historians treat with extreme care. And anyone who treats Sir Walter Scott as a reliable source needs a sense check.
I wish I hadn't read this book, because I've enjoyed other books by the author and now I'm wondering how accurate they are.
This is an area I know something about; by the time I'd reached Page 32, I'd counted five serious and undocumented claims (eg in 1692, nine of ten priests in the Church of England were Jacobite). As early as the 15th century, diplomats noted the English dislike of foreigners; Jacobite leaders constantly confused lack of enthusiasm for the Dutch (William) or Hanoverians with enthusiasm for the Stuarts. Seward has less excuse.
To support his own exaggerations, Seward constantly references the 19th century Whig Macaulay, who modern historians treat with extreme care. And anyone who treats Sir Walter Scott as a reliable source needs a sense check.
I wish I hadn't read this book, because I've enjoyed other books by the author and now I'm wondering how accurate they are.
May 5, 2024
not sure if the 3 star rating is harsh of me, as that’s mainly marking it down for not being a highly engaging piece of narrative writing. there’s annoyingly few works of history that attempt to cover the entire period of Jacobite activity from the Glorious Revolution up through to post-45, and this is the best one I’ve found so far in terms of being comprehensive, well-researched, and accessible.
it suffers from being annoyingly a little dry in its writing, which reflects a wider frustration with coverage of this period of history; for a movement that had more than its share of high drama, few historians or writers make a serious attempt to draw a gripping narrative out of it.
it suffers from being annoyingly a little dry in its writing, which reflects a wider frustration with coverage of this period of history; for a movement that had more than its share of high drama, few historians or writers make a serious attempt to draw a gripping narrative out of it.
July 2, 2023
I read this as I wanted some factual information to back up a series of novels I am reading that are set in this period. Overall I found it interesting although I am not knowledgable enough to nit pick on details and things the author may have stated wrongly etc. The book served its purpose however and I was pleased to find the novels are very true to events during the Jacobite uprisings.
December 30, 2021
A rollicking good read which never loses its pace, this is a great all-round introduction to a period of history that was far more important in long term political terms than it is given credit for in British (or English, at least) education.
February 2, 2021
The story of three generations of this usurped royal family is more complex that I had imagined. Brilliantly drawn characters and blood-tingling tales of deceit, espionage and death.
July 19, 2023
Comprehensive overview of Jacobite history.
November 28, 2025
Very good book of the old pretender and the pretender without going too much into detail. Just wish they would have covered Glencoe massacre more thoroughly and Darien scheme.
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