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A Dark History Series
A Dark History: The Kings and Queens of Europe
Beneath the splendor and sophistication of the monarchies of continental Europe are tales of scandal, mystery, and skullduggery. A Dark History: The Kings & Queens of Europe peels away the glitz to take a wry look at what really happened in the corridors, bedrooms, and dungeons of European power, from the Middle Ages to the present day.
Spanning the whole of mainland continental Europe, this history includes the burning of the Knights Templar, Vlad the Impaler’s stakes, Elizabeth Bathory’s bloodbaths, Louis XV’s womanizing, the mystery of the Man in the Iron Mask, King Ludwig I’s doomed love affair, the suicide pact of Austro-Hungary’s Crown Prince Rudolf, and the troubled life and tragic death of Princess Grace of Monaco.
Tales of murder, insanity, obsessive love, and horrific torture illuminate the troubles of royal dynasties, inter-breeding and empire, with examples drawn from Spain, Belgium, Romania, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austro-Hungary, Germany and France. Illustrated throughout with contemporary paintings and engravings alongside modern photography, A Dark History: The Kings & Queens of Europe offers a fascinating portrait of the dark side of European monarchy.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
37 people are currently reading
749 people want to read
About the author
Brenda Ralph Lewis
95 books21 followersBrenda Ralph Lewis is a writer with over 200 books on history and numerous magazine articles and television documentaries to her name. Her fascination with Scottish history and culture began early in her career and she has since returned to the subject at every opportunity. She regards [her] book on tartans as a labor of love.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
June 4, 2019
Interesting royal gossip covering much of Europe:multiple kingdoms, empires, duchies, etc.
Unfortunately the author listed bisexuality as a mental disorder and continually uses 'gy*&y like it's the proper name for the Romani peoples and not a slur.
Sigh.
Unfortunately the author listed bisexuality as a mental disorder and continually uses 'gy*&y like it's the proper name for the Romani peoples and not a slur.
Sigh.
August 17, 2019
After reading this book, it becomes quickly apparent why Europe has fostered both World Wars...their historic leaders just haven't been all there, so to speak. The oven was on, but the bread wasn't cooking. If you want to get a neat summary of some of the worst European royal personalities, then this is an excellent book to make your start.
There's Don Carlos of Spain, one of the insane and deformed Hapsburg nutballs, who loved torturing animals and little girls. His own father had him killed, which was a mercy. A good example of the horrors of in-breeding. The Germans and French are well represented here also, but not the Brits. I'm sure the Sceptered Isle has its own book devoted just for those special nuggets of tea and murder.
Book Season = Autumn (nutbuckets)
There's Don Carlos of Spain, one of the insane and deformed Hapsburg nutballs, who loved torturing animals and little girls. His own father had him killed, which was a mercy. A good example of the horrors of in-breeding. The Germans and French are well represented here also, but not the Brits. I'm sure the Sceptered Isle has its own book devoted just for those special nuggets of tea and murder.
Book Season = Autumn (nutbuckets)
November 8, 2018
This book talks about mental illness and anything other than cisgender heterosexuality as if it were something horribly odd to be gawked at. It also talked about the people with in the book in a disrespectful and dehumanizing way. The research is half assed as well-- In the King Ludwig II section alone there were several claims made by Lewis that 30 seconds either on google or with McIntosh's biography would disprove a hundred times over. She also excludes quite a bit from her chapters when certain bits of information don't seem to suit the narrative she wishes to sell.
This book to me seemed like a case of someone trying to spin a narrative or an interesting story for the sake of spinning a narrative or making an interesting story, rather than someone actually wanted to show case interesting figures in history as they were/in an academic and respectful lighting.
This book to me seemed like a case of someone trying to spin a narrative or an interesting story for the sake of spinning a narrative or making an interesting story, rather than someone actually wanted to show case interesting figures in history as they were/in an academic and respectful lighting.
July 1, 2018
This edition (2017) of Brenda Ralph Lewis’ Kings & Queens of Europe, The Dark Secrets of Europe’s Monarchies, includes The Kings & Queens of England which has previously been published as a separate book. The author provides information about some unsavory events which had taken place when particular rulers were in power. For example, King Leopoldo III (1901-1983) was never forgiven by the Belgian people for the death of his wife, the extremely popular Queen Astrid who was a former princess of Sweden, in a car accident in 1935 when he was driving the car. The author also mentions Ludwig II of Barvaria who was declared insane and removed from the throne. Ludwig II was known for the magnificent castles he built such as Neuschwangau and Linderhof. She also devotes a chapter to “The Mayerling Tragedy” which discusses the murder-suicide of Crown Prince Rudolf and his mistress, Baroness Maria Vetsera in 1889. The section on the Kings & Queens of England includes questions on the death of William II or William Rufus, one of the sons of William the Conqueror, information on the Plantagenets, War of the Roses through Prince Charles & Princess Diana’s relationship. There are illustrations and photographs that are quite interesting. This book covers many areas such as politics, the World Wars, and illness within certain royal families.
September 22, 2024
The topic of this book was really interesting, but unfortunately it was poorly written. There were many mistakes to historical facts, making it really confusing. Also, the writer denying that Ludwig II of Bavaria was g@y is a big red flag. In many occasions she treats mental ilnesses as people being lunatics. I really hope it's because she wants to show us how they used to treat mentally ill people rather than her actually having those beliefs. I don't suggest this book, instead just do your own research on the people she's referring to.
November 14, 2021
Would have been a 3 star rating but there were a lot of errors in the section regarding The Wars of the Roses. It made me wonder how accurate the rest of the book was.
dnf
December 11, 2025I may return to this eventually, but it has a few dark dark historical moments which I wasn’t expecting so it’s not a good before-bed read which is when I mostly read, haha!
August 24, 2020
I was recently reading another book which made several references to various kings and queens of England, but as the book was anecdotes, nothing was in chronological order. I remembered I had this book and decided to re-read it to reacquaint myself with the timeline of English royals. While this does give the timeline, as the title suggests, it is more a salacious look at the dastardly doings of the royal, and not much substance on what each really accomplished. It served it's purpose for me at this particular time.
March 20, 2013
Interesting subject and an easy read, but not totally reliable. The author presented many stories as facts when in reality they are based on speculation and gossip. Additionally, I didn't like the random insertion of stories about related family members. They seemed haphazardly placed and were often inserted mid sentence.
August 30, 2022
This book was an impulse buy from a “last chance” table at a bookstore I won’t name. I flipped through it and instantly knew I had to have it. The history nerd inside of me was really excited to open it. Now, because of this, I don’t know how many of you will enjoy reading this, but I suggest you give it a try. Anyone remotely interested in monarchies, the lives of royals, Europe, or even the slightest bit in Europe should give this book a try. I really enjoyed it and finished it with super speed.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to do my RAIR method because I mostly used this book for reading before bed. It was a great book to relax and unwind with. The author obviously did a TON of research and this is what made the book. Had it been half-done, then I don’t think it would have been nearly as good. The pictures were fantastic and really made the stories come to life. As a visual person, this made the book all the more enjoyable to read. I did make the mistake of only skimming the synopsis, so I was hoping for a section on British monarchs. Closer inspection corrected my misconception.
Though I really did enjoy this book, there are a few things I took exception to. This book claimed to cover all the scandals of the Continental European monarchies, but it glossed over quite a few. An example of this would be the Romanians. The book certainly covered the main ones with Bathory and Vlad the Impaler, but I almost wanted a little bit more. In addition, the French section only covered the two kings that came before Louis XVI. I know there are so many books and movies and writings on the last monarchs before the French Revolution, but I believe they contributed a great deal to the last step of the downfall. I have to grant that one can’t expect a book to be the penultimate source, but it felt like these countries were a little bit glossed over. Still, I must say that my favorite monarchies have to be the Belgium and Austro-Hungary ones. I think--at least here in the United States--we have this sense that these countries are portrayed as stuffy and unshakable. This book made them seem much more realistic. Their tragedies and histories were by far some of the most fascinating to read. Also, the Spanish monarchy was one filled with scandal and insanity which made for other interesting reading. However, a family tree could have been beneficial to illustrate the interbreeding and the insanity that resulted.
Overall, I liked this book. Some aspects could have been improved upon, but I believe it was a great find and well worth the buy and the read.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to do my RAIR method because I mostly used this book for reading before bed. It was a great book to relax and unwind with. The author obviously did a TON of research and this is what made the book. Had it been half-done, then I don’t think it would have been nearly as good. The pictures were fantastic and really made the stories come to life. As a visual person, this made the book all the more enjoyable to read. I did make the mistake of only skimming the synopsis, so I was hoping for a section on British monarchs. Closer inspection corrected my misconception.
Though I really did enjoy this book, there are a few things I took exception to. This book claimed to cover all the scandals of the Continental European monarchies, but it glossed over quite a few. An example of this would be the Romanians. The book certainly covered the main ones with Bathory and Vlad the Impaler, but I almost wanted a little bit more. In addition, the French section only covered the two kings that came before Louis XVI. I know there are so many books and movies and writings on the last monarchs before the French Revolution, but I believe they contributed a great deal to the last step of the downfall. I have to grant that one can’t expect a book to be the penultimate source, but it felt like these countries were a little bit glossed over. Still, I must say that my favorite monarchies have to be the Belgium and Austro-Hungary ones. I think--at least here in the United States--we have this sense that these countries are portrayed as stuffy and unshakable. This book made them seem much more realistic. Their tragedies and histories were by far some of the most fascinating to read. Also, the Spanish monarchy was one filled with scandal and insanity which made for other interesting reading. However, a family tree could have been beneficial to illustrate the interbreeding and the insanity that resulted.
Overall, I liked this book. Some aspects could have been improved upon, but I believe it was a great find and well worth the buy and the read.
January 5, 2014
Kisah-Kisah Gelap dari Monarki-Monarki Eropa
Judul : Sejarah Gelap Para Raja dan Ratu Eropa
Penulis : Brenda Ralph Lewis
Penerbit: Elex Media Komputindo
Cetakan : Pertama, 2013
Tebal : 252 halaman
ISBN : 978-602-02-1963-9
Harga : Rp98.800,00
Jas merah; jangan sekali-kali melupakan sejarah! Demikian ungkapan Bung Karno yang sangat terkenal. Memang sepatutnya sejarah tidak boleh dilupakan, karena sejarah bisa dijadikan cermin dari kehidupan masa lalu. Bila sejarah itu baik, maka dapat dilanjutkan atau bahkan ditingkatkan di zaman sekarang. Apabila sejarah itu buruk, maka itu menjadi pengingat bahwa kejadian yang sama tidak boleh terulang kembali.
Akan tetapi, sejarah juga banyak dimanipulasi semata demi kepentingan dan keuntungan pihak yang berkuasa. Untuk itu, banyak kejadian di masa lalu yang dibelokkan atau malah disembunyikan rapat-rapat. Untuk mengungkap sisi-sisi gelap sejarah dibutuhkan nyali yang besar sekaligus keberanian yang meyakinkan. Hal demikianlah yang dilakukan Brenda Ralph Lewis lewat buku ini. Penulis produktif yang sudah menerbitkan lebih dari 70 buku ini dengan berani mengungkapkan sisi-sisi gelap sejarah para penguasa Eropa yang penuh skandal berbahaya, misteri, dan banjir darah.
Misalnya, pada abad XVI, ada Elisabeth Bathory, salah satu anggota dari keluarga Protestan terkaya dan paling berpengaruh di Hungaria, Polandia, dan Transylvania. Elisabeth adalah wanita yang sangat berpendidikan. Ia mampu membaca dan menulis dalam bahasa Hungaria, Yunani, Jerman, dan Latin. Sebagai perempuan yang memiliki kecantikan sejak lahir, Elisabeth tumbuh menjadi wanita yang angkuh dan sibuk dengan kecantikannya sendiri--terutama kemulusan kulitnya. Di samping itu, Elisabeth memiliki sifat pemarah yang meledak-ledak dan sifat sadis murni. Suatu ketika, ia menampar seorang pelayan yang berbuat salah dan tamparan itu menyebabkan hidung pelayan mengeluarkan darah yang terciprat ke tangan Elisabeth. Ia mengira melihat kulit tangannya yang terkena cipratan darah seperti meregenerasi kembali.
Atas kesimpulan itu, Elisabeth membunuh pelayan itu lalu mandi darahnya selagi hangat. Cara itu kemudian menjadi ritual yang dilakukan Elisabeth secara berkala. Ia membunuh ratusan gadis belia dan menggunakan darah mereka tidak hanya untuk mandi, tapi juga untuk diminum. Ia bahkan menyantap daging para korbannya setelah menggigit payudaranya (hal. 33). Karena kekejamannya itu, Elisabeth dijuluki sebagai The Blood Countess atau Countess Berdarah.
Di Wallachia (sekarang bagian Rumania), ada Vlad III Dracul; tiran yang seringkali berlebihan dalam menyingkirkan musuh-musuh politiknya. Vlad memiliki spesialisasi dalam membunuh dengan menusukkan tiang sula dari satu sisi tubuh menembus ke sisi yang lain. Setelah itu membiarkan para musuhnya mati perlahan-lahan secara menyakitkan dan mengerikan. Tidak kurang 2.000 orang dibunuh dengan cara demikian. Itulah sebabnya Vlad dijuluki Tepes yang berarti tukang sula. Vlad juga kerap meminum dan memakan daging korbannya. Kekejian Vlad inilah yang menjadi sumber inspirasi Bram Stoker untuk menulis novel Dracula yang terbit tahun 1897 (hal. 40-41).
Dari Prancis, ada Louis XV yang disebut sebagai raja durjana terhebat di Eropa, karena kegemarannya memelihara banyak gundik. Bahkan Louis XV mendirikan Parc aux Cerfs; sebuah rumah prostitusi di dekat Istana Versailles. Pada akhirnya hal itu mempengaruhi kepopulerannya di hadapan rakyat. Ia dibenci rakyatnya karena ketidakmampuan mengelola uang dan perilakunya yang bejat dalam kehidupan seksual (hal. 55).
Pada abad XVII-XVIII, raja-raja memang dibolehkan memiliki gundik sebagai hadiah penghiburan dan ganti dari kewajiban yang harus mereka laksanakan untuk patuh menjalankan pernikahan yang sudah diatur dan menghasilkan pewaris-pewaris takhta. Praktik semacam ini dimaksudkan untuk mempertahankan garis keturunan dinasti yang murni dan untuk menjaga agar kekuasaan, kekayaan, dan pengaruh kerajaan tetap berada dalam genggaman keluarga. Namun perkawinan antarkeluarga dekat itu nyaris mendekati hubungan inses dan menghasilkan keturunan yang seperti monster yang begitu rusak baik fisik maupun mental sehingga keluarga mereka tidak berani mengungkapkan keberan tentang kondisi mengerikan itu.
Seperti Dinasti Hapsburg dari Spanyol dan Dinasti Wittelsbach dari Bavaria yang dipusingkan dengan sifat tidak waras yang diturunkan dalam keluarga beserta manifestasi-manifestasinya yang mencengangkan. Mereka mengalami penderitaan sepanjang masa yang termasuk di antaranya ketakutan-ketakutan tidak wajar, halusinasi, dan kekerasan yang mengerikan. Hal yang mengenaskan dari penderitaan ini adalah beberapa orang dari keluarga-keluarga ini menyadari dirinya sedang terperosok ke dalam jurang kegilaan dan terombang-ambing terlebih dulu dalam gelombang kegilaan yang pasang-surut. Penderitaan lain adalah penyakit hemophilia atau penyakit pendarahan mengerikan yang mengguncang dua keluarga kerajaan Eropa dan menghancurkan banyak kehidupan.
Di samping itu, ada pula kisah Leopold II; raja culas dari Belgia yang berambisi memperluas wilayah kekuasaan hingga menyamai imperial-imperial besar. Ialah yang mengomandoi penjajahan dan pembantaian serta eksploitasi brutal--yang nyaris merupakan genosida--rakyat Kongo demi mengeruk hasil buminya (hal. 219-220).
Lucunya, sebagai tiran, Leopold II adalah penderita hipokondriasis yang secara patologis mencemaskan kesehatannya dan melakukan hal-hal ekstrim untuk menjaga kesehatannya tersebut. Ia selalu panik bila ada orang yang bersin di dekatnya, karena takut tertular. Leopold melarang ajudan yang sakit berada di dalam istananya. Hal itu membuat para ajudan Leopold kerap berpura-pura jatuh sakit demi mendapatkan libur (hal. 222).
Selain itu, terdapat pula kisah-kisah mengerikan dan skandal miring lainnya mulai dari pembantaian Ksatria Templar oleh Philip IV sampai karut-marut kehidupan keluarga kerajaan Monaco saat ini. Semuanya dipaparkan lengkap disertai ilustrasi menarik berupa foto maupun lukisan.
Peresensi: Thomas Utomo
Bekerja sebagai guru SD Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto (UMP)
Menulis di sejumlah media antara lain Annida, Story, Koran Jakarta, Suara Muhammadiyah, Potret, Radar Banyumas, Satelit Post, Sang Guru, Fatawa, Nikah, dan NU Online.
Resensi ini juga ditayangkan di http://suar.okezone.com/read/2014/01/...
Judul : Sejarah Gelap Para Raja dan Ratu Eropa
Penulis : Brenda Ralph Lewis
Penerbit: Elex Media Komputindo
Cetakan : Pertama, 2013
Tebal : 252 halaman
ISBN : 978-602-02-1963-9
Harga : Rp98.800,00
Jas merah; jangan sekali-kali melupakan sejarah! Demikian ungkapan Bung Karno yang sangat terkenal. Memang sepatutnya sejarah tidak boleh dilupakan, karena sejarah bisa dijadikan cermin dari kehidupan masa lalu. Bila sejarah itu baik, maka dapat dilanjutkan atau bahkan ditingkatkan di zaman sekarang. Apabila sejarah itu buruk, maka itu menjadi pengingat bahwa kejadian yang sama tidak boleh terulang kembali.
Akan tetapi, sejarah juga banyak dimanipulasi semata demi kepentingan dan keuntungan pihak yang berkuasa. Untuk itu, banyak kejadian di masa lalu yang dibelokkan atau malah disembunyikan rapat-rapat. Untuk mengungkap sisi-sisi gelap sejarah dibutuhkan nyali yang besar sekaligus keberanian yang meyakinkan. Hal demikianlah yang dilakukan Brenda Ralph Lewis lewat buku ini. Penulis produktif yang sudah menerbitkan lebih dari 70 buku ini dengan berani mengungkapkan sisi-sisi gelap sejarah para penguasa Eropa yang penuh skandal berbahaya, misteri, dan banjir darah.
Misalnya, pada abad XVI, ada Elisabeth Bathory, salah satu anggota dari keluarga Protestan terkaya dan paling berpengaruh di Hungaria, Polandia, dan Transylvania. Elisabeth adalah wanita yang sangat berpendidikan. Ia mampu membaca dan menulis dalam bahasa Hungaria, Yunani, Jerman, dan Latin. Sebagai perempuan yang memiliki kecantikan sejak lahir, Elisabeth tumbuh menjadi wanita yang angkuh dan sibuk dengan kecantikannya sendiri--terutama kemulusan kulitnya. Di samping itu, Elisabeth memiliki sifat pemarah yang meledak-ledak dan sifat sadis murni. Suatu ketika, ia menampar seorang pelayan yang berbuat salah dan tamparan itu menyebabkan hidung pelayan mengeluarkan darah yang terciprat ke tangan Elisabeth. Ia mengira melihat kulit tangannya yang terkena cipratan darah seperti meregenerasi kembali.
Atas kesimpulan itu, Elisabeth membunuh pelayan itu lalu mandi darahnya selagi hangat. Cara itu kemudian menjadi ritual yang dilakukan Elisabeth secara berkala. Ia membunuh ratusan gadis belia dan menggunakan darah mereka tidak hanya untuk mandi, tapi juga untuk diminum. Ia bahkan menyantap daging para korbannya setelah menggigit payudaranya (hal. 33). Karena kekejamannya itu, Elisabeth dijuluki sebagai The Blood Countess atau Countess Berdarah.
Di Wallachia (sekarang bagian Rumania), ada Vlad III Dracul; tiran yang seringkali berlebihan dalam menyingkirkan musuh-musuh politiknya. Vlad memiliki spesialisasi dalam membunuh dengan menusukkan tiang sula dari satu sisi tubuh menembus ke sisi yang lain. Setelah itu membiarkan para musuhnya mati perlahan-lahan secara menyakitkan dan mengerikan. Tidak kurang 2.000 orang dibunuh dengan cara demikian. Itulah sebabnya Vlad dijuluki Tepes yang berarti tukang sula. Vlad juga kerap meminum dan memakan daging korbannya. Kekejian Vlad inilah yang menjadi sumber inspirasi Bram Stoker untuk menulis novel Dracula yang terbit tahun 1897 (hal. 40-41).
Dari Prancis, ada Louis XV yang disebut sebagai raja durjana terhebat di Eropa, karena kegemarannya memelihara banyak gundik. Bahkan Louis XV mendirikan Parc aux Cerfs; sebuah rumah prostitusi di dekat Istana Versailles. Pada akhirnya hal itu mempengaruhi kepopulerannya di hadapan rakyat. Ia dibenci rakyatnya karena ketidakmampuan mengelola uang dan perilakunya yang bejat dalam kehidupan seksual (hal. 55).
Pada abad XVII-XVIII, raja-raja memang dibolehkan memiliki gundik sebagai hadiah penghiburan dan ganti dari kewajiban yang harus mereka laksanakan untuk patuh menjalankan pernikahan yang sudah diatur dan menghasilkan pewaris-pewaris takhta. Praktik semacam ini dimaksudkan untuk mempertahankan garis keturunan dinasti yang murni dan untuk menjaga agar kekuasaan, kekayaan, dan pengaruh kerajaan tetap berada dalam genggaman keluarga. Namun perkawinan antarkeluarga dekat itu nyaris mendekati hubungan inses dan menghasilkan keturunan yang seperti monster yang begitu rusak baik fisik maupun mental sehingga keluarga mereka tidak berani mengungkapkan keberan tentang kondisi mengerikan itu.
Seperti Dinasti Hapsburg dari Spanyol dan Dinasti Wittelsbach dari Bavaria yang dipusingkan dengan sifat tidak waras yang diturunkan dalam keluarga beserta manifestasi-manifestasinya yang mencengangkan. Mereka mengalami penderitaan sepanjang masa yang termasuk di antaranya ketakutan-ketakutan tidak wajar, halusinasi, dan kekerasan yang mengerikan. Hal yang mengenaskan dari penderitaan ini adalah beberapa orang dari keluarga-keluarga ini menyadari dirinya sedang terperosok ke dalam jurang kegilaan dan terombang-ambing terlebih dulu dalam gelombang kegilaan yang pasang-surut. Penderitaan lain adalah penyakit hemophilia atau penyakit pendarahan mengerikan yang mengguncang dua keluarga kerajaan Eropa dan menghancurkan banyak kehidupan.
Di samping itu, ada pula kisah Leopold II; raja culas dari Belgia yang berambisi memperluas wilayah kekuasaan hingga menyamai imperial-imperial besar. Ialah yang mengomandoi penjajahan dan pembantaian serta eksploitasi brutal--yang nyaris merupakan genosida--rakyat Kongo demi mengeruk hasil buminya (hal. 219-220).
Lucunya, sebagai tiran, Leopold II adalah penderita hipokondriasis yang secara patologis mencemaskan kesehatannya dan melakukan hal-hal ekstrim untuk menjaga kesehatannya tersebut. Ia selalu panik bila ada orang yang bersin di dekatnya, karena takut tertular. Leopold melarang ajudan yang sakit berada di dalam istananya. Hal itu membuat para ajudan Leopold kerap berpura-pura jatuh sakit demi mendapatkan libur (hal. 222).
Selain itu, terdapat pula kisah-kisah mengerikan dan skandal miring lainnya mulai dari pembantaian Ksatria Templar oleh Philip IV sampai karut-marut kehidupan keluarga kerajaan Monaco saat ini. Semuanya dipaparkan lengkap disertai ilustrasi menarik berupa foto maupun lukisan.
Peresensi: Thomas Utomo
Bekerja sebagai guru SD Universitas Muhammadiyah Purwokerto (UMP)
Menulis di sejumlah media antara lain Annida, Story, Koran Jakarta, Suara Muhammadiyah, Potret, Radar Banyumas, Satelit Post, Sang Guru, Fatawa, Nikah, dan NU Online.
Resensi ini juga ditayangkan di http://suar.okezone.com/read/2014/01/...
April 3, 2022
I love these 'Dark History' books. I quibble mentally as I read them, about items like poor editing "he was born London England" like really? You have no editors, just spell check? And I mentally argue about listing bisexuality in a long list of sins committed by a ruler as if it were one of them: "he indulged freely in cannibalism, torture, murder of children, bisexuality and burning peasants alive in their huts". (this is an extremely loose quote but the gist is absolutely accurate). Also I argue with including a monarch among these insane debauched torturing incestuous madpeople because of gender confusion. (i.e. she wore men's clothes and went into battle. Surely she does not deserve being given a chapter among Vlad the Impaler and Elizabeth Backory (aka the Blood Countess). And remember this inclusion is made by a 21st century editor and writer.) So cultural norms of ye olde days aside, today, in 2008, the editors of this book made these selections. All that said, I absolutely love these books. They are the Star magazine of history and I unashamedly wallow in them.
July 27, 2017
I was a history major in college and I always found the struggles of the monarchy to be fascinating. In class you hit the highlights, but if the royalty in question didn't start or end a war or something equally dramatic, they were pretty much left out the conversation. While this book does cover Elizabeth Bartoldy and Vlad the Impaler, it also covers many royals you've never heard of. The book loses steam in the last few chapters which cover the modern era--the "dark history" read more like tabloid scandals. Still, it was well researched and well written. Some of the more salacious bits will make for great random trivia to inject into faltering dinner conversations!
January 4, 2018
I’m a psych major so I found this very interesting in learning about the mental illness that plagued the earlier monarchs. I actually also used it as part of my research into Elizabeth Bathory for one of my courses. Very informative and a pretty quick read. Lots of pics for those who like that kind of thing.
February 6, 2020
This will satisfy any Royal History Nut with it's brief stories and rich photographs.
I am personally interested in certain Kings + Queens, so this was a great way to get an overview without needing to go crazy in depth about every detail. Very interesting stories to be sure, and a cool way to see who shaped what for today's world.
I am personally interested in certain Kings + Queens, so this was a great way to get an overview without needing to go crazy in depth about every detail. Very interesting stories to be sure, and a cool way to see who shaped what for today's world.
June 25, 2020
Fun read of some of the most messed-up of the Mad Kings And Queens in European history. Scandal, truth, rumor and everything in between is given equal weight in a kind of tell-all tabloid presentation. Not that the subjects are unworthy of such treatment...these are a veritable rogues-gallery of lunacy!
September 17, 2019
Really shocking stories of how a group of people thought themselves above the law and could do what they wanted and could get away with it. These are the modern day billionaires. The book was interesting and worth a read. Easy reading if you're into historical reading.
July 6, 2020
Certainly an interesting "history" of European royalty, though it devolves quickly from the tyrannical and insane to those with repeated affairs. Overall, not quite what I was expecting, but still enjoyable.
September 27, 2017
Stories about monarchs are not always about fairy tales and romance. There's politic, adultery, cruelty, insanity etc.
March 30, 2018
There were tons of typos in this edition.
March 28, 2020
Europeus são malucos. Pra cacete.
November 15, 2020
Actual rating: 3.5
TBA
TBA
January 14, 2021
Information not really new, but some great illustrations in this book.
May 30, 2022
Amazing book! Really enjoyed!
February 21, 2024
Most of this book was interesting and informative but some 0f it was just scandal stories which I was totally uninterested in.
February 6, 2025
the history equivalent of a tabloid magazine, both in accuracy and respect for subjects
November 1, 2025
Round up to 3.5 stars
December 8, 2016
Strong start, good middle, got a little weak near the end.
February 26, 2017
Found this book by chance while at Savers and I'm so glad I did. Subject matter tended to be rather morbid but it was extremely enjoyable. Also, the book itself is in great shape and is nice to look at. Pretty solid.
February 22, 2017
This book was alright until it came to calling Mary, Queen of Scots an ignorant airhead in favour of "soft-hearted" Elizabeth Tudor. Nope.
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