Great Loves

by D.K. Publishing

For centuries, human history has been shaped by politics, power, and war - but what about love?

Mark Antony's love for Cleopatra led to war between Rome and Egypt; Emperor Xuanzang of Tang relinquished the Mandate of Heaven for Yang Guifei; and the English Reformation was borne out of Henry VIII's passion for Anne Boleyn. Over the centuries since, these great loves - and many others - have been celebrated, recorded, and memorialized to stand alongside the annals of war, peace, and politics that have moulded today's world.

Great Loves celebrates history's most famous romances - the joyful, the tragic, and the epic - in one stunning visual guide, showing that, regardless of age, race, gender, or orientation, love has always been a force to be reckoned with.

This boldly illustrated title presents a diverse range of stories from around the world, including many relationships that defied the conventions of their day, and features romantic quotes from personal correspondence, poetry, and fiction.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

Hardcover

Published January 6, 2022

About the author

Dorling Kindersley (DK) is a British multinational publishing company specializing in illustrated reference books for adults and children in 62 languages. It is part of Penguin Random House, a consumer publishing company jointly owned by Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA and Pearson PLC. Bertelsmann owns 53% of the company and Pearson owns 47%.

Established in 1974, DK publishes a range of titles in genres including travel (including Eyewitness Travel Guides), arts and crafts, business, history, cooking, gaming, gardening, health and fitness, natural history, parenting, science and reference. They also publish books for children, toddlers and babies, covering such topics as history, the human body, animals and activities, as well as licensed properties such as LEGO, Disney and DeLiSo, licensor of the toy Sophie la Girafe. DK has offices in New York, London, Munich, New Delhi, Toronto and Melbourne.

Source: Wikipedia.

Reviews

[Camila Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting and diverse list of history’s most noteworthy couples. Some have more information than others, and I get why the more ancient ones only have a few paragraphs, but there were some more modern couples I wanted to learn more about and that I’m sure could have easily had another page or two.

There’s some couples I wouldn’t have included here. Some were undoubtedly turbulent, abusive, and romanticized, like Henry VIII & Anne Boleyn (we all know how that ended). Some are definitely NOT some of history’s greatest loves -if anything, they’re some of history’s greatest cautionary tales.

I loved the illustrations; it added a very unique and memorable touch to this book. Kudos to the artist or artists.

Overall an interesting book that could be a very helpful reference for romance writers who are looking for inspiration.

[Johno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love is a many splendored thing, love lifts us up where we belong, all you need is love!

[Markie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading about the lives of inspiring couples. I like how the book was inclusive, portraying the lives of gay and lesbian couples. Truly love has no boundaries I’m noticed that the best love stories in the book and probably in real life are slow burns. Rash and explosive love doesn’t last. Also, I hate to say it but a lot of the romances were ignited while one or both partners were married….. Side note why was Henry 8th and Ann Boleyn in here? 🙃

[Moshita · Rating 2 out of 5]

Inspiring only in certain places, the book is an excellent starting point to deep dive into Wikipedia and google to learn about celebrated and talented individuals.

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating reading! A wide variety of historical love stories are told, broadly organized by themes like Tragic Loves, Kindred Spirits, etc. The stories are pleasantly concise, mostly 1-2 pages each, and include not only details about the lovers and their lives, but interesting historical tidbits for context about the world in which they lived.

It boggles that we still recount the love stories of people who have been dead for a thousand years. It's sad how many LGBT+ stories have been erased. It's amazing how messy even "great" loves are. Anyone with an interest in history or historical figures will find this easy, enjoyable reading!

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[Katherine · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to its title, this short compendium summarizes the great loves of history in 1-2 pages. Categorized into unforgettable love, forbidden love, tragic love, kindred spirits, and enduring love; this volume is a great resource that connects history, romance, and the arts. Romances are listed in each section in chronological order. Contemporary romances are also included. Quotes and minimalist art add to the text. A LGBTQIA-inclusive book.

[Joni Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

An incredibly sweet book on love. There were love stories of all types and over centuries. Some I knew and others were a lovely surprise. The stories are short and can be enjoyed all at once or picked up at random.

[Ella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably not completely accurate. But I loved the little love stories anyway. Very cute and every once in a while very surprising. Also very diverse. I loved that LGBT was very normal in early stages of civilisation and I hate that at some point it was seen as unacceptable, it's ridiculous.

[Preez · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Lovely collection of Love stories from all over the world.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was cute!! A fun little read for the season of love :)

[McAllison Grimes · Rating 4 out of 5]

beautiful stories of love throughout history. loved the diversity and different kinds of love. was off put by some of the stories but i guess thats the point

[Kristy Finto · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. I liked learning about people I've never heard of and getting to hear their love story. I liked how varied these were and that they didn't all have a HEA

[Maria Calvet · Rating 3 out of 5]

no narra una historia sino que cuenta historias de amor entre personajes históricos, es entretenido

[Kíra Kesztyűs · Rating 5 out of 5]

the writing? the LGBTQ+ representation? the illustrations? everything? chef's kiss. (side note: why were there so many cheaters among them though??)