A Gambling Man: Charles II and the Restoration

by Jenny Uglow

A Gambling Man is a portrait of Charles II, exploring his elusive nature through the lens of these ten vital years - and a portrait of a vibrant, violent, pulsing world, in which the risks the king took forged the fate of the nation, on the brink of the modern world.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, British Literature, 17th Century, Biography Memoir, European History

580 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

Jennifer Sheila Uglow OBE (née Crowther, born 1947) is a British biographer, critic and publisher. The editorial director of Chatto & Windus, she has written critically acclaimed biographies of Elizabeth Gaskell, William Hogarth, Thomas Bewick and the Lunar Society, among others, and has also compiled a women's biographical dictionary.

Reviews

[Jan-Maat]

Let me put down a couple of cards and begin, Jenny Uglow's book is about Charles II and the first ten years of his reign from 1660 to 1670 although if you are a strict and particular monarchist you might count his reign as beginning from the point of his father's execution for crimes against the English nation, or from his acknowledgement as king by the Scots, the theme then of Restoration is front and centre and implicitly questions about whether this was a restoration (and if so of what precisely) or a kind of new monarchy (and if so in which ways new). Alongside this Uglow presents Charles II as the gambling man of the title, taking chances, running risks, playing games of some sort. A game which for Uglow is ultimately lost and that maybe is key to her understanding of the restoration period.

For Uglow Charles II was creating a specific Stuart regime, strongly in dialectic with France, softly Catholic, financially secure and not dependent on Parliament. In her opinion Charles' construction turned out in 1688 to be a house of cards, as William III swept in from the Netherlands and established a distinctly different regime: Protestant, opposed to French power, and in partnership with Parliament. This came about in Uglow's opinion because Charles underestimated William, and over estimated his brother's ability to play the game in the same style as he did. At the very least we might say that 1688 shows that Restoration was impossible, it marked a profound shift in mentalies from Hobbes to Locke perhaps, from a necessary absolutism for our own good (because without it we will just kill each other) to an implied contract that if the head of state crosses certain lines they can be got rid of - the leader can not do what they like, they have to adhere to the wishes of - well quite whose wishes they had to adhere to was not so clear - but the tension was clearly there as Uglow shows from the beginning, Charles wanted to rule and this required a degree of pragmatism (or cynicism if you like) for example in the toleration of religious diversity, while his supporters among families who had backed his father (Charles Stuart, that man of blood) wanted revenge. If you like relevance, these are the same issues that are always faced in situations of regime change.

I am not sure if the gambling metaphor worked for me, there were a few points in which it seemed apt; his eventually successful attempt to combine marriage to Catherine of Braganza the main attraction in addition to her Catholicism was her dowry: Bombay, Tangiers, Tangiers was a white elephant, as it was very costly to defend and a massive cash sum, much to Charles's disappointment this last was not paid out in coins but in spices and other trade goods with having fairly official mistresses, acknowledging the resulting children and providing them with rattles, laundry-maids and in time marriages, the drift into war with the Dutch - like all wars it promised to be easy to win and to offer huge benefits but in practise showed up the weakness of his hand the fancy looking navy was operating at the limit of royal resources in any case with suppliers and wages unpaid so victories were pyrrhic from the start no cash to paid for repairs, while the eventual defeats were absolutely crushing the ultimate vision of the regime as a game which was lost in 1688 was I felt a neat one.

A nice touch I felt was the regular writing in of the cultural scene, restoration theatre, pray shed a tear for all the good-looking boys who lost their jobs when women were first allowed to play female roles on stage - an innovation that rapidly led to an outburst of cross-dressing scenes so that the legs of actresses clad in stockings and knee britches could be better appreciated by the audience. Even the fact of the restoration, restorations of monarchs to their rightful thrones was to be a constant theme often in Uglow's account well larded with unsubtle messages to rightful kings on how they should behave. We are reminded that this was the age of Hobbes, Milton, Andrew Marvel, Samuel Pepys and John Evelyn, Dryden, the Royal Academy which here appears to have been serious mostly in the conduct of it's meetings rather than in it's science, and alchemy was still wildly popular, Charles II was interested in it from the point of view of spectacle apparently Locke, Rochester and Aphra Behn - who we meet her in her earlier incarnation as a government spy. Surprisingly she remained a resolute monarchist even though the government generally didn't pay her. She recruited double agents into the govrrnment spy network I would have thought that avoiding known Republicans resolutely opposed to the Stuart monarchy would be an obvious thing to do, but the intelligence community it seems has its own view on affairs. The age too of William Penn and John Bunyan - who was one of the early victims of Cavalier revenge - imprisoned under existing Tudor legislation and convicted by a cavalier jury, his time in prison used to write Pilgrims Progress.

Uglow's depiction of Charles' priapic monarchy of display and conspicuous consumption another strong point for me. Perhaps this was natural because Charles had gone through years of exile living on air and promises, equally a theme of Tim Blanning's book The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648-1815 is how the French monarch was the trend setter for European court culture, since the French king has his Versailles, his official mistress, his ballet and opera - then you too must have your own versions to be a self respecting King, Emperor or Prince-Bishop, and Charles was no different even if his Whitehall palace heaving with mistresses and courtiers sounds more like a ramshackle collection of lean-tos rather than a palatial building.

The sense of the tensions between Charles and his cavalier nomen est omen supporters came across as more sophisticated that in Reluctant Revolutionaries, but it is a while since I've read that. Not that the politics of theatre and display was all priapic, there was also the ceremony of touching for the king's evil (Scrofula), colourfully described (p.54).

I felt the ending of the book in or around 1670 a weakness in that Uglow didn't really draw out the significant in her mind of that point, I had a sense of her waving her hand and saying... and then it carried on like that until 1685 when Charles II died. Which might be true. Implicitly her point is that the secret treaty within the secret treaty with Charles' cousin Louis XIV which in the style of certain life insurance adverts guaranteed him a regular cash income if he become Catholic even if he didn't declare it publicly kind of Louis to be so concerned about his cousin's soul, puts me in mind of Pascal's wager too, allowed him to live free of the pesky parliaments just because there are elections, it doesn't mean that they were either free or fair, indeed officers of the crown put a lot of energy and effort into ensuring the right kind of man was elected in as many constituencies as possible which were packed with his over enthusiastic supporters anti-Catholic, anti-Calvinist, anti-French, anti-Quaker, anti-Scottish, anti-standing army, and anti-taxes (except in the event of a patriotic war) to the last man.

A lot of fun, apart from for Catherine of Braganza who alone of the women in Charles' life didn't carry a child full term and who spent a lot of time in spa towns taking the waters which was believed to be good for her fertility. Some fantastically scandalous politics - the Duke of Buckingham killing his mistress' husband in a dual, moving her into his house, when his own wife protested that she wouldn't live under the same roof as the other woman the good Duke quipped that he felt that would be the case and had a coach ready to take her to her father's house - it makes all the sexual scandals of British politicians of recent years look like pretty small beer. Maybe Uglow's metaphor was apt, a gambling man in charge of a glamorous casino were anything goes.

[John Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating read of a very interesting individual and a pretty astute king. He was generally successful in re-establishing the monarchy on a fairly sound basis. His reign is important I feel in the development of constitutional monarchy in the UK.

Although the author’s subject is the first 10 years from 29th May 1660, her final chapter looks at the wider picture, including reference to the remainder of CII’s reign.

A charming and interesting dinner guest, methinks!

[QOH · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most superb books about the Restoration I've read. My opinion of Charles II wavered from a long-held "what a dickhead" to "what a nuanced dickhead."

Obviously, I'm still not a fan of the Stuarts, but I came away understanding much more about Restoration culture -- from the bloody purges of the Tyrannicide trials, to the chaos of court debaucheries, to the wars with the Dutch. Charles comes across as calculating, conniving, and truly masterful at manipulation -- at the same time, he was someone who needed to love, was affectionate, and who made a point of being (to the extent he could) one of the people.

Truly, it's a masterful book.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jenny Unglow tells the story of the first 10 years of England's return to monarchy after the Cromwell regime. These years were as improbable as the Restoration monarch himself.

Unglow shows how monarchical and parliamentarian interests were not always aligned and how Charles II used what prerogatives he had and tried to expand them. He charts his own course, for instance, to decrease his reliance on Parliament for funds, he makes a treaty with is cousin, the King of France, that brings him a pension. The book shows the public, private and at all times cryptic life of Charles. While his reign had mixed success, he managed to hold the monarchy for over 25 years, something neither his brother nor father could do.

The "Gambling Man" theme is carried out by dividing the book into the 4 suits of a deck of cards. I didn't understand the reasoning behind the topics selected for these groupings, nor did I understand the gambling metaphor (I think Charles was pushing the envelope more than gambling) but this didn't interfere with my enjoyment of the book, nor in my appreciation for the skill of the author.

There is a lot going on in these years. Just the wrangling over property - the connivance used to switch land and titles from republicans back to monarchists - would be sufficient to shake up the status quo in fortune, status and power for a generation. Results were not always predictable or fair. Some Cromwell supporters managed to keep their land and power, not all monarchists, no matter how loyal or brave, re-obtained their former possessions. Some who got their lands back stayed deeply in debt for the re-acquisition costs.

On top of the changes in fortune there were new religious laws. One law stripped "non-conforming" clergymen of their parishes and required their removal to a minimum of 5 miles outside their former parishes. This reduced thousands to poverty and required countless parishioners to adopt new beliefs and modes of worship.

The religious and political turmoil included persecution, torture and/or beheading for some. Death also came by way the plague, the Great Fire of London that burned for 3 days and/or the wars with Holland.

Relief came in the form of new and exciting drama and new thinking and for Charles, in acquiring mistresses and children. The whole thing is dizzying.

Unglow does an excellent job of bringing this all into one readable story. She does an excellent job of presenting scholarship in a way that non-academics can learn from and enjoy.

[Edith · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 and 1/2 stars. An extremely lucid account of the first ten years of the Restoration.

Charles was a difficult character to read: capable of enormous charm, coupled with intuition, wit, tolerance, physical bravery, laziness (or apparent laziness), and a streak of ruthlessness. Perhaps some of these characteristics were innate, perhaps some were enhanced by his wanderings after his escape from England, in circumstances in which he had to project majesty on a very limited budget while appearing suitably grateful for any support he could get. The only people he could really trust were his family--he never knew on what terms others were offering money or affection. In spite of inspiring a great deal of admiration (and desire), he was in some ways a rather distant and inscrutable person.

Uglow brings Charles to life. I have never seen as many of his own words in a popular biography/history; his very human remarks (allowing for spelling!) make him seem very present. Her presentation of the first decade after he returned to England is orderly, thoughtful, and occasionally humorous. I can't say I am a fan of the gambling conceit, which is carried throughout the book. Especially in the early going, it's more of distraction than it ought to be. And it's not the author's fault that she is landed with the ever-changing names of his courtiers; you'll just have to make yourself a scorecard. [On the section dealing with Ireland in one of the last chapters of the book, we have (the Duke of ) Ormond; (the Earl of) Orrery; (Thomas) Osborne; and (the Earl of) Ossory--all of whom are quite active on the same few pages, and all of whom are referred to by the geographic of their titles. And then there's Arthur Annesley, Earl of Anglesey.] It can't be helped, but it's a mind twister.

Charles' attempts to fulfill his oaths made at Breda before his return are poignant in the extreme; time and time again his parliament and his people's fears of foreigners and persons of non-Protestant faiths forced him to abandon toleration. His attachment to his brother James and his beloved turncoat illegitimate son Monmouth promised trouble in the future. Charles's sister Minette, Duchess of Orleans, (the only person he ever "wholeheartedly loved," says Uglow) was of utmost importance in determining the future direction of his reign; she, at times, single-handedly, negotiated the secret treaty between Charles and Louis of France, her brother-in-law. She had her full share of the family charm, much of which is apparent in the only English letter she ever wrote, which is reproduced in the book. Her early and tragic death, shortly after the treaty was ratified, is the note upon which Uglow closes.

And that is an appropriate place for the author to end her tale. Charles has entered into a treaty with France which provides him with much needed funds and reduces his dependency on Parliament for funds. James is his only living sibling and a Catholic, whom he feels honor-bound to protect. He has spent ten years trying to live constructively with Parliament and his people, and to fulfill the promises of toleration and security he made before the Restoration--all largely to no avail. Now, ten years later, with his secret funds, he will be a different and more withdrawn kind of king.

This is an ambitious history, but it amply repays the effort of reading it.

[C.S. Burrough · Rating 4 out of 5]

Restoration monarch Charles II I had long procrastinated reading on, until this splendid book appeared before me. At once admiring this elegant product, its cover art and back page snippets, I was compelled to take it home.

This great-grandson of the executed Mary, Queen of Scots and son of the executed Charles I was invited to take the throne following the Interregnum.

Known as the Merry Monarch, his court was a den of hedonism, his subjects loving his looseness after the puritan Cromwellian protectorate, or de facto Republic. He sired a dozen acknowledged bastards by seven mistresses.

Charles II was not merely the most infamous royal sleazebag of them all, he was a respected patron of the arts and sciences and had his work cut out in restoring England's shaky monarchy and seeing his kingdom through several great disasters.

His watch saw London's Great Plague eliminate approximately 100,000 people, thinning the capital's population. Also the Great Fire of London, famously ignited in Pudding Lane and destroying over 13,000 houses, 80-odd churches and old St. Paul's Cathedral. The fire's aftermath saw Sir Christopher Wren add his splendid architectural mark to London's rebuilding, initiated by Chares II.

Charles also reinstated the theatre, initiating two acting companies and legalising acting for women, after a long puritanical spell wherein theatre was considered frivolous and banned altogether.

Leaving no legitimate heir, he was succeeded by his brother, the less popular, more zealously Catholic James II, whose short reign reached an abrupt halt when he was overthrown for producing a Catholic heir and suspected of aiming to steer then staunchly Protestant England religiously backwards.

I enjoyed studying this lovable, decadent, cultured rogue, whose mistresses included legendary orange-seller-turned-actress Nell Gwynn and notorious Barbara Villiers who bore five of his royal bastards.

While the Restoration is still not one of my favourite periods, Jenny Uglow lured me in, guided me well and made it accessible in a way no other has.

Recommended reading.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

After The Great Fire of London in 1666, rebuilding work began with a vengeance. But elsewhere, all is not well and Charles is about to take the biggest gamble of his life.

Written by Jenny Uglow
Read by Michael Maloney
Abridged by Libby Spurrier

Producer: Joanna Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.

[Gumble's Yard - Golden Reviewer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easy reading/skimming biography of the first ten years of Charles II’s restoration - although lengthy the book proceeds both chronologically and by theme (with an overarching theme of cards).

Although a Republican by background Uglow clearly relates to her subject and portrays him sympathetically: for as being opposed to execution of the regicides; and keen to honour his pre-restoration pledge of religious tolerance (but in both cases having to back off in the face of pressure from the traditionalists and his largest supporters); as keen to further Science, the press and the first stirrings of Enlightenment style questioning of certainty (all areas that appealed to his view that reasonable men should be able to reach agreement by seeking after the truth – that in turn influenced by his time in exile in places such as Leiden); as a keen lover of art, sport and women: as navigating difficult alliances/hostility with the Spanish, French and Dutch and at the end of the decade making his biggest gamble in an alliance with France and a secret pledge of conversion to Roman Catholicism.

[Bettie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bettie's Books

My star rating, status updates, and shelves indicate my feelings on this read.

[Karen Brooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gambling Man, is a scholarly work by Jenny Uglow that covers the first ten years of Charles II’s return to the throne after the interregnum – but don’t let the fact it is rigorous and meticulous in its research put you off. This book is a simply marvellous read. Uglow is a wrier with a light touch and this is written in such a style it’s as if you’re reading an exciting novel. Uglow uses the motif of gambling, of hedging bets, risk-taking and the sort of nature required to succeed as a gambler to explore the impact the return of the king had on English society – specifically London – in the 1660s. It also explores the changes Charles’ return wrought upon English allies and enemies on the continent.
Greeted with effusiveness by a repressed populace, who welcomed their thirty-year-old monarch with bonfires and dancing in the streets the day he arrived in London after 12 years absence, the city and, indeed, country (with few exceptions, of course) were filled with hope. Restoring the king meant that, surely, those who were secretly royalists or at least prepared to welcome the king, could be restored to their former lives, wealth, trades etc. Even Catholics and other non-conformists, clung to the promises Charles made while at Breda, that he would tolerate all religions providing it didn’t conflict with loyalty to the throne and so too welcomed him with prayers and blessings.
Ready to embrace his new life, gamble with the hearts and souls of his people, Charles’ good intentions were swiftly put to the test.
While Charles’ desire to welcome different religions in the realm was no doubt sincere (in his mind at least, just because one was Catholic or Quaker, these beliefs didn’t exclude loyalty to him), his parliament and the Commons had other ideas. Toleration was swiftly replaced by prejudice and non-conformists suffered.
Though the parliament were initially generous to the king, even before he stepped upon English shores they lavished him with the sort of things he’d been denied in exile: beautiful clothes, objects, food and anything his heart desired, it quickly became apparent that the treasury was broke. This didn’t stop Charles luxuriating in his new status. Women, jewels, ships, furniture, object d’ art, courtiers, games, sexual licence, debauchery, all of these became the hallmark of Charles and the Restoration court.
But this was also a time for fresh ideas in the sciences, innovations in the arts, with music and the theatre (and women players being permitted upon the stage) as well as painting all being patronised and enjoyed by the king. Trade was opened up, new lands discovered and conquered and exotic foodstuffs and people poured into London, bringing ideas that challenged the status quo.
Striding daily among his subjects in St James’ Park, bestowing his touch and “curing” scrofula, dining before them in the Banqueting House, Charles never seemed to forget what he owed his people and how quickly his status could alter. The people loved him for that at the same time they loathed him and those he surrounded himself with for “playing” while the country and city of London suffered: through wars, financial depression, plague and the Great Fire.
It was really the latter that went some way to salvaging Charles’ rapidly diminishing reputation as he worked side by side, along with his brother, James, the Duke of York, and the exhausted citizens of London, to contain the fire that threatened to level the entire city.
Unfortunately, the restored love of the people didn’t last long. All too soon gossip about the king and his reckless spending on his many mistresses and bastard children (whom he gifted titles like one does flowers) dominated, at the same time, the Dutch declared war and even sailed into the Thames, sailors were being suborned to serve and people were going hungry, wages unpaid. And all the while, the religious balance and the power the king held over those he governed hung in the balance.
But, as Uglow argues, for all that Charles is remembered as a bit of a wastrel, he was also a clever and astute man who managed those around him carefully. While attention was focussed on his sexual escapades and his spending, and the gossip in the coffee houses and on the streets was about this, his power remained mostly in tact. Gambling on his ability to control his people, Charles’ managed to continually prorogue parliament and (mostly) any attempts to seriously curtail his power. The face he presented to the world was one of loyalty and assuredness, yet behind the scenes, he negotiated with England’s enemy and his cousin, Louis XIV in France, making promises in exchange for much-needed coin, removing the dependency he had on parliament to extend him cash.
Alternately bold and sneaky, loving and cold, rash and contained, succumbing to his base desires, refusing to acknowledge them, Charles was, according to Uglow (and her argument is persuasive) a gambler par excellence, able to conceal his hand and play, despite what people thought, with a poker face, one that left very few prepared when he finally played his cards.
This is a simply marvellous book, full of wonderful and quirky facts, splendid descriptions of the leading and colourful figures of the time, from General Monck and the Earl of Clarendon, to Barbara Castlemaine, Frances Stuart and of course, the tall, swarthy skin, dark-eyed and lustful king himself, Charles II.
For lovers of history, the royal families of Britain, politics, and insights into what make people tick, this is the book for you.

[zed · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good read about the Restoration of Charles II to the throne of the 3 Kingdoms. After the austere and puritanical times of Cromwell the Restoration was a time of decadence in comparison. This book gives a good account of the changes with specific emphasis on the early part of Charles reign. Recommended.

[Morag · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charles II was just 30 when he crossed the Channel in 1660 and the Restoration decade (post Cromwell's death) began. Jenny Uglow's research and story telling is impeccable. she brings to vivid life a decade of drought, war, plague and fire... plus plenty of court bitching, drunkenness, duals,and affairs. There are a lot of characters to keep track of but it's a ripper of a read.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charles II is, in many ways, both too easy and too difficult a subject for a biography. He is one of those great defining characters of the British monarchy - like Henry VIII, Elizabeth I and Victoria - whose reigns stand out in our collective memory for one or two well-known events, and about whom most people think they know plenty.

So Jenny Uglow takes a different approach in ‘A Gambling Man’. The book is indeed a biography of the Merry Monarch, but it focuses on the crucial first ten years of his reign, and on Charles’s many gambles to stabilise his three kingdoms during this period.

Her task is helped by the events of the period – restoration, war, plague, fire and constant sexual intrigue – which in themselves make for a rollicking good read. It is further illuminated by Pepys, whose voice, through his diary, offers us a ringside seat. (It’s astonishing how much he managed to witness first hand).

Given these ingredients, the greatest risk is that the author will over-simplify for the sake of populism. The greatest strength of ‘A Gambling Man’ is that Mrs. Uglow does not do this. She presents the politics, society, religion and intellectual life of 1660s England as a rich tapestry - complex, often paradoxical, sometimes frayed at the edges. And she is a meticulous chronicler of that complexity, whether it is the political manoeuvring of the King’s ministers or mistresses; the fine balancing act that Charles was forced to play between Royalists and former Cromwellian sympathisers; or above all the religious factionalism that threatened to destabilise the Kingdom from the moment Charles landed at Dover.

This last, so crucial to an understanding of the period, yet so often over-simplified or marginalized by historians (perhaps the worst example being Edward Dolnick’s The Clockwork Universe: Isaac Newton, the Royal Society, and the Birth of the Modern World), is handled with particular thoroughness and insight. Freedom of religion was, of course, one of the first things offered by Charles on his return to power in 1660; his Declaration of Breda promised ‘liberty to tender consciences’. It was Parliament, and not the King, who forced religious conformity on the nation, outlawing both Catholics and nonconformist Protestants from worshipping in public and from holding public office. The effects would be felt for another 150 years or more; some would argue they are still in evidence today.

Also very much in evidence today, not just in Britain but throughout western democracy, is another and more profound legacy of Charles’s reign. Uglow reveals the very foundation of the relationship between government, parliament and private enterprise. (She even traces the origins of the two-party system, which crystallised in the later part of Charles’s reign.)

Government in the seventeenth century was still in the King’s personal control, but this King had been invited to rule by Parliament – by the common consent of the governed – and Parliament was his paymaster. The idea of monarchical rule by the explicit consent of the governed would, of course, be dramatically underscored by the events of 1688 - the enforced abdication of James II, the accession of William and Mary, the Glorious Revolution. It’s hereditary monarchy, Jim, but not as we know it – or not as we’d known it up to that point.

We see too the birth of commerce as a political force. The wars with the Dutch and the French were not fundamentally about political or dynastic control, nor about religion and ideology, but about control over trade routes. The City and her merchants, the generators of the nation’s wealth and prosperity, emerge as a political force in their own right.

(Niall Ferguson, in his recent book Civilization: The West and the Rest, identifies private property rights as one of the six ‘killer apps’ which have allowed the West to dominate global civilisation for the last 500 years. 1660s London was that ‘killer app’ in action; the City would dominate world trade for the best part of the next three centuries.)

The book is structured broadly chronologically, but with a sensible thematic sub-structure. Thus politics, economics, foreign affairs, society and scientific innovation are depicted as separate, parallel strands of the tapestry, making for a whole that is coherent and digestible. Wisely, Uglow does not over-reach: it is a biography of Charles II, not a study of 1660s society. Equally wisely, she focuses on England, although she regularly refers to domestic events in Charles’s other kingdoms of Scotland and Ireland.

This is serious history, full of names and events and facts, but it is by no means po-faced. We get to have a lot of fun. The intrigues of Charles’s various mistresses make today’s headline-chasing celebrities look like unimaginative amateurs. It is amusing, too, to discover that the property speculator Nicholas Barbon, who rebuilt areas of London after the Great Fire, was in fact christened If-Jesus-Had-Not-Died-For-Thee-Thou-Had’st-Been-Damned Barebones. (His father, the preacher Praise-God Barebones, had a walk-on part in Neal Stephenson’s novel Quicksilver.)

But towering above all the ministers and mistresses and merchants, above the scientists and the architects and the playwrights and poets, his loyal subjects and strident critics, is the character of Charles himself – the dazzling monarch with the popular touch, the man who gambled everything to hold his nation together at this time of tumult.

[Bookthesp1 · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gambling man is a book that deals with the first 10 years of the reign of Charles 11 and covers the crucial period when the Restoration Settlement was introduced and bedded in with the machinations at court as Charles 11 had to use all his guile and experience to survive haughty courtiers, naughty mistresses and a populace that were yet to be convinced about the new king. Similarly, it takes a European perspective, particularly focusing on France to show how charles had to please a foreign audience as well.Uglow is incapable of writing a bad book and her attention to detail- in particular- the milieu of court and courtiers- is both telling and atmospheric. The gambling metaphor itself is less satisfactory. Charles reigned for 25 years and if he gambled with political or religious options the results could have been catastrophic. Uglow sees him constantly beset by issues and problems both domestic and foreign. The religious settlement evaded his own wishes for toleration and management of parliament seemed unpredictable and frustrating for a king whose Stuart roots erred towards absolutism. Uglows narrative does see short termism as the rule of thumb- Charles hardly got through one crisis before another engulfed him. Uglow doesn't always explain why Charles seemed to be constantly wrong-footed by parliament but does give excellent pen portraits of ministers and advisors- notably Buckingham and other members of the 'Cabal'. His mistresses are dealt with in a non judgemental way despite the fact contemporaries constantly judged him and Uglow chimes in with some scholarship over the last 20-30 years that sees the kings increasingly political role as a product of the more confident parliamentary scene- JR Jones in his book Charles 11- Royal politician(1986) also sees Charles having to adopt a constant short term reactive agenda. He strikes a more heroic figure in crisis such as the fire, where he literally helped to douse the flames and Uglow is good at using theatre as a barometer of the political scene- plays literally played out and commented on courtly intrigue.
Overall Charles is tainted historically by The secret Treaty of Dover where a French pay off in return for his suposed announcement of a conversion to catholicism epitomised (for some) his dissembling nature and life in thrall to the mighty Louis of France. Uglow is sympathetic to Charles and sees him as playing a double game with Louis.
A Gambling Man is certainly racy, readable and informative about all aspects of the Restoration regime. It is not a masterpiece like Claire Tomalin's biography of Pepys but
has a narrative that is sometimes surprising and full of anecdotes and memorable information. It is no gamble. Reading it is a very safe bet.

[Jennifer (JC-S) · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘For anyone interested in the relationship between the public and private self, there are few more intriguing characters than Charles II.’

On 25 May 1660, Charles II arrived at Dover, disembarking in front of cheering crowds. On his thirtieth birthday, 29 May 1660, he entered London. Charles had been invited home to England by parliament, thus beginning the ‘restoration’ of the monarchy after eleven years of republican rule. In this book, Jenny Uglow focuses on the first ten years of his reign, until the signing of the secret Treaty of Dover in 1670.

Initially, I found it disconcerting to consider only the first ten years of Charles II’s 25 year reign. Certainly, the first ten years saw a number of momentous events including the Plague in 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666 which led to the substantial rebuilding of the city of London. Charles was also a patron of science: the Royal Society was founded in November 1660. On the foreign policy front, England was at war with the Dutch (the Second Anglo-Dutch War) between 1665 and 1667. This war ended in a Dutch victory and also, some years later, in Charles’s secret treaty with Louis XIV of France. Charles undertook to support the French against the Dutch in return for which he received subsidies from France, thereby providing some room in his relationship with parliament. Charles also undertook to convert to Catholicism at a time of his choosing. More broadly, Charles’s reign saw the rise of colonisation and trade in India, the East Indies and America – New York was captured from the Dutch in 1664.

But was he a gambling man? Certainly the stakes were high, especially when his reign is compared with that of his father (Charles I was beheaded in 1649) and his brother (James II was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution in 1688). But Charles was not reckless. He calculated some risks, and was pragmatic in most situations. While much of his private life was public, his ability to play to an audience was unparalleled.

I enjoyed this book, and while I don’t fully accept the image of Charles II as a gambling man, I came to like the image of his first decade bracketed by his triumphal public entry into London, and his secret treaty with France. I see Charles as a pragmatic survivor, rather than as a gambler. Regardless of whether a reader accepts Ms Uglow’s ‘gambling man’ principle, this book is well worth reading.

‘There is all the reason in the world to join profit with honour, when it may be done honestly.’

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

[Glenn Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and little known part of American history is the 1600's when the colonies were being developed. Over in the Motherand, a series of Civil Wars and Revolutions that get little notice in the American history books. These should as our leaders learned from these and used these examples for our own Revolutions-the one in the late 1600's and the final in 1776.

Charles II is a fascinating leader whose father was beheaded and replaced by a non-royal government, Charles II was invited back to become king and he ruled for 25 years.

The 'gamble' was the decision to dissolve Parliament that was meeting secretly. The last two chapters were weak and seemed to have been written hasty to wrap up the book. Other than the ending, the book was very interesting with reviews of the many wars, the many leaders, opponents, other kings and the many mistresses of the king.

[Courtney Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

At Christmas I realised that amongst that approximately 10 books I had either taken away with me to read or been given on the day, 80% were essay collections, mostly focused on science.

So I decided to move onto history this year, mostly through biography. Approaching the history of science through the lives of people worked well for me last year, so I’m kicking off with the period around the establishment of the Royal Society, following up Lisa Jardine’s ‘A glorious pursuit’ and Richard Holmes’s ‘Age of Wonder’ with biographies of people living in this period.

Uglow focuses on the first 10 years of Charles II's reign, 1660-1670 (this overlaps with the decade that Samuel Pepys kept his diary), painting in details from his earlier life and pointing forward to the later years of his reign. It's the story of someone taking up his 'god-given' birthright, but having to learn how to wield - and negotiate - his power. Parliament, church leaders, and other monarchs and heads of states are the partners he must dance with. Not to mention his mistresses, some of whom had influence over whose decision-making, and whose reputations also affected the way Charles was perceived by his subjects.

I’ve tried twice to get into Uglow’s ‘The Lunar Men’ and not succeeded, but this bio gave me the will to try again. It’s also pushed me on to Claire Tomalin’s biography of Samuel Pepys, which I’m currently reading, interspersed with Connie Willis’s ‘The Doomsday Book’.

Washington Post review

Guardian review

[John Stepek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. It cover the period from 1660 to 1670 - the first ten years of Charles II's reign, after the restoration. I don't know a lot about the period (I mainly picked it up for context - I was interested in the history of England in the years just prior to the creation of the Bank of England), so I'm in no position to judge how revisionist or otherwise it is.

But it's a good portrait of Charles II as an individual. He comes across as a relatively sympathetic (for a monarch of that time), physically brave and surprisingly tolerant and reasonable man trying to steer a rapidly changing society while juggling a very complicated private life (clearly, the complicated private life was entirely of his own making). It's tragic in some ways - you do wonder what could have been had Charles' instincts towards religious tolerance have been more widely shared. And it sounds like a fascinating, exciting time - relentlessly grim for most people, I imagine, but much more free in many ways than I'd have expected.

There's the usual problem with these sorts of books - it can be pretty tricky to keep track of all the names. The organisation of the book is also by theme rather than strict chronology - I can see why the writer has done this but it does mean that in later chapters, it ends up retreading events covered in previous chapters from a different angle, which can occasionally be confusing. But overall it's an enjoyable informative read.

[Paul Lawrence · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a few accounts of Charles II's life before, notably The Life and Times of Charles II by Christopher Falkus, which is an excellent and concise account of the period and the man. Jenny Uglow's book focusses squarely on the man rather than the period, seeking to probe and understand a particularly enigmatic individual. She succeeds in bringing him to life, and helping us to empathise with his lot. Growing up as the heir to the throne, his world was thrown into disarray when parliament ultimately succeeded in executing his father and declaring a republic. He wandered the courts of an inhospitable Europe, without money or (you would have thought) much more than faint hope. How then must he have felt, upon being restored, to be the regent of a country who killed his father? The King of a country whose motives and behaviours he must have profoundly distrusted. He accepted the crown according to his own gterms and conditions, one of which was that every man would be free to worship according to his own conscience. Yet his new parliament, upon whom he relied for funds, were hell-bent on stamping out all forms of worship pther than the Anglican church. Uglow tells a fascinating story wonderfully well, and succeeds in generating new insights as to what might have been motivating this apparently carefree adulterer and philanderer.

[Jonathan Simpson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good but not great. The author chose to utilize a technique I've seen in history books before, where nobles are referred to by their titles alone (i.e. 'Monmouth' for the Duke of Monmouth), and subsequent grants can cause a name-change that the author insists on following, even though it is, in my opinion, a headache to follow.

For a book with a relatively narrow scope (the reign of Charles II until he dissolved Parliament for the last time), the book nonetheless feels perfunctory in a lot of places. The unifying theme is...Charles II's attitude towards life and ruling? I guess? The author is happy to portray him as chameleonic and flexible in his approaches to ruling, except when she portrays him as otherwise to prove a point. So, I'm left feeling like I know a little more than I did when I went in, but not as much as I'd like.

Definitely inspired me to learn more about the era, though, I'll give her that. And I really thought the opening, with Charles II's triumphant return to England to be crowned king after the Interregnum, was a great piece of work - amazingly evocative.

[Jeff]

Charles II — witty, engaging, tolerant, charming, generous, untrustworthy, charismatic, promiscuous, secretive and (above all) a survivor — remains one of Britain's most popular monarchs more than 300 years after his death. This fine study focuses on the first decade of his reign when, newly returned after years of bitter exile, he was learning the business of kingcraft. Determined at all costs to never be 'sent on his travels' again, he was forced to become a high-stakes gambler in the game of politics. You will find much social history here as well, with absorbing accounts of the Great Fire of London, the naval wars with the Dutch, and the Restoration theater. But Uglow never loses sight of the urbane, enigmatic figure at the center of everything — Charles II himself.

G. B. Shaw perceptively observed "Kings are not born: they are made by artificial hallucination. When the process is interrupted by adversity at a critical age, as in the case of Charles II, the subject becomes sane and never completely recovers his kingliness."

-Alan

[Izzie_422 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This dude had a lot of unfortunate events happen under his reign; the Great Plaque of London in 1665 and the Great Fire of London the following year. Admittedly he and his rich friends simply left London to rot during the plague, which was perhaps not the most kingly action, but there are sources in the book that describe how Charles was actively involved in trying to control the fire, which would eventually burn down most of the Palace of Whitehall and St Paul's Cathedral. Uglow's use of sources is phenomenal - it really feels like a legitimate biography. It is also not biased; I felt very much as though I was allowed to form my own opinion of Charles II. Unfortunately it is also a tad boring... it seems to spend an awful lot of time discussing pretty dense subjects such as the Dutch wars, and then very little time is given to the super-interesting topics like the plague and the fire, which I would have loved to have read much more about.

All in all, an incredibly well-researched and well-written biography, but lacking in excitement.

[CF · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful, sweeping progress through the first decade of Charles II's reign. From the end of the interregnum period through to May 1670, Jenny Uglow covers religion, theatre, mistresses, political intrigue, the great London fire and the relationship with his cousin Louis XIV of France, among many other topics.

Written in an almost-novel style, with sudden reveals such as botched executions or double crossings, Uglow has an exciting style that builds with tantalising pace. Charles II's dual personality, his tenderness for his family and friends, coupled with his ruthlessness and shrewd head for politics, shows a brilliant and fascinating character.

Not just focusing on the monarch, Uglow also goes into the depths of his closest advisors and their own personal turmoil. This is a fantastic read that should be put together with some of the best books on Charles II, I am very much looking forward to the next in the series.

[Mark Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book about interesting times. Jenny Uglow manages to get across a number of aspects of the period, while avoiding the trap that other historical authors do of giving endless characters that a reader cannot possibly keep up with. I don't think that she is a particularly stylish writer but she has great strengths in constantly keeping the lay reader in mind and not over complicating. I particularly liked her approach of setting out themes in each chapter whilst keeping the broad chronology flowing forwards. This was a key period in British and European history. Britain had come out of a period without a monarch and against a backdrop of religious conflict. Charles 2nd just about managed to hold the country together, though he was busy with his many lady friends. The constant shortage of funds and the shifting alliances within Britain and with other nations meant that it needed Charles natural pragmatism and flexibility to get him through.

[judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly a page-turner but a solid, interesting book on a period of English history about which I cared zip. Regime change or change-back is not easy. Charles II did it beautifully by not seeking retaliation, appearing to be both Protestant and Catholic friendly (he had a mistress of each)and bringing back the pomp of royalty while still appealing to the common man. Unflappable, cool, self-reliant and pragmatic. OK, licentious too but he treated his Queen, mistresses and large number of illegitimate children with kindness and generosity. There was continuous unrest,often religious, at home and lengthy, expensive wars. Still, Charles was always ready to deal when it made sense. The question the book raises for me is what would have happened if the first Restoration king had been an absolutist in the mold of the reigning French king, Louis XIV?

[Elisabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have always been fascinated by Charles II. He'd gone through such hell, watching his country reject his family via civil war and then kill his father. I wonder if his has something to do with his absolute determination to enjoy his life once he was asked to return as King? Wine, women, and song.
He also returned determined NOT to become involved in any religious persecution, which he was unable to uphold. When it came to running the country,Parliament held most of the cards and it seems he had little choice but to go along. England wasn't about to allow another absolute monarchy within their boundaries.
He did sponsor The Royal Society, as it seems he was scientifically curious. A big plus! I did enjoy his book, although non-fiction at times can be a bit dry, and tough to follow all the political machinations. This one is well written.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

An up-close look at all elements of Charles's first 10 years on the throne, from the political to the (very) personal.

I enjoyed the use of lines from Restoration poetry and plays, and illustrations from contemporary playing cards, all used to re-create the largely overlooked time period.

But, Uglow's writing was often difficult to follow in this book. Especially with the frequent name changes, it was tough to remember who was who, and Uglow didn't provide many hints to jog the reader's memory. For example, it can be tough to remember exactly which Duke Monmouth is when we haven't heard about him for 10 chapters. A small reminder that he was the king's son would have cleared up quite a bit of confusion for me.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this on the recommendation of a friend, and I was not disappointed. The only problem was, I took so long reading it, because writing took precedence, that I've rather forgotten a lot of it ... Anyway, a solid and entertaining look at the early years of Charles II's reign, with many interesting and sometimes amusing stories. From a historical point of view, the take home lesson is that Charlie could have been a much better monarch than he ended up being: all the good intentions of his earlier years, all the promising new initiatives, were pissed away, and he left his country a sorry inheritance, named James. He got away with the lethargy and absolutism of his later years because the economic situation was so good, but they were years that stored up trouble.

[Barbara Ardinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m reading this biography of Charles II, who was one of England’s most interesting kings. The author quotes the famous diarist Samuel Pepys on the arrival in England of Charles’s friends Buckingham and General Monck early in the Restoration (1660). “Within days of Monck’s arrival, wrote Pepys, ‘Boys do now cry ‘Kiss my Parliament!’ instead of ‘Kiss my arse!’ so great and general a contempt is the Rump [Parliament] come to among all men, good and bad’ (p. 33).” Hmmmm. Knowing that the current U.S. Congress has an approval rating under 20 percent and so many of us hold the House of Representative in great contempt, does this suggest a bumper sticker? Kiss My Congress!

[Carolinemawer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I'd always thought Charles was a philandering fool. Now Jenny Uglow (who wrote so well on Hogarth) tells me that he was really quite smart, and a loving father - though of course with a special interest in all the (many) ladies with whom he achieved fatherhood.
I especially loved the secret contract with France - only discovered hundreds of years later. And the treble-cross after one of his adversaries 'persuaded' him to try and implement .. just exactly the same secret contract he'd already agreed.
Then there's all those other powerful women - Charles' sister, the female printers, the red-headed 40something, all the clever actresses ...
I need to read more, do some research ...