Royal Mysteries of the Stuart and Georgian Periods (ePub)
Imprint: Pen & Sword History
File Size: 5.7 MB (.epub)
Pages: 224
ISBN: 9781399054263
Published: 20th October 2023
| Other formats available - Buy the Hardback and get the eBook for £1.99! | Price |
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| Royal Mysteries of the Stuart… Hardback Add to Basket | £18.75 |
'There is nothing new under the sun', a phrase ascribed originally to King Solomon, applies to the present book, with echoes of 'modern' themes exposing royal scandal, sex, corruption, political absolutism - attempted - religious controversy, danger of mass-terrorism, murder and 'suspicious' deaths, 'fake news' and international threat from superpowers. And all focussing on inside stories which today would be 'investigative journalism' with huge popular media interest. This is history for both specialists and, especially, for general readers, given media interest, including TV and film coverage in 'exciting' popular history, as set out by the author. The earlier 'Royal Mysteries' in the series were full of tragedy, suffering, pathos, heroism and romance, but the present set are equally interesting and disturbing and revisionist. These include the alleged attempt to murder James I and VI before the became King of England; the scandal at court involving 'poisoned tarts', James' 'toy-boy', and a subsequent murder trial. And the following questions and mysteries: did Charles II really promise to convert to Catholicism to please Louis XIV; did Charles marry his mistress Lucy Walter, mother of rebel Duke of Monmouth; was James II and VII an enlightened religious reformer or trying to convert England to Catholicism - the religion of European superpowers; did George I 'disappear' (a 'hit' in modern terms) his divorced wife's lover before ascending the English throne; did the unpopular Duke of Cumberland murder his gay lover; did the hugely admired 'respectable' George III, devoted husband and father, marry a middle-class Quaker woman?
Well researched, informative and entertaining. I learned something new and I liked the style of writing
NetGalley, Anna Maria Giacomasso
Recommended.
I love history and mysteries, so I requested this as quickly as possible. The Stuart and Georgian periods cover from the accession of James I and VI to the death of George III in 1820, and it includes topics such as James I's alleged bisexuality, George III's "marriage" to Hannah Lightfoot, and Charles II and the Secret Treaty of Dover. Venning draws on many different sources, such as official records, letters, diaries, etc. This book is an excellent follow-up to Royal Mysteries of the Tudor Period, and I'm looking forward to the next one.
NetGalley, Whitney Foster
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Kathryn McLeer
I really enjoyed the mysteries in this book, it had a great researched feel to it and I was enjoying reading about these old mysteries. Dr Timothy Venning has a great writing style for this type of book.
It does an excellent job of contextualizing and picking apart historical events to explain what (probably) happened and the elements of drama and scandal enjoyed by contemporaries without access to the whole historical record.
NetGalley, Kat Otis
Overall, it is a good read for anyone already interested in 16th-18th century Scottish and British history.
I definitely recommend this book for fans of historical mysteries or for people interested in the Stuart & Georgian period in general. I found this book to be very well-researched and informative, while still being comprehensible to someone like myself who is by no means an expert on this era. If you want to learn something new and get potential answers to historical questions you may not have even known to ask, definitely pick up a copy of this book!
NetGalley, Samantha Santarpia
Rating: 5 out of 5 stars
NetGalley, Louise Gray
This delves deeper into the stories we are told in history classes and goes further than we often see in documentaries about the time. Such a treat for anyone interested in the Stuart and Georgian periods. Written in such a way as to appeal to seasoned history buffs and those who just like a good story, this book will reach many readers.
About Dr Timothy Venning
Timothy Venning obtained his BA, followed by PhD at King's College, University of London, on Cromwell's Foreign Policy and is a gifted historian, deep and critical researcher and attractive writer, with wide range of historical interests. He can slip easily and effectually into early history, the middle ages and to the early modern period with the academic rigour, accessibility, and with both non-specialists, students and academic reference in mind. Publications: Dictionary if National Biography contributions (OUP 1996-2001); Cromwellian Foreign Policy (Palgrave 1995); A Compendium of British Office-Holders Palgrave 2005); A Chronology of the Byzantine Empire (Palgrave 2006); A Chronology of the Roman Empire (Continuum 2010); A Chronology of the Crusades (Routledge 2015); A Chronology of Early Medieval Britain and Europe, AD 450-1066 (Routledge 2017); Anglo-Saxon Kings and Queens; The Kings and Queens of Wales; The Kings and Queens of Scotland; Lords of the Isles; Kingmakers: Lords of the Welsh Marches (Amberley 2011-2016); If Rome Had Survived (Pen and Sword 2010); Alternative History of Britain: The Anglo-Saxon Age; The Hundred Years War; Normans and Plantgenets; The Tudors; The English Civil War; (all Pen and Sword 2013-2014); plus e-books and currently with Pen and Sword: Cromwell's Failed and the Monarchy; The Fall of the British Republic and Return of the King: From Cromwell's Commonwealth to Stuart Monarchy, 1657-1670; The King Arthur Mysteries: Arthur's Britain and Early Medieval World; The Anglo-Saxons and Early Britain; Royal Mysteries of the Medieval Period; Royal Mysteries of the Tudor Period.
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