Review: Behind the Palace Doors: Five Centuries of Sex, Adventure, Vice, Treachery, and Folly from Royal Britain by Michael Farquhar

by Michael Farquhar

Publication Date: March 1, 2011
Random House
320p


SYNOPSIS

Spanning 500 years of British history, a revealing look at the secret lives of some great (and not-so-great) Britons, courtesy of one of the worlds most engaging royal historians

Beleaguered by scandal, betrayed by faithless spouses, bedeviled by ambitious children, the kings and queens of Great Britain have been many things, but they have never been dull. Some sacrificed everything for love, while others met a cruel fate at the edge of an axmans blade. From the truth behind the supposed madness of King George to Queen Victorias surprisingly daring taste in sculpture, Behind the Palace Doors ventures beyond the rumors to tell the unvarnished history of Britains monarchs, highlighting the unique mix of tragedy, comedy, romance, heroism, and incompetence that has made the British throne a seat of such unparalleled fascination.

Featuring:
stories covering every monarch, from randy Henry VIII to reserved Elizabeth II
historical myths! debunke d and surprising Did you know . . . ? anecdotes
four family trees spanning every royal house, from the Tudors to the Windsors

REVIEW

Behind the Palace Doors is a fun and quick read through the lives of English monarchs, from Henry VIII to the present queen, Elizabeth II. Told in short chapters, author Farquhar takes readers through five royal houses (House of Tudor, House of Stuart, House of Hanover & House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, and House of Windsor) and gives a brief summary of each monarchs reign. Having read a lot on the Tudors I didnt really find anything new on them that I hadnt already heard, but I really enjoyed the chapters on the Stuarts and the Hanovers. Farquhars writing wasnt overly-entertaining or witty, but nor was it too dry and he actually inspired me to find more books to read on some of the more interesting subjects in the book, such as Arbella Stuart and George III.

Behind the Palace Doors is great as a straight read-through or one to keep on the nightstand to pick up every now and again. The antics and idiosyncrasies of the kings and queens of England never fail to entertain!

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