Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court and over 1.5 million other books are available for Amazon Kindle . Learn more

Buy New

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
Buy Used
Used - Like New See details
Price: £6.36
Fulfilled by Amazon

or
Sign in to turn on 1-Click ordering.
 
   
Trade in Yours
For a £0.25 Gift Card
Trade in
More Buying Choices
Have one to sell? Sell yours here
Sorry, this item is not available in
Image not available for
Colour:
Image not available

 
Share your own customer images
Search inside another edition of this book
Start reading Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court on your Kindle in under a minute.

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court [Paperback]

Lucy Worsley (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
RRP: £10.99
Price: £7.14 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
You Save: £3.85 (35%)
o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o
In stock.
Dispatched from and sold by Amazon. Gift-wrap available.
Want delivery by Tuesday, 21 May? Choose Express delivery at checkout. See Details

Formats

 Amazon Price New from Used from
Kindle Edition £5.39   -- --
Hardcover --   -- --
Paperback £7.14   -- --
Books Trade-In
Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. Learn more.

Book Description

Publication Date: 2 Jun 2011

Ambitious and talented people flocked to court in search of power and prestige, but Kensington Palace was also a gilded cage. While its inhabitants were cocooned in comfort and splendour, successful courtiers had level heads and cold hearts; their secrets were never safe. Among them, a Vice Chamberlain with many vices, a Maid of Honour with a secret marriage, a pushy painter, an alcoholic equerry, a Wild Boy, a penniless poet, a dwarf comedian, two mysterious turbaned Turks and any number of discarded royal mistresses.

An eye-opening portrait of an enthralling group of royal servants, Courtiers also throws new light on the dramatic life of George II and Queen Caroline: a lover murdered, babies snatched, horrific illnesses and tearful deathbed reconciliations

Special Offers and Product Promotions

Frequently Bought Together

Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court + If Walls Could Talk: An intimate history of the home + Cavalier: A Tale of Chivalry, Passion and Great Houses
Price For All Three: £21.75

Buy the selected items together

Product details

  • Paperback: 432 pages
  • Publisher: Faber and Faber (2 Jun 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0571238904
  • ISBN-13: 978-0571238903
  • Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 2.7 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 46,495 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

    •  Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?

More About the Author

› Visit Amazon's Lucy Worsley Page
Lucy Worsley
Discover books, learn about writers, and more.

Product Description

Review

'A stylish courtier's-eye view of the reigns of George I and George II ... reveals the complexity, anxiety and pathos behind the facade of those caught up in the golden circle of the Court.' --Sunday Telegraph, Books of the Year

'We have a fine modern historian to guide us through the dreamlike maze of palace life.' --The Times

'Taking the sixteen courtiers represented in William Kent's Grand Staircase painting, Worsley herds them through the glittering confusion of the court so vividly that one can hear them scheming.' --Independent on Sunday Books of the Year

'We have a fine modern historian to guide us through the dreamlike maze of palace life.' --The Times

'Taking the sixteen courtiers represented in William Kent's Grand Staircase painting, Worsley herds them through the glittering confusion of the court so vividly that one can hear them scheming.' --Independent on Sunday Books of the Year

'Those who attended court have typically been painted as sycophants seeking to improve their station, but here a more nuanced picture emerges ... there are also detailed portraits of court life, and some compelling characters.' --Sunday Business Post

'Taking the sixteen courtiers represented in William Kent's Grand Staircase painting, Worsley herds them through the glittering confusion of the court so vividly that one can hear them scheming.' --Independent on Sunday Books of the Year

'A vivid portrait of courtly politicking.' --The Times

'Rich, amusing gaze at the courts of George I and II ... because it engages immediately with its small and large plots and its wonderful characterisation, the work, though strictly history, reads as a novel ...but this is no giddy read. At the end you're left with a sympathetic and informed sense of the transition from Stuart to Hanoverian public life.' --Irish Times

'Taking the sixteen courtiers represented in William Kent's Grand Staircase painting, Worsley herds them through the glittering confusion of the court so vividly that one can hear them scheming.' --Independent on Sunday Books of the Year

'A sparkling compendium of Georgian gossip.' --Independent

'Taking the sixteen courtiers represented in William Kent's Grand Staircase painting, Worsley herds them through the glittering confusion of the court so vividly that one can hear them scheming.' --Independent on Sunday Books of the Year

Book Description

In the eighteenth century, the palace's most elegant assembly room was in fact a bloody battlefield. This was a world of skulduggery, politicking, wigs and beauty-spots, where fans whistled open like flick-knives.
See all Product Description
Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?

› Explore similar items

Customer Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
31 reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
66 of 68 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars fascinating book - the people leap into life 13 May 2010
By L. S. Sinclair
Format:Hardcover
I loved the cover of this book with the depiction of the courtiers and elegant scrolled metallic writing. However not to judge the book by the cover I plunged in - and had to force myself to emerge from the pages.Molly Lepel her husband the bisexual John Hervey, the fascinating Queen Caroline with the fiery King George II. Even the tactiturn George Lewis with his exotic Turkish attendants spring into life showing the colour and decadence of the Georgian court.
The accounts of medical procedures caused me to shudder in sympathy with Caroline and I was fascinated by Peter the wild boy.
The museums, the novelties, the pastimes - all appealed to me.
Court ettiquette is discussed in detail with the fashions and wonderful names for the different styles of mens wigs including snail back.
My only gripe is the length of the book. I would love it to be double the size.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
54 of 56 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars history "lite", but very enjoyable nonetheless 9 May 2010
By isabel in the kitchen
Format:Hardcover
The scene: Kensington Place in the early eighteenth century. The main characters are a disparate and motley bunch: Prince George Augustus(later to become George the Second), his wife, the "fat, funny and adorable" Princess Caroline and Henrietta Howard the mistress Prince George thought due to his position rather than his desire. Then there is the ubiquitous Lord Hervey, Peter the Wild Boy and Mustafa and Mohammed George's Turkish servants. One of Mohammed's duties was to treat George's haemorrhoids while Mustapha dealt with his laxatives.

The wide-ranging supporting cast is as full as the whole court itself and features such characters as the enchanting Molly Lepel who was rather too fond of the bottle and the unloved heir to the throne Prince Frederick.

Concentrating on the lives of the main characters the book ranges widely throughout the life of George the Second as both prince and king and paints a vivid portrait of the preoccupations of court life: an endless round of back-biting, place-seeking, scandal political and sexual, strict attention to etiquette and endless games of cards to kill time.

Nothing is gone into very deeply but it is a highly enjoyable and engaging romp through the largely overlooked period of the reigns of the first two Georges. It left me wanting to know much more, especially about Caroline, acknowledged to be "the cleverest queen consort ever to sit on the throne".

Frothy as the lace ruffles on the court ladies gowns, this is a highly addictive read.
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book - fascinating stuff! 21 Nov 2010
By Keen Reader TOP 500 REVIEWER
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Very very very good book! Read it in one rainy Sunday from cover to cover (devoured every page, including the Bibliography).

Thoroughly recommended. A great general interest read for anyone with any level of prior knowledge in the Eighteenth century Court and George I and George II's family life. The famous and the unknown people in this world are brought to life in these beautifully written chapters. Very readable - very interesting - very worthwhile!
Comment | 
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes
No
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Were these reviews helpful?   Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars still enjoying it
Marvelous book,You can dip in and out...fascinating,well researched..good illustrations ...am loving it and will continue to.can recommend,can't think of any thing negative.
Published 2 months ago by not a teckie
5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic
I was really and truly blown away by this book. Knowing the stories of almost all the main players it was like rediscovering them in this fantastically written and planned account... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Mr. J. M. Riley
5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing
This book is so engaging (and I find it hard to get into books!!) It gives you and insite into an interesting period of history and is told in a story-like way!! Read more
Published 2 months ago by Emma Williamson
3.0 out of 5 stars History of the Georgian Court
I bought the paper back version of this book but I think I should have gone for the hardback,it is quite small so thus any of the pictures are also small.
Published 5 months ago by Ginny
3.0 out of 5 stars An introduction to the Georgian court
I'll be honest, I have read very little about this era and although there were some really good nuggets of information here, it was a bit of a plodding read at times. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Aunt Allie
5.0 out of 5 stars Very informative
Prior to reading this I knew very little about the Georgian period. I found the book easy to read and fascinating. Read more
Published 6 months ago by Nix
3.0 out of 5 stars Worsley's Characters Were Better Than The Story
I bought this book due to two reasons:

1) I believed it would be a captivating read and I purchased it for the little sum of 99p during the Winter Kindle Sales. Read more
Published 6 months ago by SnappedUp4Less
5.0 out of 5 stars Life of Georgian Court
Lucy Worsley, the chief curator of Royal Historic Palace of London, has written a fascinating account of Georgian courtiers life, whlist doing her own research in Kensington... Read more
Published 7 months ago by superblues
5.0 out of 5 stars A really entertaining read
This is popular history at its best - a really engaging read which takes you behind the scenes at the Georgian court and gives an insight into what it was really like to live in... Read more
Published 11 months ago by SJR
3.0 out of 5 stars Disjointed but interesting historical read
I have found this book to be historically interesting and have learnt about the decline of the court in 18th century Britain in a series of light hearted and amusing anecdotes and... Read more
Published 13 months ago by RegencyAddict
Search Customer Reviews
Only search this product's reviews

There's a problem loading this menu at the moment.

Learn more about Amazon Prime.

    Your Shopping Basket is empty.

    Give it purpose -- fill it with books, DVDs, clothes, electronics and more.

    If you already have an account, sign in.

    There's a problem previewing your shopping basket at the moment.

    Check your Internet connection and go to your cart, or try again.

    View Shopping Basket (0 items)

      Customer Discussions

      This product's forum
      Discussion Replies Latest Post
      No discussions yet

      Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
      Start a new discussion
      Topic:
      First post:
      Prompts for sign-in
       

      Search Customer Discussions
      Search all Amazon discussions
         
      Related forums

      Listmania!

      Create a Listmania! list

      Look for similar items by category

      Feedback


      Amazon.co.uk Privacy Statement Amazon.co.uk Delivery Information Amazon.co.uk Returns & Exchanges