Courtiers
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £2.95
Trade in Courtiers: The Secret History of the Georgian Court: The Secret History of Kensington Palace for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £2.95, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Plus, get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'Perhaps now the definitive work on the early Hanoverian court ... The depth of Worsley's scholarship is demonstrated by the absence of fudged details. She clarifies points of etiquette and toilette, for example, that most historians of the 18th century only half understand ... As in her previous book, Cavalier, Worsley's style is wonderfully readable and her talent for empathy enormous.' --Ophelia Field, Sunday Telegraph
'As chief curator of the Historic Royal Palaces charity Worsley couldn't have been in a better position to winkle out the secrets of one of the palaces under her aegis. She has written a book that vividly brings to life the reigns of the first Hanoverian monarchs and almost humanises the two Georges ... One of the most appealing characters is Caroline of Ansbach, queen to George II, a woman who would rather have been a philosopher than a ruler, ill-treated yet loved by her husband. Her agonising end, brilliantly described, brought me to tears ... A compelling book.' --Peter Burton, Daily Express
'Worsley is excellent in her descriptions of court life and the tedium endured by those whom ambition subjected to it. She has a keen eye for oddity, offering nice character sketches. She is very agreeably informative about the lives of below-stairs servants, as well as ladies-in-waiting and equerries and other officials... This is an engaging, splendidly readable account of the first two Georgian courts.' --Allan Massie, Spectator
'As chief curator of the Historic Royal Palaces charity Worsley couldn't have been in a better position to winkle out the secrets of one of the palaces under her aegis. She has written a book that vividly brings to life the reigns of the first Hanoverian monarchs and almost humanises the two Georges ... One of the most appealing characters is Caroline of Ansbach, queen to George II, a woman who would rather have been a philosopher than a ruler, ill-treated yet loved by her husband. Her agonising end, brilliantly described, brought me to tears ... A compelling book.' --Peter Burton, Daily Express
'Worsley is excellent in her descriptions of court life and the tedium endured by those whom ambition subjected to it. She has a keen eye for oddity, offering nice character sketches. She is very agreeably informative about the lives of below-stairs servants, as well as ladies-in-waiting and equerries and other officials... This is an engaging, splendidly readable account of the first two Georgian courts.' --Allan Massie, Spectator
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.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
63 of 65 people found the following review helpful
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.
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.
53 of 55 people found the following review helpful
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.
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.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
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!
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!
Most Recent Customer Reviews
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 1 month ago by RegencyAddict
Fascinating insight
I read this book after visiting Kensington Palace in August 2011, loved the palace and thoroughly enjoyed the book. Read more
Published 4 months ago by lilyrhodes
Great fun and full of information
This is a fascinating book. Lucy Worsley has written an account of the courts of the Hanoverian Georges by highlighting a few of the people who lived and worked there. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Mrs. K. A. P. Wright
Courtiers, The Secret History of the Georgian Court.
I found this book very interesting. Lucy Worsley has done a lot of research into this historical period and her portrayal of the Georgian Court is so vivid, she transports you to... Read more
Published 5 months ago by tobykin
Courtiers
Make no mistake this is no ordinary book. Open the cover and you are transported to the Georgian court. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Lady from Plymouth
COURTIIERS by Lucy Worsley
Personal historys of George 1st and 2nd courts. Lucy Worsley using contempory writings weaves a magical path through the intrigues of the Geogian courts. Read more
Published 7 months ago by DJ
A right royal Christmas present
This book describes people's everyday lives - the gameplaying, the push and shove to the top, and the utter vanity behind it all when you reach the very summit of society. Read more
Published 7 months ago by beth lamb
Really fascinating!
I bought this book when it was in the Amazon Kindle sale, otherwise it wouldn't have even been on my radar. I've never really been into Georgian history. Read more
Published 8 months ago by S. Pomfrett
An excellent read
A great read which brings to life the court of George I and George II. Its a wonderful view of social history of the time and helps the reader to understand some of the... Read more
Published 8 months ago by Aligirlbear
Fantastic
One of the best history books I have read for some time. The author's enthusiasm for the subject comes over in every page. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Mr. M. J. Payne
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > History > Britain & Ireland > Ireland
- Books > History > Cultural History > London
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
