Review
‘Eminently readable…Starkey is particularly good at explaining the shifting tone of monarchical power…“Crown and Country” is a masterpiece of accessible history, underscored with profound scholarship…the author’s passion for his subject, the royal tale of England, which is the backbone of this nation’s story explodes from every page. I defy anybody not to enjoy this book.’ Guardian
‘Entertaining…Starkey writes with the snappy zest of an unrepentant telly-don…he has a lovely eye for a good story…he also has a nice line in snarky humour…Starkey’s great skill is to weave big themes quietly into a rollicking narrative so that you absorb them almost without noticing they are there.’ Daily Telegraph
‘Excellent…the really crucial events in the history of the British Monarchy…are assessed with authority, wisdom and wit…This is Starkey at his fluent and entertaining best.’ Sunday Telegraph
‘This book…is vivid, lucid and engaging…his judgements delivered with quasi-Pontifical assurance are often acute…a very enjoyable book.’ Daily Telegraph
‘David Starkey tours England's monarchical horizon with gusto.’ Sunday Times
‘Starkey brings the past to vivid life.’ Daily Express
‘Combines compelling narrative and lucid analysis to guide us with a sure hand…Starkey’s book will undoubtedly make him and his publishers a tidy profit.’ Spectator
From the Back Cover
From one of our finest historians comes an outstanding exploration of the British monarchy from the retreat of the Romans up until the modern day.
The monarchy is one of Britain’s most venerable and revered institutions – but also one of its most volatile. Starkey brings the tempestuous story up to the present, guiding us through the dissolution of the marriage between Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, with a new chapter on the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, royal weddings and the future of monarchy.
Throughout, Starkey highlights both the strength and the terrible fragility of an institution that has seemed, at times, perilously close to extinction. He offers not only a brilliant overview of British history through her kings and queens but also a vivid portrait of British culture, politics and nationhood, embodied in an institution that has defined the realm for nearly two thousand years.
‘Excellent…the really crucial events in the history of the British Monarchy…are assessed with authority, wisdom and wit…This is Starkey at his fluent and entertaining best’ Sunday Telegraph
--This text refers to the
Paperback
edition.
