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King Charles II [Paperback]

Lady Antonia Fraser (Author)
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
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Book Description

Publication Date: 6 Jun 2002

Following a youth of poverty and bitter exile after his father¿s execution, the ousted king first challenged, then made his magnificent escape from, Cromwell¿s troops before he was eventually restored to his throne in triumph in 1660.

Spanning his life both before and after the Restoration, Antonia Fraser¿s lively and fascinating biography captures all the vitality of the man and the expansiveness of the age.

¿Detailed, sympathetic, and admirably readable¿ ECONOMIST

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Product details

  • Paperback: 544 pages
  • Publisher: Phoenix; New Ed edition (6 Jun 2002)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 075381403X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0753814031
  • Product Dimensions: 12.9 x 4.2 x 19.8 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 96,831 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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More About the Author

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Antonia Fraser
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Product Description

Book Description

¿The fullest and most sophisticated account of the most charming and approachable of English kings¿ OBSERVER

About the Author

Since 1969, Antonia Fraser has written many acclaimed historical works which have been international bestsellers, including Marie Antoinette, Mary Queen of Scots (James Tait Black Memorial Prize), Cromwell: Our Chief of Men, The Six Wives of Henry VIII and The Gunpowder Plot: Terror and Faith in 1605 (St Louis Literary Award; CWA Non-Fiction Gold Dagger). Antonia Fraser was made CBE in 1999, and awarded the Norton Medlicott Medal by the Historical Association in 2000. She is married to the playwright Harold Pinter and lives in London.
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars
16 reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Best monarchical biography I have read 12 Sep 2009
By Dr. G. E. Grant
Format:Paperback
I do not profess to have any great all-consuming interest in history, let alone the period of the Restoration; I read solely for pleasure on a wide range of topics and will quickly drop any book that does not sustain my interest.

I did not come close to wishing to put down this excellent work. Unlike other 'scholarly biographies', Fraser's book is anything but dry, or difficult for a non-expert to follow. It paints a very clear picture not only of Charles, but of his family members, court and acolytes such that by the end I really felt that I had an understanding of the man - his personality, his sense of humour, his temperament and the events that shaped him as a king. The events of his reign are consistently presented with humour and verve, with even the internecine events of the Commonwealth and post-restoration Dutch Wars, and Charles' struggles with parliament easy to follow, and made entertaining. The early part of the book, regarding Charles' flight after the battle of Worcester even reads like an adventure story, without losing authenticity, accuracy or scholarship.

My sole criticism is that in writing the book Fraser seems to have become rather attached to the figure of Charles (who does admittedly seem, on the whole, an attractive and witty personality) to the point where she appears to make excuses for his mistakes, and perhaps defends his corner a little too vigorously. Nonetheless, I would thoroughly recommend this as an entertaining and enlightening book for the general reader.
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11 of 13 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Well written, but too one-sided in tone 17 Dec 2008
By John Hopper TOP 1000 REVIEWER VINE™ VOICE
Format:Paperback
A colourful, well written and comprehensive biography. However, the author comes across as very pro-Charles and pro-Royalist, sometimes to the point of sycophancy. That said, I understand that she is also quite sympathetic to Cromwell in her biography of him (though not here), so maybe in part at least her attitude reflects a close identification with a subject she must spend a lot of time focusing on, given the length and thoroughness of her works.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars King Charles II 24 Oct 2011
By Mr. Charles I. Hunt
Format:Hardcover
The authoress sets out to inform and entertain, she never bores. She clearly had great sympathy for her subject and treats him in a humane way. The book gripped me from start to finish. She explains much of the second half of his life by reference to the first half, the war years and years of exile. I am convinced that this particular biography will still be in print for decades to come. I recommend it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars An interesting subject
Well written
But a bit over long too many French phrases that I didn't understand. If uoy are writing in English it 's not that clever to add foreign phrases.
Published 18 days ago by Bill Hodges
5.0 out of 5 stars A very good book.
Antonia Fraser again gives an excellent account of England before and after the Restoration. Also she gets into the character of Charles the Second, hie early life and years in... Read more
Published 1 month ago by foxglove
3.0 out of 5 stars A very good book
Very good. The way it was written was great, tell the story of Charles II very well. The copy was also in very good condition.
Published 2 months ago by Bethany Whitaker
3.0 out of 5 stars I dont't know English history well enough to fully enjoy this book
This book is not for beginners in 17th century English history, but at least I learned a lot. A good portrait of a prince leading a diffucult life, and the rather severe style... Read more
Published 3 months ago by tricoteuse
4.0 out of 5 stars A wonderful read
One of the best historical biographies I have read. Antonia Fraser somehow manages to get to the heart of the matter and makes you think you really know Charles 11. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Annabelle
3.0 out of 5 stars Fine
The book arrived within the specified time. The corner on the back of the book had been ripped off however, this wasn't mentioned when I bought it so I was disappointed with this. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Aoife
4.0 out of 5 stars an admirable biography of an intriguing man
Having recently read Diane Purkiss' magnificent book on the English Civil War The English Civil War: A People's History sparked my interest in what happened next so - since the... Read more
Published on 15 Sep 2010 by Didier
4.0 out of 5 stars Another great biography from Antonia Fraser
Another great biography from Antonia Fraser that readily captures the extraordary times and the extraordiary man. Read more
Published on 29 July 2009 by Skirmish
3.0 out of 5 stars At times very confusing
I greatly enjoyed Antonia Fraser's The Gunpowder Plot, The Six Wives of Henry VIII and The Weaker Vessel, but this biography of Charles II is slightly disappointing. Read more
Published on 7 Aug 2006 by Catfish
4.0 out of 5 stars Comprehensive, but not for the average reader
Fraser's biography of Charles II is certainly a scholarly work; it is full of detail and background. Read more
Published on 17 Jun 2004 by c d falker
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