The King's Touch
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"Conjuring up the politics, fears, and licentious behavior of the Restoration court, Jude Morgan is careful to challenge the preconceptions of his historical characters."
Product Description
Restored to the British throne in 1660 after years of exile, Charles II began a reign famous for dramatic events (the Plague, the Great Fire, the Dutch Wars), the flowering of science and the arts, and for notorious sexual liaisons. With a bevy of mistresses and flamboyantly addicted to high living, the Merry Monarch successfully presided over ‘Merry Olde England’ in an age of intrigue and religious dissent. When his tolerance extended to acknowledging his illegitimate son at court, James’s life changed out of all recognition. This is the story of a remarkable man, and the spectacular upheavals and reverses of the time, told through the eyes of his illegitimate son, James, Duke of Monmouth.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
.. Ok, well, not quite for dummies, as Jude once again displays his overwhelming penmanship in a story that you could almost believe was fiction, but nevertheless is fact.
His portrayal of the time of Charles II is vivid and encapsulating. His illegitimate son, Jemmy, (whom history appears to despise) is given a sympathetic airing, and one can't help but wonder exactly what is the true story.
I adored the book, set in a period I knew nothing about (Jude keeps exposing huge gaps in my knowledge!) and am anxiously awaiting my husband reading it so I can discuss fully!
Jude Morgan brings history to life - he is a marvel.
His portrayal of the time of Charles II is vivid and encapsulating. His illegitimate son, Jemmy, (whom history appears to despise) is given a sympathetic airing, and one can't help but wonder exactly what is the true story.
I adored the book, set in a period I knew nothing about (Jude keeps exposing huge gaps in my knowledge!) and am anxiously awaiting my husband reading it so I can discuss fully!
Jude Morgan brings history to life - he is a marvel.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Beautiful prose and characterizations, but the slower pace will not appeal to all readers
18 Oct 2008
Format:Paperback
The King's Touch is the story of Charles II's illegitimate son Jemmy, James Duke of Monmouth. Written in the first person POV, Jemmy recounts his life story from being removed by Charles from his mother's care, through his relationship with his father and his aunt Minnette, Charles' restoration to the English Crown and finally ending at the start of the Monmouth Rebellion at Charles' death. The life and reign of Charles II and the main characters (and Charles' many mistresses) are fairly well known, and not worth rehashing further.
Those looking for an action packed, bawdy romp through the Courts of Charles II should look elsewhere, this is not the book for you - I'd recommend Forever Amber. Yes, we see his mistresses and the intrigues and scandals of the Restoration period, but in lesser degree - even the plague and the great fire of London are almost afterthoughts in the story. As other reviewers have noted, what this book is about is Jemmy and his relationship with his very enigmatic father as Jemmy struggles to come to grips with his illegitimacy as others intrigue to have him declared legitimate and the true heir to the crown.
As stated previously, this is not a fast paced book and one that should be read in small doses so you can sit back and savor them slowly like you would a very decadent truffle or a fine glass of red wine (or both!!). Unfortunately for me, I had this as an interlibrary loan and not renewable and found myself under the gun at the last minute to blow through 500 + pages and I feel it impacted my enjoyment of this a bit. 4/5 stars.
Those looking for an action packed, bawdy romp through the Courts of Charles II should look elsewhere, this is not the book for you - I'd recommend Forever Amber. Yes, we see his mistresses and the intrigues and scandals of the Restoration period, but in lesser degree - even the plague and the great fire of London are almost afterthoughts in the story. As other reviewers have noted, what this book is about is Jemmy and his relationship with his very enigmatic father as Jemmy struggles to come to grips with his illegitimacy as others intrigue to have him declared legitimate and the true heir to the crown.
As stated previously, this is not a fast paced book and one that should be read in small doses so you can sit back and savor them slowly like you would a very decadent truffle or a fine glass of red wine (or both!!). Unfortunately for me, I had this as an interlibrary loan and not renewable and found myself under the gun at the last minute to blow through 500 + pages and I feel it impacted my enjoyment of this a bit. 4/5 stars.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book started off very slowly, and I almost gave up on it, when suddenly it took off like a bullet. When James (or "Jemmy") returns to England in order to be part of Charles II's Court, this novel became a page-turner of the best variety.
Concentrating on my favorite aspect of historical writing - the people, Jude Morgan writes about the complex relationship between Jemmy and his father, the King. The King gives favor upon favor to Jemmy, leading him to believe that he will eventually be acknowledged as Charles' legitimate son. Meanwhile, Jemmy's Uncle James lurks in the background like an evil spectre.
Nobody here is without their flaws. Jemmy is prideful and sometimes arrogant, Charles is inscrutable and mercurial. The two characters who are the most likable are William of Orange and, unsurprisingly, Nell Gwynne.
I came to this novel knowing absolutely nothing about the Restoration or about the Duke of Monmouth. Now I can't wait to learn more. What higher praise can one give?
Concentrating on my favorite aspect of historical writing - the people, Jude Morgan writes about the complex relationship between Jemmy and his father, the King. The King gives favor upon favor to Jemmy, leading him to believe that he will eventually be acknowledged as Charles' legitimate son. Meanwhile, Jemmy's Uncle James lurks in the background like an evil spectre.
Nobody here is without their flaws. Jemmy is prideful and sometimes arrogant, Charles is inscrutable and mercurial. The two characters who are the most likable are William of Orange and, unsurprisingly, Nell Gwynne.
I came to this novel knowing absolutely nothing about the Restoration or about the Duke of Monmouth. Now I can't wait to learn more. What higher praise can one give?
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A Truly Good Read
The author has clearly got the ability to provide all the relevant historical informaion without pages of dull narrative, which makes this book one of those that you can sit down... Read more
Published on 18 Nov 2007 by Colette Waitt
sorry to disagree...
... but unlike the other reviewers here I didn't feel that this book ever came to life at all. The central character of Jemmy was so bland and undelineated that seeing everything... Read more
Published on 25 Oct 2006 by Roman Clodia
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