I have been trying to catch up with the books piled high on my cocktail table, some to read, some to read and review. Here are three books that will -- I hope -- appeal to my readers.
The first is David Carpenter's Henry III The Rise to Power and Personal Rule 1207-1258, the first volume of what can only be described as groundbreaking and first-rate scholarly achievement.
David Carpenter is a Professor of Medieval History at King's College in London. The life and reign of Henry III have been his life's work. He was the son of King John and Isabella of Angouleme and was only nine years old when he succeeded his father.
We are treated to nearly 800 pages of pure scholarship and research into Henry's life and reign that delves into his life and the roles of politics and religion during his reign.
This book is a master class in scholarly writing and research. Every modern royal biographer should read Henry III to see how a true biographer tackles his subject.
Henry III The Rise to Power and Personal Rule was published by Yale University Press. This is the first of 2 volumes in Yale's English Monarch Series.
I thoroughly enjoyed Bryan Kozlowski's Long Live the Queen, which has the subtitle 23 Rules of Living from Britain's Longest Reigning Monarch. You might be thinking that this is a humorous book. It isn't. Kozlowski has written a detailed, fascinating book about Queen Elizabeth, her life, and her relationship with other people, including family members and politicians.
The book is also impeccably researched -- source notes and citations. My favorite rule is 21 "Jubilee Me Life Gets Better after 80." You might think that this chapter is about jubilees, but it is not. The author focuses on the tradition in the life of the sovereign, a tradition that can include jubilee and other celebratory events.
It is believed that "London Bridge is down" will be the statement that will let the Prime Minister know that the queen is dead. Kozlowski writes that the Queen's funeral will be the bridge that connects us all to the next royal adventure."
This book was so engrossing, so enjoyable, steeped with history and wit, that I could not put it down and read it in one sitting.
Turner Publishing has published the book in hardcover and paperback editions.
French royal genealogist Thierry LeHete is a noted expert of the Capét dynasty. His newest achievement is La dynastie capétienne VIII - XXI siecle. Tome 1 La descendance Légitime, is a study of the main and collateral branches of the Bourbons - the Spanish, French, Luxembourg, and numerous noble lines. He also includes the16 quartiers for the sovereigns and heads of the royal branches, including France, Spain, Luxembourg, Bourbon-Two-Sicilies, and Bourbon-Parma.
This book includes more than 300 pages of genealogical tables and historical data on the different branches of the Bourbon dynasty.
La dynastie capétienne VIII - XXI siecle can be ordered directly from the Genenet
or from the author at 4 rue Louis Ruel 76350 OISSEL SUR SEINE - FRANCE
