In this classic work, Peter Hammond and the late V.B. Lamb survey the life and times of Richard III and examine the contemporary evidence for the events of his reign, tracing the origins of the traditional version of his career as a murderous tyrant and its development since his death. The evident grief of the citizens of York on hearing of the death of Richard III — recording in the Council Minutes that he had been 'piteously slane and murdered to the Grete hevynesse of t...

Prince William and Kate Middleton's fairytale romance is the greatest love story of the century, with a happy ending to come – a Royal wedding that will truly capture the hearts of the British people.Will was the boy who would one day be king; Kate was the middle class girl who had harboured a crush on him since her school days. Both were new students at the University of St Andrews in 2001, facing the same challenges that any new student faces – away from the family nest and striv...

From Nero's nagging mother (whom he found especially annoying after taking her as his lover) to Catherine's stable of studs (not of the equine variety), here is a wickedly delightful look at the most scandalous royal doings you never learned about in history class.Gleeful, naughty, sometimes perverted-like so many of the crowned heads themselves-A Treasury of Royal Scandals presents the best (the worst?) of royal misbehavior through the ages. From ancient Rome to E...

When Edward IV died in 1483, the Yorkist succession was called into question by doubts about the legitimacy of his sons (the 'Princes in the Tower'). The crown therefore passed to Edward IV's undoubtedly legitimate younger brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester. But Richard, too, found himself entangled in the web of uncertainly, since those who believed in the legitimacy of Edward IV's children viewed Richard III's own accession with suspicion.From the day that Edwa...

"Alexandra's story is heartbreaking" and this New York Times–bestselling author "excels in the details" in this biography of the last Russian Empress ( Chicago Tribune).Taking advantage of material unavailable until the fall of the Soviet Union, Erickson portrays Alexandra's story as a closely observed, enthrallingly documented, progressive psychological retreat from reality.The lives of the Romanovs were full of color and drama, but the per...

A scandalous rundown of the life and sad death of Princess Diana, the queen of British hearts. From the fairytale wedding to the faithless Charles, through the suicide bids and bulimia, on to her own affairs, Dodi Fayed, and the final tragedy in that Parisian tunnel. This is a brief but eminently readable story of one of the great tragic royal figures of modern times.

As the son of Mary Queen of Scots, born into her 'bloody nest', James had the most precarious of childhoods. Even before his birth, his life was threatened: it was rumoured that his father, Henry, had tried to make the pregnant Mary miscarry by forcing her to witness the assassination of her supposed lover, David Riccio. By the time James was one year old, Henry was murdered, possibly with the connivance of Mary; Mary was in exile in England; and James was King of Scotland. By the age of f...

In "Louis XIV," John S. C. Abbott presents an intricate portrait of the Sun King, weaving together historical narrative and vibrant character exploration. Abbott employs a vivid literary style, rich in detail and clarity, which captivates readers while providing insights into the complexities of 17th-century France. This work situates itself within the context of biographical literature, aiming to illuminate the political and cultural ramifications of Louis XIV's reign, showcasing his stra...

Cyrus the Great, also known as Cyrus the Elder, was the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. Under his rule, the empire embraced all the previous civilized states of the ancient Near East,[9] expanded vastly and eventually conquered most of Southwest Asia and much of Central Asia and the Caucasus. From the Mediterranean Sea and Hellespont in the west to the Indus River in the east, Cyrus the Great created the largest empire the world had yet seen. His regal titles in full were The Great King,...

Elizabeth I is perhaps England's most famous monarch. Born in 1533, the product of the doomed marriage of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth was heir to her father's title, then disinherited and finally imprisoned her half sister Mary. Her childhood was one of fear and danger, she was aware from the outset that the eyes of the world were upon her and that to survive she would have to rely on her own judgement and strength of character. Many tried to use her for their ow...

Here is the whole of recorded British royal history, from the legendary King Alfred the Great onwards, including the monarchies of England, Scotland, Wales and the United Kingdom for over a thousand years. Fascinating portraits are expertly woven into a history of division and eventual union of the British Isles - even royals we think most familiar are revealed in a new and sometimes surprising light.This revised and shortened edition of The Mammoth Book of British Kings & Queens i...