A well-done biography of the last Austrian Emperor and Hungarian King. The most illuminating parts of the book are after Emperor Charles leaves the thrones in 1918, where most history books forget about him. The nearly unknown story of how he almost regained the Hungarian throne in 1921, and might thereby have changed history, as well as how he was thwarted in this through treachery (something else the history books fail to properly report) makes for suspenseful reading. The sad story of how he died, poverty stricken and a prisoner of the countries who feared his influence as King of Hungary might overturn the World War I territorial settlement, is heart-rending. A quick, easy and enjoyable read.