This book is a must for those readers interested in the history of the British Monarchy. The authors and editors have masterly created both an historical perspective of the institution as well as a personal viewpoint which is both critical and sentimental. Some may be turned off by the length of this book, but once you begin reading, you'll wonder where the time goes. And the wonderful photographs and illustrations bring their words to life.

The descendants of William the Conqueror remained on the throne in England until the Battle of Bosworth in 1485, and while the victor, crowned Henry VII, had Lancastrian ancestry to give legitimacy to his claims, he founded what was more or less a new dynasty. And while there have been a great many books written about the three Tudor generations in power, not much has been published in accessible form on their deeply Welsh roots. Professor Griffiths pays special attention to the activities of Henry Tudor and his near relatives in exile, of particular interest (to me) are the several excellent chapters on the Celtic genesis of the family, the connection with Owen Glendower, and the marriage connections they established.