This tells the story of Charles II in Restoration England; seen through the eyes of his wife, Queen Catherine of Braganza and Barbara Villiers, his greedy and sensual mistress.

Charles III was the son of the much-maligned King Philip V (the first Bourbon to sit on the Spanish throne) and Philip's redoubtable second wife, Elizabeth Farnese. His early adulthood was spent in virtual training to be a great king, serving as a junior prince in the Spanish possessions of Parma (Italy) and later the "Kingdom of Naples" (Napoli and Sicily). As King of Spain (and thus, by extension, monarch of Latin America) he is remembered as a modernizer; in Petrie's words, he need not fear comparison with Frederick the Great. Yet, like Fred, he had his share of disasters, most notably his decision to join the losing side (France) in the Seven Years' War, being forced to cede Florida and Minorca in the 1763 peace settlement . Charles III is also a major, if neglected, player in the Wars of the American Revolution. His siege of Gibraltar, while unsuccessful, tied up British resources that could have been used to fight in the colonies. And his generals' successful campaigning in Pensacola and elswehere ensured that Florida and Minorca reverted back to Spain in the Peace of 1783, thus paving the way for Florida's eventual cession in 1819 to the United States. As Petrie notes, had the British retained control of Florida, it might, like Canada, have remained separate forever! This is not what modern writers call a "personal biography"; it is more the story of "the man and his times." But Petrie writes exceptionally well, and this remains the best popular history in English concerning Spanish history in the mid-18th century.

For anyone interested in the history of the English monarchy and the Civil War, this is a great book. It is well researched, elegantly written, and provides a fascinating insight into this melancholy, intellectual and kind-hearted man who proved himself, in many ways, spectacularly ill-suited for kingship. This book deserves to have a place in every history lover's shelf!

This book is both inspiring and informative. Many effective techniques are discussed which can add much to any therapist's list of favorites. You'll refer to it often

Barbara Makanowitzky's history of the conflict between Napoleon and Talleyrand in the last two weeks of Napoleon's reign is a fascinating historical review. While much has been written about the military campaigns of Napoleon, this book is perhaps one of the best at describing why he actually fell from power.

What becomes clear is that even after the debacle in Russia, and the many subsequent defeats during his retreat through Europe, it was not a forgone conclusion that Napoleon, or his surrogate, would still not rule. In fact, from a military point of view, Napoleon did not have to surrender when he did. While Napoleon may have factored in the response of the Allies in determining his future, the one person who he failed to take into consideration was his ex-Foreign Minister Talleyrand.

Talleyrand knew what the Allies should have known. That Europe was not secure until Napoleon was forever removed from the throne of France. It was a tribute to Talleyrand that he was able to maneuver the Allies, French Generals and the French people into assuring that Napoleon or his son would not keep the throne.

The book is well written and although it is full of information flows easily. This is a good read.

As a child, I immensely enjoyed reading this little book. Sure, it's not exactly an in-depth one on the oft-repeated tale of "the once and future king," and it doesn't even really tell us much about his life and times, but it's a nice one to pique the curiosity of young readers.

A good, fun start for kids interested in King Arthur.

To quote from the Introduction, this book "is not primarily concerned with heraldry -- were that so, two dozen illustrations would have sufficed. But to do full justice in terms of graphics, two thousand might not be too many . . . to demonstrate the infinite variety of treatments which are possible still. . . ." The royal achievement, throughout its evolution from the three lions (or leopards?) of Richard I, has been painted on shields and on vellum, inscribed in brass and cast in iron, carved in giant marble blocks and on hanging pub signs, woven into tapestries and worked in petit-point, incised in glass and printed on stationery, and -- most recently -- stamped out in nearly abstract form on polystyrene containers by those holding Royal Appointments. The exquisite and sometimes radical interpretations of many artists may be found here. The royal arms and supporters have been rendered in humorous but friendly style and they have been lampooned and caricatured in decidely unfriendly fashion. A truly beautiful and enlightening art book, of which only one serious complaint may be made: It includes not a single illustration in color!

An excellent book on the life of a First Nations chief at the turn of the century. This book was very intersting to read as a Kwakiutl person. (The term used today is Kwakwakawakw) It allowed myself to learn about the daily life of a typical Kwakiutl Chief during the late 1800's and early 1900's when the first "white" settlers arrived and established a fort. The book does have some faults or drawbacks, as the editor/author writes how the Kwakiutl man spoke English, which is not his first language. At some points the diction can be hard to understand. Other than this minor flaw, the book acurately portrays a young man's life and how he must adapt to the changing world around him. Another book on the same subject, but during a later time period (1920s-1960s), to read is "Guests Never Leave Hungry : The Autobiography of James Sewid, a Kwakiutl Indian" Both books are a must read for anyone interested in Aboriginal life as it changed with the coming of "white" settlers.

You are looking for that perfect Bible verse that will be just the right illustration for the point you are making but where do you start. This book is the first and last place to go to for that answer. The book is broken down by subject in alphabetical order. It is just that simple. A must for pastors and teachers

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I usually hate history books. It describes all the details of the characters and the time period and really made me feel like I was there, too. I have hated history ever since it was required in college, but this story and the detailed characters have made me long to understand more of the actions of the people involved and I'm now voluntarily going to look into more books on the lives and times of the main kings involved: Henry VIII and Louis XII. I definitely recommend it!