Kings & Queens by Ronald Pearsall is without question one of the most informative and interesting pieces of work on history of any sort, and is so in a brief and entertaining fashion. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about British monarchy. Before I picked it up, I had only a marginal knowledge about the history of the throne, but after reading through the book (and reading about the interesting monarchs again), I feel like I have a very respectable amount of knowledge on the subject. Not only does Pearsall's witty style draw the reader in, but the pictures of each monarch leave as much an imprint on the mind as the text.

This is a must buy for students of British history.

I had the preconceived idea that Victorians were sexleess,this book disproves that.My one complaint is that it is too long and often repeats examples.

Utterly fascinating account of the Victorian moral universe, including much about the personal proclivities and dysfunctions of the great men and women of the time. It should be mandatory reading for anyone attempting to tackle Victorian literature or history in any serious way, on the very un-Victorian principle that to understand a person (or a nation, or a whole historical era), one should know something of their nocturnal shadow-side. As an example, the reader should look to the life of the eminent prime minister Gladstone, who performed his moral duty by taking "fallen women" into his care, oblivious of the sexually dubious nature of his activities, at least publicly. His diaries are full of cryptic symbols which the author contends were a code for certain self-directed activities involving a horse-whip. The Victorian period's reputation for moral hypocrisy is addressed deeply here, in the full glare of the horrors underpinning the class system and the era of colonial expansion and triumphalism. This the best thing Pearsall wrote, generous and fertile, and after reading it the first time, it took me five years to find another copy. It's a scandal that this book is out of print.

For the collector this is a book to dream with and display on your coffee table... for someone searching for information and ball park figures on Grandma's attic stuff this lacks both of those.

For the collector who dreams of owning some of these exceptional pieces this book is one to dream with... if you're someone just looking for information and approximate prices on Grandma's old jewelry you'll be let down. This is a coffe table book... beautiful to look at but lacking in substance.

Ronald Pearsall's Illustrated Guide to Collecting Antiques deserves the highest salutation for its excellent graphics, pictures and illustrations. This book is indeed captivating, it would certainly catch the attention of the reader notwithstanding whether he/she is an antique enthusiast or not. The author included a wide variety of antique collections from the usual collectibles like furniture, chinaware, coins to the unusual ones like dollhouses, tobacco pipes and ceramic figurines. One important point raised by the author was that any knick-knack might end up being considered as an antique as long as it is rare and there are people who are interested in the collection. As the book was written from a western point of view, it is less relevant for the Malaysian antique collectors. What might seem collectible in the west may not even be appealing or available for the eastern collector. For example in South East Asia, peranakan furniture and chinaware are some of the most sought after antiques. However in the west, this collection does not seem to have its corresponding demand. It is dully noted that the author hypothesis that antique collection is more often unique to a certain geographic location and a certain time period. The secret to a successful collection is the right timing and the right place. Overall, this book would be very well recommended for readers who are interested in collecting antique as a hobby or business. Although the depth of the subject is questionable, nevertheless this book remains captivating and exhilarating to any curious reader.

I absolutely agree with the first review. Ihe information in the book was poorly researched and the author was patronizing, at best. What bothered me the most was the lack of care regarding source checking, which could have easily been done considering all the accessible information around these days. My copy of this book is in the garage waiting to be "sold" at the next garage sale. Good riddance!

As an antique doll afficianado & collector, I need accurate information. Seems like this book was just thrown together to tap into the doll collectors' market, without any sense of real knowledge about antique dolls. Some info on the dolls is inaccurate or wrong. Typos. Scant and superfluous text. I do not get the sense that this author has a love for dolls nor a true knowledge to share with doll afficianados.

I say, save your money.

This book does not live up to its title. It is a very superficial review of the subject. It contains an extensive amount of typographical errors; so many typos that it distracts you from the text. I would not recommend this book.