The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy (Oxford Illustrated Histories) - Hardcover

Cannon, John; Griffiths, Ralph

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0198227868 ISBN 13: 9780198227861

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1988

Synopsis

The rich pageant of Britain's history emerges nowhere more colorfully than in the story of its kings and queens. This spectacular book offers the most authoritative account of the British monarchy ever published for the general reader. With over 400 illustrations--a third of them in color--it traces the crown's full history from Anglo-Saxon times to the present.
The authors present a vivid picture of the lives of individual monarchs as well as of the monarchy as a political and social force. They begin the story in the fifth century with the rise of recognizable kingdoms in Scotland, Wales, and England and conclude with a discussion of the crown's constitutional role, which emerged in Queen Victoria's reign, and how this has affected the symbolic and popular monarchy of today. Along the way, we gain a clear view of how key traditions evolved: the right of succession, coronations and marriages, oaths of loyalty and military service, the granting of lands and titles, and the propagation of a powerful image of royalty.
The book not only explains the monarch's political struggles and styles of governing; it is filled with fascinating details that give the story life. We learn, for instance, that Elizabeth I's famous journeys to various corners of her realm were not simply to show her off to her subjects: "The standard of Tudor sanitation," the authors note, "meant that the royal palaces became unbearable after several weeks of occupation and the court's absence for several months in the summer gave an opportunity to clean up." We discover that Victoria's coronation was "a splendid mixture of majesty and muddle": when it came time for the Archbishop to bestow the ceremonial ring, the already befuddled cleric placed it on the Queen's wrong finger, "causing considerable delay [and] some pain." And we read George VI's touching wedding message to his daughter (the present queen): "Your leaving us has left a great blank in our lives but do remember that your old home is still yours."
Supporting the text and carefully selected pictures are sidebars on each of the monarchs and on key general themes; color maps; an illustrated section on royal residences and tombs; a consolidated list of monarchs; genealogies; annotated lists of further reading; and a full index with personal dates.

About this title

About the Author:

About the Authors:
John Cannon is Professor of History at the University of Newcastle. Ralph Griffiths is Professor of History at University College of Swansea.

Review:

'best value as an impressive present is The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy. It weighs in at over two kilos, which is not to imply in any way heavy reading ... This is a valuable and most readable work of scholarship and reference.'
The Times

'The most ambitious of the new volumes on the monarchy is the Oxford Illustrated History: a lavishly illustrated 727 page monster offered at a bargain price.'
TES

'what a feast ... Two industrious historians ... have between them produced a sumptuously illustrated volume that like all good works of reference lends itself to browsing.'
Kenneth Rose, Sunday Telegraph

'These two authors bring the monarchy alive and demonstrate why it has survived and probably will continue to do so. It is an endlessly browseable book.'
Herts Advertiser

'The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy is probably the most authoritative account of the British Monarchy ever published for the general reader.'
Herts Advertiser

'Not too scholarly, not too simplistic, it should be a popular purchase for both reference and general reading.'
The Lady

'Big and beautiful, this lushly illustrated volume ... a swiftly moving but comprehensive narrative ... This book is perfectly suited to the general reader: lovely to look at, wonderfully helpful as a source of specific information, a delight to read straight through.'
Booklist

'A splendid guide for the general reader ... in a style that is scholarly but readable.'
Northern Echo

'a monumental work'
The West Country Sunday Independent

'Another title which inspires a lot of favourable comment is The Oxford Illustrated History of the British Monarchy, with near on 1,000 pages for -19.50. "It has all the ingredients - lovely to look at and a subject people like", says Tim Coates whose favourite it is and it should be a big
title for Sherrat and Hughes. "It's very readable and beautifully illustrated, and walking off the shelves", says Peter Straunch at Dillons.'
Bookseller

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0198227868
• ISBN 13: 9780198227861
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 744