Prince of Pleasure: George IV

Chronicles the reign of George IV, capturing the sexual intrigue and financial improvidence that defined the Regency period

Described as "a man who would prefer a girl and a bottle to politics and a sermon," George Augustus Frederick (1762-1830), the oldest son of King George III, was a pivotal and highly controversial figure in England's Regency period. Although his scandalous liaisons with prostitutes and duchesses, a "secret" marriage to his true love-the Catholic Mrs. Fitzherbert-and a publicly ridiculed (bigamous) marriage to Caroline of Brunswick threatened to eclipse his contributions to British history, Saul David's engrossing biography Prince of Pleasure shows a man of high intelligence and political ambition.

His actions reflected the ambivalent relationship of the monarchy to Parliament at a time when the nation was infected by revolution fervor in America and France.

The participation of George IV in public affairs had enduring positive influences. His support for overseas campaigns against Napoleon, culminating in such historic victories as Trafalgar and Waterloo, consolidated Britain's status as the preeminent world power amid the great social and economic upheavals of the industrial revolution. His passion for the arts left England with cultural legacies such as the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, Regent's Park and the National Portrait Gallery in London, and the defining architectural image of Regency style.

At once farce, tragedy, and melodrama, the story of George IV is depicted with artistry and great force, introducing a cast of contemporary figures such as Beau Brummell, Lord Byron, and Jane Austen. Drawing on a wealth of original accounts of life in Georgian Britain, Saul David has created a biography of extraordinary caliber, painting a brilliantly detailed portrait of the man who faced ruthless ridicule for his private life and who lived at the center of a nation in the throws of great change. Acclaim for Prince of Pleasure:

"A highly accomplished biography, thoroughly researched and extremely entertaining."-Christopher Hibbert

"David has produced a worthy work that deserves to be read. He is a historian of enormous promise."-Amanda Foreman, Sunday Times (London)

Saul David was born in 1966 and educated at Edinburgh University. He has written several books, including the acclaimed The Homicidal Earl: The Life of Lord Cardigan. He lives near Monmouth, England, with his wife and daughter.