Books about Monarchy

  1. The Six Wives of Henry VIII

    by Alison Weir
    A historical account of the tumultuous lives of Henry VIII's six wives, their political and religious struggles.

    The tempestuous, bloody, and splendid reign of Henry VIII of England (1509-1547) is one of the most fascinating in all history, not least for his marriage to six extraordinary women. In this ... (Goodreads)

  2. The Life of Elizabeth I

    by Alison Weir
    Biography of the influential 16th-century English queen, detailing her rise to power and rule.

    NEW YORK TIMES, BESTSELLER Perhaps the most influential sovereign England has ever known, Queen Elizabeth I remained an extremely private person throughout her reign, keeping her own counsel and ... (Goodreads)

  3. Titus Groan

    by Mervyn Peake
    A young man's rise to power in a decaying castle, amidst a backdrop of a decaying world.

    The novel begins as the imperious and ritual-driven servant Mr. Flay seeks to tell someone new of the birth of an heir to the House of Groan in a remote part of the sprawling castle of Gormenghast. A ... (Wikipedia)

  4. Marie Antoinette: The Journey

    by Antonia Fraser
    A biography of Marie Antoinette, from her childhood in Austria to her reign as Queen of France and eventual execution during the French Revolution.

    Marie Antoinette's dramatic life-story continues to arouse mixed emotions. To many people, she is still 'la reine méchante', whose extravagance and frivolity helped to bring down the French monarchy; ... (Goodreads)

  5. The Romanovs: 1613-1918

    by Simon Sebag Montefiore
    An exploration of the 300-year rule of the Romanov dynasty, from its rise to its fall.

    The Romanovs were the most successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world’s surface for three centuries. How did one family turn a war-ruined principality into the world’s greatest ... (Goodreads)

  6. Guards! Guards!: The Play

    by Stephen Briggs
    An imaginative retelling of Terry Pratchett's popular Discworld novel, set in the city of Ankh-Morpork.

    Adapted for the stage by Stephen Briggs, in this book the city of Ankh-Morpork is under threat from a 60 foot fire-breathing dragon, summoned by a secret society of malcontented tradesmen. Defending ... (Goodreads)

  7. Mary, Queen of Scots: Queen Without a Country, France, 1553

    by Kathryn Lasky
    The story of Mary, Queen of Scots, as a young girl in France, navigating political intrigue and her own destiny.

    Mary, the young Scottish queen, is sent a diary from her mother in which she records her experiences living at the court of France's King Henry II as she awaits her marriage to Henry's son, Francis. ... (Goodreads)

  8. The Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia

    by Candace Fleming
    A detailed account of the Romanov family's rise to power, their downfall, and the events leading up to their tragic end.

    Here is the tumultuous, heartrending, true story of the Romanovs—at once an intimate portrait of Russia's last royal family and a gripping account of its undoing. Using captivating photos and ... (Goodreads)

  9. Victoria

    by Daisy Goodwin
    A thrilling tale of love, loss, and self-discovery set in the 19th century British court.

    “They think I am still a little girl who is not capable of being a Queen.”,Lord Melbourne turned to look at Victoria. “They are mistaken. I have not known you long, but I observe in you a natural ... (Goodreads)

  10. Beware, Princess Elizabeth

    by Carolyn Meyer
    A historical fiction novel about the life of Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII, as she navigates the dangerous political landscape of Tudor England.

    Imprisonment. Betrayal. Lost love. Murder. What more must a princess endure? Elizabeth Tudor's teenage and young adult years during the turbulent reigns of Edward and then Mary Tudor are hardly those ... (Goodreads)

  11. The Uncommon Reader

    by Alan Bennett
    A humorous look at the journey of a monarch who discovers the joy of reading.

    The title's "uncommon reader" ( Queen Elizabeth II ) becomes obsessed with books after a chance encounter with a mobile library . The story follows the consequences of this obsession for the Queen, ... (Wikipedia)

  12. Nicholas and Alexandra

    by Robert K. Massie
    An epic saga about the last Tsar of Russia and the fall of the Romanov dynasty.

    The story of the love that ended an empire. In this commanding book, Pulitzer Prize–winning author Robert K. Massie sweeps readers back to the extraordinary world of Imperial Russia to tell the story ... (Goodreads)

  13. Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman

    by Robert K. Massie
    A biography of Catherine the Great, the powerful and controversial Empress of Russia, who transformed her country and left a lasting legacy.

    “[A] tale of power, perseverance and passion . . . a great story in the hands of a master storyteller.”—,The Wall Street Journal, The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and ... (Barnes & Noble)

  14. Victoria The Queen: An Intimate Biography of the Woman Who Ruled an Empire

    by Julia Baird
    Comprehensive account of Queen Victoria's life, from her early childhood to her death.

    The true story for fans of the PBS Masterpiece series Victoria, this page-turning biography reveals the real woman behind the myth: a bold, glamorous, unbreakable queen–a Victoria for our times. ... (Goodreads)

  15. She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth

    by Helen Castor
    A historical account of the powerful women who ruled England before Elizabeth I, challenging the traditional male-dominated narrative of English history.

    When Edward VI - Henry VIII’s longed-for son - died in 1553, extraordinarily, there was no one left to claim the title King of England. For the first time, all the contenders for the crown were ... (Goodreads)

  16. The Six Wives of Henry VIII

    by Antonia Fraser
    Examination of the lives and marriages of the six wives of King Henry VIII.

    In a sweeping narrative, Fraser traces the cultural, familial and political roots of each of Henry's queens, pushes aside the stereotypes that have long defined them, and illuminates the complex ... (Goodreads)

  17. The Romanov Prophecy

    by Steve Berry
    A thrilling journey to uncover a hidden truth about the fall of the Russian monarchy.

    After the communist era and during a time of weak government in a Russia ridden by crime, the Russian people vote to reestablish the monarchy and bring back a new tsar , who will be chosen among the ... (Wikipedia)

  18. Elizabeth the Queen: The Life of a Modern Monarch

    by Sally Bedell Smith
    A comprehensive biography of Queen Elizabeth II, from her childhood to her reign as the longest-reigning monarch in British history.

    NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Perfect for fans of The Crown , this magisterial biography of Queen Elizabeth II is a close-up view of the woman we’ve known only from a distance—and a captivating window ... (Goodreads)

  19. The Children of Henry VIII

    by Alison Weir
    An exploration of the lives and fortunes of Henry VIII's six children.

    At his death in 1547, King Henry VIII left four heirs to the English throne: his only son, the nine-year-old Prince Edward; the Lady Mary, the adult daughter of his first wife, Catherine of Aragon; ... (Goodreads)

  20. Elizabeth: The Struggle for the Throne

    by David Starkey
    An in-depth look at the rise of Queen Elizabeth I, detailing her turbulent and triumphant reign.

    The legend of Elizabeth I, the untouchable, charismatic Virgin Queen, is a powerful and enduring one. Most biographies focus on the years of her reign, during which she proved herself as adept a ... (Goodreads)

  21. The Life and Death of Anne Boleyn

    by Eric Ives
    A detailed account of the rise and fall of Anne Boleyn, second wife of Henry VIII, and her impact on English history.

    This definitive full biography of Anne Boleyn, based on the latest scholarly research, focusses on Anne’s life and legacy and establishes Anne as a figure of considerable importance and influence in ... (Goodreads)

  22. The Virgin's Lover

    by Philippa Gregory
    Historical fiction about the turbulent relationship between Queen Elizabeth I and Robert Dudley.

    The book opens in the autumn of 1558, just after the death of Mary I, and bells are heralding the fact that Mary's half-sister, Elizabeth, is now queen. The book is told from four main perspectives: ... (Wikipedia)

  23. Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII

    by David Starkey
    A historical account of the six wives of Henry VIII, their lives, marriages, and fates.

    No one in history had a more eventful career in matrimony than Henry VIII. His marriages were daring and tumultuous, and made instant legends of six very different women. In this remarkable study, ... (Goodreads)

  24. Henry VIII: The King and His Court

    by Alison Weir
    A detailed account of the life and reign of Henry VIII, focusing on his court and the people who surrounded him.

    Henry VIII, renowned for his command of power and celebrated for his intellect, presided over one of the most magnificent–and dangerous–courts in Renaissance Europe. Never before has a detailed, ... (Goodreads)

  25. Katherine of Aragón: The True Queen

    by Alison Weir
    The first in a series of historical novels about the life of Katherine of Aragón, the first wife of Henry VIII.

    Bestselling author and acclaimed historian Alison Weir takes on what no fiction writer has done before: creating a dramatic six-book series in which each novel covers one of King Henry VIII's wives. ... (Goodreads)

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