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Editorial Reviews
From Nero's nagging mother (whom he found especially annoying after taking her as his lover) to Catherine's stable of studs (not of the equine variety), here is a wickedly delightful look at the most scandalous royal doings you never learned about in history class.Gleeful, naughty, sometimes perverted-like so many of the crowned heads themselves-A Treasury of Royal Scandals presents the best (the worst?) of royal misbehavior through the ages. From ancient Rome to Edwardian England, from the lavish rooms of Versailles to the dankest corners of the Bastille, the great royals of Europe have excelled at savage parenting, deadly rivalry, pathological lust, and meeting death with the utmost indignity-or just very bad luck.
Related Reviews
The subject is a bit shallow, perhaps, but Farquahar's writing is hilarious and you must admit, it's fun. His stories are well researched and accurate portrayals of some shocking, dirty, horrendous, and often VERY funny escapades in the lives of prominent European rulers down through the centuries. If you're not into European history, you'll read it quickly, enjoy the ride, and accidentally learn a lot along the way. If you are, you'll love the refreshingly funny writing style and unique focus (they don't tell you THAT in textbooks!), and you'll appreciate the detailed geneologies in the front and chronologies in the back that are an inestimable help in keeping straight the tangled branches of Europe's royal family trees.
Lots of fun for royal watchers
Michael Farquhar's "A Treasury of Royal Scandals" will delight inveterate royal watchers! As he sniffs in the introduction, he covers not the current crop of royals, as none of them have provided anything worthy of the title of "scandalous," but he goes in-depth to provide us with (as the book is subtitled) "shocking true stories of history's wickedest, weirdest, most wanton kings, queens, tsars, popes, and emperors."
Farquhar provides a handy family tree for major royal families at the beginning--it's most helpful when the scandals reach a dizzying pitch and you need to sort out which royal is plotting to overthrow/marry for money/murder which other royal. He debunks an awful lot of incorrect gossip (like the oft-told tale of Catherine the Great's predilection for beastiality) and comes up with wonderful gems of dirt that will be deliciously unfamiliar to most readers. This is not a scholarly work by any means--it's kind of like a historical PEOPLE magazine, focusing on the faux pas, the foibles, and the fevered doings of all sorts of royals throughout history. Great good fun!
This book covers its subject matter clearly and with humor. Not a dry book of historical dates and battlefields, but a book that deals with some quite famous and interesting personalities of history and some of the things they did.
It's quite amusing to read about priviledged folks of history and their quirks and picadillos. They may have been 'royal', but many had the morals of an alley cat and the compassion of a viper.
Recommended!
It's quite amusing to read about priviledged folks of history and their quirks and picadillos. They may have been 'royal', but many had the morals of an alley cat and the compassion of a viper.
Recommended!
steamy, sexy, enlightening and educational
This book was excellent! i picked it up and couldn't put it down. It's very addictive...you get a good history lesson about the royal families and their lineage, and at the same time get a good glimpse into the trials and tribulations of the royal scandals! I'm so thankful that this book was written..it's always something i'd hope someone would write. excellent excellent book! definitely a recommended read.
If you eagerly await each issue of The National Enquirer but wish it were less about Jennifer Lopez and more about Henry VIII, this is the book for you. In it, Michael Farquhar has collected charming tales of Europe's royal elite at their finest-fornicating, battling, murdering, backstabbing, beheading, inbreeding, prancing, politicking, and going stark raving mad. You'll read about the touching love of Philip the Fair for Joanna the Mad (who's called that for a reason, as you'll see), the familial love of Napoleon for his brothers, and the not-so-familial love of Caligula for his sister.
Farquhar's gift is not so much for digging up tales of shame, but for the irreverent sarcasm with which he dishes them out. Of King Frederick William of Prussia: "The reply [to his son] was written in the glowing warmth of the third person." "Peter the Great was what might be best described as a super-tsar." [Groan.] "If Louis XIV was France's Sun King, then his brother, Philippe, duc d'Orléans, was its Drag Queen."
Sarcasm and bad puns aside, let's get back to the comparison to The National Enquirer. Unless you are truly the type who subscribes to Playboy/Playgirl for the articles, chances are that you read The National Enquirer for the titillating hints of the scandals, improprieties, infidelities, gifts to the Democratic Party, and other acts calculated to provoke moral outrage that today's royal icons, celebrities have virtually trademarked.
If you have any common sense (and how would you? Look at what you're reading!), of course you realise that little of The National Enquirer is burdened by the weight of the truth, but it is seasoned just right to tempt your sense of gullibility. (For example, a cover lamenting Cher's "heartbreaking disease"-surely cancer, or at least diabetes?-led to a story about her deadly adult acne problem.)
Farquhar takes much the same approach to his subject. Royal Scandals is replete with "reported that" qualifiers as well as apocryphal stories. Perhaps the most obvious is the one about the assassination of England's Edward II, or rather the description of the gruesome way in which it was allegedly committed. You'd be hard pressed to find a historian who doesn't scoff at the anecdote, but you are guaranteed to flinch at it. Farquhar will have you hooked.
While Royal Scandals does not quite qualify as history-don't cite it in your next paper, kids-it may pique your interest in such characters as Bloody Mary, Mary Queen of Scots, the Virgin Queen Elizabeth, and the hapless Jane Grey (whose mother was, "by some accounts . . . romping with a servant fifteen years her junior" at the time of Jane's beheading).
When you've finished reading Royal Scandals, you'll realise Hollywood has nothing on history-or the embellishments thereof.
The appendices, showing British, French, and Russian monarchs, and a timeline of events in the western world are useful. An index would have been helpful as well.
Diane L. Schirf, 2 May 2005.
Farquhar's gift is not so much for digging up tales of shame, but for the irreverent sarcasm with which he dishes them out. Of King Frederick William of Prussia: "The reply [to his son] was written in the glowing warmth of the third person." "Peter the Great was what might be best described as a super-tsar." [Groan.] "If Louis XIV was France's Sun King, then his brother, Philippe, duc d'Orléans, was its Drag Queen."
Sarcasm and bad puns aside, let's get back to the comparison to The National Enquirer. Unless you are truly the type who subscribes to Playboy/Playgirl for the articles, chances are that you read The National Enquirer for the titillating hints of the scandals, improprieties, infidelities, gifts to the Democratic Party, and other acts calculated to provoke moral outrage that today's royal icons, celebrities have virtually trademarked.
If you have any common sense (and how would you? Look at what you're reading!), of course you realise that little of The National Enquirer is burdened by the weight of the truth, but it is seasoned just right to tempt your sense of gullibility. (For example, a cover lamenting Cher's "heartbreaking disease"-surely cancer, or at least diabetes?-led to a story about her deadly adult acne problem.)
Farquhar takes much the same approach to his subject. Royal Scandals is replete with "reported that" qualifiers as well as apocryphal stories. Perhaps the most obvious is the one about the assassination of England's Edward II, or rather the description of the gruesome way in which it was allegedly committed. You'd be hard pressed to find a historian who doesn't scoff at the anecdote, but you are guaranteed to flinch at it. Farquhar will have you hooked.
While Royal Scandals does not quite qualify as history-don't cite it in your next paper, kids-it may pique your interest in such characters as Bloody Mary, Mary Queen of Scots, the Virgin Queen Elizabeth, and the hapless Jane Grey (whose mother was, "by some accounts . . . romping with a servant fifteen years her junior" at the time of Jane's beheading).
When you've finished reading Royal Scandals, you'll realise Hollywood has nothing on history-or the embellishments thereof.
The appendices, showing British, French, and Russian monarchs, and a timeline of events in the western world are useful. An index would have been helpful as well.
Diane L. Schirf, 2 May 2005.
I'd really like to know what the first Pope John XXIII did..
General reading. That is, unlike the last few books, this one is generally easy reading, witty, and requires only a passing
familiarity with the bare bones of European history. Good light reading for a rainy day, and full of interesting tidbits, Farquhar's not writing a 'formal' history, but one which giddily languishes in the world of sex, torture, death and madness.
familiarity with the bare bones of European history. Good light reading for a rainy day, and full of interesting tidbits, Farquhar's not writing a 'formal' history, but one which giddily languishes in the world of sex, torture, death and madness.
Covering both the well known classics of the genre (Henry VIII gets some 39 pages worth of the author's attentions), the reader
is also greeted with the little known and perhaps better forgotten tidbits of royal and papal indignities and misdeeds. Anyone who would really like to know about Catherine the Great's sex life, why Edward VIII really grave up his throne, or the Spanish prince so inbred that he could be his own first cousin several times over should really read this book.
It is however, not scholarly, and the decided lack of a note's section leaves a lot to be desired for anyone who would like to cite Treasury in any academic medium. All in all, though, nice light lecherous reading.
As an avid European history buff, I enjoy reading about the "nasty little secrets" that weave in & out of history. This book certainly lived up to my expectation and more. I found it as a CD book in my local library and thoroughly enjoyed having it read to me. I had to buy the book. If you are at all familiar with European royalty in the 16th thru 20th (yes 20th! remember Edward the 8th and Wallis Simpson?) centuries then you will enjoy this book. I discovered that even though I was aware of the scandals covering about 3/4ths of this book, it was genuinely enjoyable to listen and then read about them in such a light and comical style.
This book is well written and absolutely hilarious! Anyone who wants to learn more about royalty and the quirky things they have done in the past should read this. It is funny and interesting, and never slows its pace, but at the same time it also helps you learn more about the rulers of Europe in the past 2000 years. Although it is named "A Treasury of Royal Scandals", it never becomes overly graphic or tasteless. It is well-organized too; split into chapters according to subject (death, marriage, weird parents, etc.) I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys the livlier side of history!
The national inquirer of history
I could not put this book down. If you have no intererest in royality, this book will get you interested. It has provoked me to continue reading about the history of the royal families of Europe and the history of Europe. I recommed this book for anyone who wants to be entertained as well as educated.
Good, Quick Read... but it's not for history scholars
To sum up this book quickly: it's good potty reading. In the forward Farquhar explains that he avoids the entire 20th century (with the exception of a few stories about Wallis Simpson). He basically points out that the "scandals" of the 20th century are nothing compared to let's say ordering a small cache of boys to swim naked with you, so they can nip at the treat between your legs. Marrying a divorcee just seems milquetoast in comparison.
Anyhow, it was an enjoyable read. Sad at times, sometimes even disturbing, but for the most part is written with a witty dark humor that will make you laugh at even the most sickeningly, depraved noble. While Farquhar sticks to European royalty for the book, he does include an entire section on Roman Caesars, and early Popes, all of which easily out-deprave the nobles the rest of the book is about.
Each story is short, a sort of Cliff's Notes. This is especially true if you are familiar with some of the stories. For the stories I already knew, his facts were accurate, if a bit summary. This is good, because each tale is bite-sized, making the book good for niblet reading here and there.
The tales Farquhar chooses to tell are sometimes hits, and sometimes misses. I particularly did not see how the detailed accounting of the murder of the Romanov's really fit with some of the other stories, for example.
If you like a good scandal, need some quick reads for here and there, or have a fascination with the excesses that unbridled power brings, this is a book worth checking out.
Anyhow, it was an enjoyable read. Sad at times, sometimes even disturbing, but for the most part is written with a witty dark humor that will make you laugh at even the most sickeningly, depraved noble. While Farquhar sticks to European royalty for the book, he does include an entire section on Roman Caesars, and early Popes, all of which easily out-deprave the nobles the rest of the book is about.
Each story is short, a sort of Cliff's Notes. This is especially true if you are familiar with some of the stories. For the stories I already knew, his facts were accurate, if a bit summary. This is good, because each tale is bite-sized, making the book good for niblet reading here and there.
The tales Farquhar chooses to tell are sometimes hits, and sometimes misses. I particularly did not see how the detailed accounting of the murder of the Romanov's really fit with some of the other stories, for example.
If you like a good scandal, need some quick reads for here and there, or have a fascination with the excesses that unbridled power brings, this is a book worth checking out.
This is a terrific, well-researched book that left me laughing and learning at the same time. I highly recommend it, especially to those who were turned off by their American history classes growing up. This book will change your mind, and proves once and for all that history doesn't have to be boring!
Even if one is not a history buff (which is hard for me to imagine), this book is one of the more enjoyable reads ever. Well written as a collection of very witty and informative essays, it goes indepthly into the royal scandals of the day. I couldn't put it down.
We didn't learn this in school!
I would loved to have known a few of these stories in high school! I loved this book, read it in about 3 hours, and am looking forwward to the next book. I was upset when I got to the end. I thought it was extremely interesting that there were so many evil popes in our history. It's amazing to me that Catholicism is still alive today! I love the author's writing style, it kept me chuckling and snickering throughout the book. He gives great detail to the appearance of some of the royalty, so much that I kept picturing obese old men with open festering sores all night. Thanks Michael! :)
I enjoyed every page. The pure entertainment value more than made up for any lack of depth. The books gives us insight into the lives and relationships of royals on a human level rarely probed in standard history texts or biographies. If you've ever envied members of the royalty their power and position, this book may make you glad of your more mundane existance.
Hilariuos, quick & informative
I loved this book! The author clearly enjoys his topic, and while humorously reveling in all the dirt, he manages to sympathetically bring out the humanity in some of the royals he writes about. I actually found myself feeling sorry for "Bloody" Mary, even if she did burn hundreds at the stake. The stories of royal misbehavior are crisp and concise, and add a wonderfully entertaining dimension to European history. If only our history teachers had provided a few of these anecdotal gems, I know the subject would not have been so dreaded. A truly fun and informative read!
I have always been a big history buff. At first, I expected this book to be like a lot of others, dull and boring. The cover alone should have shown me how wrong I am (look at it!). This book is hilarious! Full of factual info, but done in a very interesting way. (Reminds me of a tabloid magazine, except it's real!) Definately a must have for anybody (wether you like history or not, this book will get you interested in history!). Also, finally solves the Catherine the Great debate. (You'll see when you buy it.)
Rarely have I found history written with such wit. I thoroughly enjoyed every page, especially the section on the bad popes. Farquhar has a way of illuminating even the worst royal excesses without ever being unjustly cruel. And, though the stories can be found in other history books, Farquhar retells them so well. A truly fun read.
it's not *always* good to be the queen
At last someone has gathered all these legendary tales of outrageous behaviour into one convenient volume! The author of this gossipy, quick read reveals many of history's naughty bits with a smart-alecky attitude. It is titillating without being overly detailed and features short chapters, usually 4 to 10 pages, organized into nine categories: sex, vice, marriage, bad parenting, family feuds, madness, Roman emperors, popes and death. Supplemental material is generous and includes family trees, a timeline, a bibliography and chronological lists of the British, French and Russian monarchies; the latter also contain the index, which detracts a bit from its usefulness -- you have to know a figure's nationality and place in time to look them up. Nine line drawings depict some of the people and events discussed.
Farquhar's historical review proves his expertise as a writer with concise, humorous stories that reveal many formerly unknown tales of debauchery. It is perfect for the Metro or the beach because he breaks down potentially long sagas into brief, witty subchapters. But I couldn't put it down. I have bought 5 copies for family and friends. Farquhar is already number 5 on "The Washington Post" Top Ten in their "Book World" under nonfiction paperbacks. I hope to hear more from this talented and immenently funny writer and historian.
On a short trip to the beach, I picked up this book and had a hard time putting it down. I enjoyed reading about the Royalty and their good times as well as their hardships. I was shocked (being a Catholic) to read about the Popes and their actions centuries ago. Reading about the Popes' "Nephews" was shocking. Michael's writing is excellent. It was very easy to read and follow the many different characters. He brings humor to history. I definitely recommend this book.
Mindless Entertainment - If Gossiping is your thing
As I walked past this book at the local mega-bookstore my interest was fancied and I bought it on impulse, and because it was an impulsive buy I most certainly not take the time to look at the author's credentials, or look at the research done. As such I cannot blame anyone but myself for reading a book based almost entirely on gossip and propaganda.
Granted, there were some stuff that could be "proved", but much of what this book talks about cannot be proved one way or the other and is nothing more than a collection of he said she said gossip around the various towns or from the various nobles. And oftentimes the sources are the subjects sworn enemy! Of course the enemy is going to claim so and so is a pedophile, or was a murderous, tortuous monarch. Of course this isn't a means to ignore what they say or to discount it as a falsehood. Europe's past ruling families are known far and wide for their hobbies and past times, for their sexual desires and cruel interest in sport and torture, but Farquhar's book implies that this was how the monarchs and queens always acted and, as another reviewer states, ignores the good that many monarchs have produced (yes, even some of the murderous monarchs as well). Of course this would diminish the appeal that this book would draw upon.
After all, who doesn't like to read a good gossip? This is exactly what Farguhar has compiled, and is most definitely the feel of the book as a whole.
I give it three stars because it was a very light and fun read, something you can pick up while sitting on the toilet or as a light vacation read. I would not recommend to those looking for more a more serious look at history, even for those who are not familiar with the times at all. So, 3 stars for sheer mindless entertainment for a few hours.
3 stars.
Granted, there were some stuff that could be "proved", but much of what this book talks about cannot be proved one way or the other and is nothing more than a collection of he said she said gossip around the various towns or from the various nobles. And oftentimes the sources are the subjects sworn enemy! Of course the enemy is going to claim so and so is a pedophile, or was a murderous, tortuous monarch. Of course this isn't a means to ignore what they say or to discount it as a falsehood. Europe's past ruling families are known far and wide for their hobbies and past times, for their sexual desires and cruel interest in sport and torture, but Farquhar's book implies that this was how the monarchs and queens always acted and, as another reviewer states, ignores the good that many monarchs have produced (yes, even some of the murderous monarchs as well). Of course this would diminish the appeal that this book would draw upon.
After all, who doesn't like to read a good gossip? This is exactly what Farguhar has compiled, and is most definitely the feel of the book as a whole.
I give it three stars because it was a very light and fun read, something you can pick up while sitting on the toilet or as a light vacation read. I would not recommend to those looking for more a more serious look at history, even for those who are not familiar with the times at all. So, 3 stars for sheer mindless entertainment for a few hours.
3 stars.
History Comes Alive and in Such Amazingly Unexpected Ways!
In just over 60 chapters, this gifted author exposes a long series of various types of scandals, plots and curious events that have occurred throughout most of recorded (European) history. The stories are weaved in carefully crafted prose that is also very cleverly tongue-in-cheek. This combination, along with the fact that chapters are only a few pages long, makes the book very entertaining and extremely difficult to put down. The first thing you know is that you've finished devouring the book, only to find your appetite craving for a couple more just like it. This is a book that can be enjoyed by anyone and everyone. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
I was randomly searching Amazon one day looking for something interesting to read and I came across this book completely by accident. I ordered it and have read it at least twice all the way through. Farquhar's dry wit and the contents of the stories (although there is no proof to the legend that Catherine the Great "loved" her horses as much as is often told, there are other stories of her life that are stranger than any fiction) make this book a "must read". I only wish he would write a sequel!
I was either laughing or reading with my mouth gaped. The information was abundant covering dozens of kings, queens, tsars, popes and emperors. The well written book leaves me eagerly awaiting for the arrival of The Treasury of Great American Scandals to my door step. Not overly intense, but enough to keep you wanting more.
Delicious book chocked full of witty and TRUE stories of history's most shocking royals.This book is broken down into small chapters highlighting the scandals of eleven royal family trees horribly interconnected and all behaving badly. These are the fun facts you never heard in history class and kept me up laughing all night long! Can't wait to try the American scandals book.
This book was one of the most amusing and shocking of all those I have read on the royals. Our world's royals were very odd people! Very funny and very interesting. This book makes you want to continue to find out more about what some of our royals were really up to!
Okay, so maybe it doesn't have the feel of a historically accurate book. And maybe it's not going to satisfy the thirsts of the die-hard history fans. But who cares when scandal is this fun? Man, just the giggle you'll get from the cover makes it worth it. ...
I read this book for a history book review. I found it entertaining, yet informing. I would recommend this book for anyone who likes to read interesting books that aren't about everyday life.
Farquhar's historical review proves his expertise as a writer with concise, humorous stories that reveal many formerly unknown tales of debauchery. It is perfect for the Metro or the beach because he breaks down potentially long sagas into brief, witty subchapters. But I couldn't put it down. I have bought 5 copies for family and friends. Farquhar is already number 5 on "The Washington Post" Top Ten in their "Book World" under nonfiction paperbacks. I hope to hear more from this talented and immenently funny writer and historian.
Amusing and Surprisingly Informative
A light, amusing, and well-written book which details the depravities and misfortunes of kings, monarchs, popes, emperors.
The book does a better job than most (almost all?) serious histories in providing timelines, family trees and other appendices that help you sort out the various royal dynasties. If you have been confused about the six wives of Henry VIII, or the War of the Roses, or the Spanish Habsburgs -- as examples -- you would be helped by reading this book.
On the one hand, this might be a good book to kill time at an airport, or while sunbathing on a beach. However, the license taken on the periods of history covered is shaky indeed.
Moreover, the editor probably wanted to get this to print quickly, which accounts for some of the poor writing and errors encountered throughout the book.
I will give the book credit for its enthusiasm in playing up the eccentricities of the various figures covered, but then again, I can pick up a copy of the National Enquirer and get a good dose at a fraction of the cost.
Not for serious historians; moreover, not for anyone interested in good history. This book is good for a quick, light read, with maximum entertainment value.
My wife is still shaking her head that I actually read the book to its end!
Moreover, the editor probably wanted to get this to print quickly, which accounts for some of the poor writing and errors encountered throughout the book.
I will give the book credit for its enthusiasm in playing up the eccentricities of the various figures covered, but then again, I can pick up a copy of the National Enquirer and get a good dose at a fraction of the cost.
Not for serious historians; moreover, not for anyone interested in good history. This book is good for a quick, light read, with maximum entertainment value.
My wife is still shaking her head that I actually read the book to its end!
I don't know that much about European history and bought this book as a simple introduction. The stories are interesting and told in short story form. I was a bit confused with the family lines as the author skips around alot(although he does have the many family trees in the beginning). I keep this book in my car when I have a spare moment between appointments.
A fun, short book chock full of old gossip. If you're looking for intellectual stimulation, buy another book. If you wonder about the personal side of historical figures, it's really a fun read. The format is what I sometimes like...pick it up; put it down; pick it up; put it down. I went back to history books for the formal "take" on some of these figures and I must say that they (the characters) are more fun (altho sometimes sick) in this book.
This book is very interesting if you are into history. The people covered in the book range from Roman Emperors around the time of Christ, to bad Popes, to French English Russian German Kings and Emperors. Such examples of these being the family of Napolean, the descendents of Isabella and Ferdinand, the "War of the Roses" the many wives of Henry VIII and their children, and the children of James II. There are many more people and so much iformation, but they are all worth the read
This is a great voyeuristic read! Well-written, well-researched and impossible to put down.
I was so excited to see that he had released a new book on American Scandals and I am ordering it today!
Shocking, Titillating and a Better Read than PEOPLE MAGAZINE
Okay, let's be real here. This is not a serious, probing historical textbook. This is an expose about the most debauched in royal history. For the serious historians, stay away. For those wanting a pulpy look at Kings and the Consorts, this is a fun read. I give it five stars because, for what it is, it is good.
Hilarious, quick & informative
I loved this book! The author clearly enjoys his topic, and while humorously reveling in all the dirt, he manages to sympathetically bring out the humanity in some of the royals he writes about. I actually found myself feeling sorry for "Bloody" Mary, even if she did burn hundreds at the stake. The stories of royal misbehavior are crisp and concise, and add a wonderfully entertaining dimension to European history. .... A truly fun and informative read!
This is a very entertaining, if sometimes gruesome book about the world's most notorious blue blood. Devided into chapters, each chapter dedicated to a vice, the author gives the basic details about the particular royal figure's exesses. While the book is not very well organized, going back and forth between different dynasties and different centuries and not very scientific, it is extremely interesting to read about the dirty laundry of the chosen few who ruled Europe.
Okay collection of stories, but incomplete history
Responding once to a bit of anti-monarchical doggerel someone had tacked to his door, the poet and Emperor Maximilian I (1459-1519) replied (in verse), 'I am no better than any man, save for the honour God did me.' Author Michael Farquhar, for his part, argues in his introduction that 'people with unlimited power and an inbred sense of their own superiority [tend] to misbehave.' And therein lies my main problem with this otherwise entertaining 'treasury' of scandalous stories.
Sure, this book is fun, in a voyeuristic People Magazine/Entertainment Tonight sort of way. As case studies of family feuds, sexual deviance, gross lusts, wanton cruelty, and all the rest, Farquhar seems to have missed little. Monarchs, as a class, may not be inherently any better or worse than the rest of us, but they certainly have more opportunities to cause trouble. And it's as a collection of stories about individual monarchs that I would be willing to recommend this book. But not as a complete picture of monarchy as an institution.
This book is colored by the author's own biases. He describes monarchy in his introduction as 'ridiculous and past its prime,' and the royal families of the modern era as 'faceless ... bland ... inane.' Of course, everyone's entitled to their opinion. More serious, though, is that Farquhar believes the behavior he chronicles was 'typical of a bygone era' of monarchy at its height. In other words, before 'the twentieth century [became] a slaughterhouse for European monarchy,' *all* kings and queens were more or less like this.
That's just not true. Christian history, for example, is filled with stories of royal saints and martyrs. Members of royal families have not only supported science, literature, and the arts with their patronage, but -- from Prince Henry the Navigator to Emperor Hirohito -- have themselves increased the sum of man's knowledge. Even 'faceless, bland' royal bureaucrats like King George V or Emperor Franz Josef had much to offer their nations.
So, yeah. By all means, read this book. Enjoy it. Laugh at the stories, roll your eyes, be shocked or get angry. I did. But don't let it single-handedly color your opinion of monarchy. As Emperor Maximilian said, monarchs are people too. Some of them have been bums, simpletons, lechers, criminals, bores, eccentrics, or just plain nasty. But as much chance as monarchs have to engage in scandalous behavior, so too do they have opportunity to do good. And I'd bet you could fill a book at least as long as this one with the stories of those who chose the second option.
It probably wouldn't sell as well, though.
(NOTE: Since posting this review, I have read 'Royal Babylon: The Alarming History of European Royalty' by Karl Shaw. It covers much the same ground as Farquhar's 'Treasury,' but in a much better way. Given a choice between these two titles, I would definitely recommend Shaw over Farquhar.)
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The stories were short and highly entertaining. Very informative too. If you like a good laugh, this is the book for you.
A terrific, really well-written book which shows us that scandal is NOT exclusive to the present-day. It's great fun to read about the atrocious goings-on by various royals and popes--but this is also one of those books where you learn a great deal in a fun, painless way. I wish all history were written like this!
This book is exactly what you would expect it to be from the title and deserves 5 stars for not only writing about royal scandals in such an entertaining way but also for providing the informative Family Trees of many European houses (England, Spain, France, Russia, Germany) at the beginning of the book and the Appendices at the back to help put everything into a timeline for the amateur. And it is what it is. If you are an historian, you'll find this superficial and sketchy. If you are like me, you'll find it fun and informative historical gossip.
My only complaint is that it's a bit short, with only 323 pages counting appendices and bibliography. I would have loved a few more scandals. I'm sure there are many more out there.
My only complaint is that it's a bit short, with only 323 pages counting appendices and bibliography. I would have loved a few more scandals. I'm sure there are many more out there.
This book has some good things going for it. There are lots and lots of stories, and the author's style is an easy read.
I did, though, have a number of issues:
- A very European focus. You'd think at least Farouk of Egypt would get a mention.
- A very British focus. Excluding the Roman emperors and popes, almost half of the stories were about the Brits, and most of those about the usual suspects (Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, George III, Victoria). And how could a book on royal scandals not include Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria, Magda Lupescu, and Lola Montez?
- A very historical focus. Very little on the 20th century, and almost nothing on the current crop of Windsors and all their goings-on.
- A rather tabloid, very anecdotal style, with lots of hearsay and very little research or analysis to examine whether any of these stories were actually true.
- Very little tying the stories together. It's basically one tale after another, with no analysis in between.
- As mentioned above, the inclusion of Roman emperors and popes. Not sure they qualify as royalty, plus there's surely enough there for their own books.
- A surprising degree of anti-Catholicism. I realize there's plenty of fodder with quite a number of the popes, but even the popes who basically fueled the High Renaissance aren't spared:
"Many popes found it difficult to completely let go of the Dark Ages. Sixtus VI, for rexample, commissioned the maginificent Sistine Chapel - right around the time he gave his blessing to the Spanish Inquisition and anointed the murderous Torquemada to run it. His nephew, Julius II, patronized Michelangelo and Raphael - when he wasn't dressed in full armor and slaughtering his enemies."
Royal Babylon: The Alarming History of European Royalty is a much better bet.
I did, though, have a number of issues:
- A very European focus. You'd think at least Farouk of Egypt would get a mention.
- A very British focus. Excluding the Roman emperors and popes, almost half of the stories were about the Brits, and most of those about the usual suspects (Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Mary Queen of Scots, George III, Victoria). And how could a book on royal scandals not include Mad King Ludwig of Bavaria, Magda Lupescu, and Lola Montez?
- A very historical focus. Very little on the 20th century, and almost nothing on the current crop of Windsors and all their goings-on.
- A rather tabloid, very anecdotal style, with lots of hearsay and very little research or analysis to examine whether any of these stories were actually true.
- Very little tying the stories together. It's basically one tale after another, with no analysis in between.
- As mentioned above, the inclusion of Roman emperors and popes. Not sure they qualify as royalty, plus there's surely enough there for their own books.
- A surprising degree of anti-Catholicism. I realize there's plenty of fodder with quite a number of the popes, but even the popes who basically fueled the High Renaissance aren't spared:
"Many popes found it difficult to completely let go of the Dark Ages. Sixtus VI, for rexample, commissioned the maginificent Sistine Chapel - right around the time he gave his blessing to the Spanish Inquisition and anointed the murderous Torquemada to run it. His nephew, Julius II, patronized Michelangelo and Raphael - when he wasn't dressed in full armor and slaughtering his enemies."
Royal Babylon: The Alarming History of European Royalty is a much better bet.
The History your teacher never talked about.
A Treasury of Royal Scandals is an incredibly entertaining look at the men and women who have held power throughout the centuries. Farquhar's writing style is easy to follow and reads more like a novel rather than the usual historical prose. Writing on the gulity pleasures and outrageous behavior of everyone from Catherine the Great of Russia to England's Henry V, Farquhar describes in detail a symphony of information and jaw dropping behavior that is almost to obsurd to believe.
The book is laid out nicely in different sections with different themes that are coherent and easy to follow even if you aren't a student of history and are unfamiliar with names from the past. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who would like to know how kings and queens, princes and princesses, and even popes lived out their outrageous lives that make today's world leaders incredibly dull by comparison!
The book is laid out nicely in different sections with different themes that are coherent and easy to follow even if you aren't a student of history and are unfamiliar with names from the past. I would highly recommend this book for anyone who would like to know how kings and queens, princes and princesses, and even popes lived out their outrageous lives that make today's world leaders incredibly dull by comparison!
I love history but I didn't want to read a 600 page novel that read like a textbook. This book is perfect. Fun, and straight to the point. I learned about all the dirty details of some of history's famous characters that my teachers and professors never bothered to mention. History + sex + murder= good time. The book educates you and entertains.
A fun read that will have you laughing from beginning to end at the wickedest, weirdest and funniest true stories and the witty way the author writes them right down to the funny titles for each chapter.
This is a very entertaining book. It is a quick read. The stories are short but you can always get another book that expands on that person in history if you want to know more.
This book is great, especially for those who don't have a lot of free time. The chapters are short and juicy! I really learned a lot about history. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!
A Treasury of Royal Scandals made for a fun fast-paced read. It is organized into neat little sections and chapters based on the scandal the story pertains to. The book chronicles the shocking true tales of royal scandal throughout the ages. From the demise of Marie Antoinette, to Mary of Scot's botched beheading, to Nero's -ahem-- relationship with his mother... it's all here. Told in a humorous fashion, it is very readable.
This book is a very fun read. I especially liked the story on Louis XIV's brother, he must have been a hilarious spectacle. Honestly you wonder how these people were allowed to rule, they were so hedonistic and debauched, but frankly that's what makes this book so amusing. Though this book is quite good, the benchmark on these type of books is Royal Babylon, that book is fantastic, it has more stories and is more explicit, but honestly, I recommend them both, although they cover some of the same ground, they compliment each other.
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