No comments about Henry VIII (Profiles in Power Series).

No comments about Mad Kings & Queens: History's Most Famous Raving Royals.

1 comments about George II: Puppet of the Politicians? (Exeter Studies in History).

1. As a scholarly biography of George II, Prof. Black's work must be praised simply for its existence, since it is the first of its kind. And as usual, Black has done a great deal of original research. The flaw, as so often with Prof. Black's books, is that his tremendous output seems to limit the time he has to refine each volume. Although mainly a conventional narrative biography, George II: Puppet of the Politicians is also in places developed thematically, and one is never quite sure that a fact raised as topical is not also of importance in the narrative itself, since Black seldom says. In addition, the thematic illustrations are littered throughout the narrative, making it unclear at times whether the thematic section is important at that time, or whether it was just convenient to raise that issue there. Subheadings within chapters and more transitional language could have helped.
   
   Black is also stymied--as all writers about George II are--both by the paucity of the king's own writings, and by the strongly idiosyncratic personalities of three of the king's contemporaries who wrote about him: Lord Hervey, Horace Walpole (4th Earl of Orford), and the Duke of Newcastle. All three writers were wildly self-involved, and thus their writings reflect a lack of perspective about their subjects in general, and George II is certainly no exception to that.
   
   Black does an excellent job of highlighting two facets of George II's monarchy that one hopes will be seen as defining him in a more thoughtful light than the legacy left by the "waspish" Hervey and Walpole: first, the king's concern (much like his descendant the Queen) to perform what he saw as his job as dutifully as possible (one is made to wonder if the king's insistance on doing his duty, and his irritation when others seemed to avoid doing the same, is what made him as querulous as he often was), and second, the king's preoccupation with--not necessarily his electorate of Hanover--but European affairs in general. Black makes it clear that much of Britain's foreign policy during George's reign originated with the king, not with his ministers or his wife, and that more credit should be given to the king for his part in successes that have been attributed to Sir Robert Walpole, Pitt the Elder, and others. One thing is clear: additional research into the archives of Continental foreign ministries may help to further highlight the king's role in making foreign policy.
   
   In reading Black's works in general, I have been struck by what appears to be a strong desire on his part to encourage further research into his subjects--I certainly hope this introductory biography will do so for George II.

4 comments about Mad Princes of Renaissance Germany (Studies in Early Modern German History).

1. Designed to appeal to a wide range of individuals and schools of thought, this book reaches nobody. Midelfort throws a collective bone to feminists, microhistorians, historians of science, etc. but his demonstrates an inability to understand their theoretical underpinnings that borders on disdain and condescension. While working with impressive archival materials, this book seems like the product of market research--all flash and consumer demographics, absolutely nothing of substance, interest or importance. A failure in all respects.



2. Although the title initially almost seems like a parody of historical research on incredibly arcane topics (and, as Midelfort points out, there is no particular reasons to believe that Renaissance German royalty were more prone to insanity than anyone else, inbreeding not withstanding), the book in fact uses the unusually high levels of documentation available on these individuals to create a fascinating and detailed study, not only of the medical and religious treatment of insanity during this period, but also of the political implications when a monarch or his heir became "unfit" to rule.



3. This is the book that inspired me for starting my Mad Monarchs Series (http://www.xs4all.nl/~kvenjb/madmon.htm)! Before I found this book, I had often seen references to "the last mad Duke of Cleves, married to a sister of the last mad Duke of Prussia". This book has finally shed some light on that odd pair of Dukes.

   The first part of the book focuses on the early 16th century, when mental problems was not regarded as an illness and melancholic Princes were locked up and often neglected. Sometimes they were exorcised. The cases described are, among others, Princes of Hesse, Saxony and Baden. William the Younger of Brunswick is the 1st Prince whose mental state is described in more detail, because unique reports have survived: "He ran out into the streets of Celle half-dressed, [..] spoke unintelligibly and gestured weirdly". He was actually treated by doctors.

   The second part of the book describes Albrecht Friedrich of Prussia, Rudolf II of Austria and the last Dukes of Cleves in more detail. Midelfort describes detailed accounts of their mental and medical conditions and the doctor's crude attempts to cure them.

   The book is a serious and detailed study of 16th century Princes that were described by their contemporaries as "melancholic" or locked up as being "mad". Black and white images of most of the described mad Princes and Princesses are included. An unique book about an unique subject!




4. The piece de resistance of this book has to be the theological memorandum concerning the mental condition of the Duke of Prussia which begins with the unfortunate Osiandrian sympathies displayed by his parents prior to his birth and their possible contribution to the current situation. The majority of the recommendations, however, came from physicians and were medical rather than theological.

   It's solidly researched -- if anything, one would have wished more detail on some of the episodes, such as that of the Duke of Saxe-Weimar in the bath house.

No comments about Akbar, Emperor Of India: A Picture Of Life And Customs From The Sixteenth Century.

1 comments about Diana's Dreams: As Told to Her Dream Analyst.

1. I am almost through with this book and could not put it down. If you want some real insight into Princess Diana, this book is the one! Diana totally speaks from her gut in this book. The book is sad though because it truly shows insight into her loveless marriage and her lonliness! I wish I could get Ms. Hanger to analyze MY dreams!

No comments about George and Elizabeth: A Royal Marriage.

No comments about Otto III.

No comments about Henry V: The Rebirth of Chivalry (English Monarchs. Treasures from the National Archives) (English Monarchs: Treasures from the National Archives).

No comments about The Ruler Portraits of Anglo-Saxon England (Anglo-Saxon Studies).