Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II

British royal history all in one volume. A comprehensive look at the monarchy from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II.

I love Tracy Borman's books. She is both an excellent historian and an excellent writer, two things that do not necessarily go together. Her new book, "Crown and Sceptre" is no different. What a pleasure it was to read.In "Crown and Sceptre" we find all of the British monarchs of England, from William the Conqueror to the present Queen Elizabeth II. Some of the entries are longer, some shorter, but all are interesting. For those with more knowledge of British history, this is a welcome review, for those of less knowledge, this is an excellent introduction to a complicated subject.People have an enduring fascination with the British monarchy. For over 900 years a group of relatives has ruled and reigned over the island realm, making mischief and history. This is a book which can be read straight through, or dipped into at will. Either way, it is a terrific read, and heartily recommended.Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Crown & Scepter by Tracy Borman is an impressive and immersive nonfiction that beautifully covers the full history of the English monarchy from William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II. I really enjoyed this!I am blown away by the way the author was able to take this huge amount of history, facts, and timeline of English monarchs and find a way to present this massive concept into an interesting, streamlined, and easily digestible book that the reader can truly enjoy.I have loved reading English and Scottish history for a long time now, so obviously I was excited to read a book that is comprehensive in regards to not only describing each monarch, but the transitions, important events, how the roles of each altered, and how we made it to present-day from 1066 to current-day. She was able to pace it appropriately by giving the reader everything needed, but yet not too much to overwhelm. She clearly is knowledgeable and has done her research. I have enjoyed hearing her on Podcasts in the past, and now I know that she is equally as interesting and talented as an author as well.I most certainly will be recommending this book to anyone that loves not only English history, but also any fans of Monarchy as well.Just stunning.5/5 stars

5 starsThis is a wonderful book. It gives a brief history of all the Kings and Queens since before the invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066 all the way through to the present. It also provides brief vignettes of their consorts (or, in some cases co-rulers). It gives a clear and unbiased textual treatment of these individuals. Some were good, some were bad. A few were very bad.I learned new information in this book as well. For example, I did not realize that King George V was such a good man. I had the opinion that he was uncaring and very stern with his children.This book is well written in a linear fashion. It is easy to read and accessible to everyone. I highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in the British monarchy or British history. Ms. Borman is a wonderful historian and has done extensive research on her subjects. I can always count on her to give a clear-headed view of her subject.I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely great and informative book for me to read, enjoy and review. The opinions expressed here are solely my own.

A well researched and informative book about British monarchy, an overview of nearly 1000 years.It's interesting and the timeline helps to keep track of dinasties and monarches.Recommended.Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A well written if not unique piece of scholarship. It’s yet another book on the British Monarchy meant as more of an introduction to the different monarchs for the general public that is new to English/British history than the presentation of new scholarship for those already familiar or amateur historians with the subject. David Crowther of the History of England podcast and David Starkey do a much better job of reworking old material to make it interesting to a fan of history. While I enjoy reading and hearing about English history, a book on one of the lesser researched figures in English history would have been preferable to regurgitating old material.