Rating: 
Summary: Excellent resource
Review: Antonia Fraser does a great job here, outlining the lives and adventures of the Kings and Queens of England, from the time of the Norman conquest. And of course its not just a history of England that we are reading here, from time to time it was also a history of the known world - there were times when if England didn't own another country, they were coveting it, or were in some conflict with it. And what fascinating people these royal people were. They were of their times, they were shaped by the times, they were defeated by their times, and in being so helped shape the world that we see today. They were competent, insane, brilliant, loyal, lecherous and obsessive. This is a history of mankind - only far more visible!Antonia Fraser is one of the finest historical writers today. In this book she does not have the space or time to delve into the nitty gritty of the reigns of each monarch, but she does give a fascinating and insightful snap shot of their times. This is a valuable reference book for any half serious library, as it deals not only with the people, but the times tthat they lived in.
Rating:
Summary: Royal Portraits
Review: Antonia Fraser's 'The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England' has long been one of my favourite books (since my childhood, really), because it has both breadth and brevity simultaneously, a rare feat. Lady Fraser's style is evident here, a non-imposing and non-technical style, that is nonetheless satisfying to all but the most rigourous of academic historians. Fraser's account begins with the Norman invasion; like many books on royal history, scant attention is paid to pre-Norman figures. Fraser groups the monarchs into categories: Normans
Angevins
Plantagenets
House of Lancaster
House of York
Tudors
Stuarts
House of Hanover
House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha
House of Windsor Putting together the genealogical tables is a fun exercise--beware here, however, that lesser historical figures are left off the charts (thus, Queen Anne's bevy of children are not represented on the genealogy as none lived to assume the crown or perpetuate the line). Each monarch is given an article about 10-15 pages in length (a good bedtime reading length, I've found). Pictures and paintings help place visually the stories, together with the interspersed essays on coats-of-arms and other topics. Fraser likes to find the humourous aspects whenever possible. Writing on William IV's distaste for the young Victoria's mother:' 'In 1836 the Duchess of Kent took over a large suite of rooms in Kensington Palace without the King's permission. William was furious. If he died now, Victoria would not be old enough to rule without her mother as Regent. At a public dinner, attended by more than a hundred guests, William said that he hoped his life would be spared long enough to prevent such a calamity.' His wish was granted. An ideal gift for anyone, child to adult, who has an interest in the history of the British royals, and a good ready-reference for students, this book is first-rate.
Rating:
Summary: This book is an excellent reference on the British monarchy
Review: Antonia Fraser's book "The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England" provides an excellent history of the British monarchy. Highlights of the book include its balance of brevity with a comprehensive scope, it photographs, and especially its genealogical charts. The book's only flaw is that it does not begin in 827 with King Egbert, but in 1066 with William the Conqueror beginning the rule of the Norman kings.
Rating: 
Summary: Useful for the novice.
Review: As someone who is not already well-read on the subject, this was a very handy introduction. I'm sure that it is of limited value to someone already versed in the subject, and I admit to wishing that it had not started with William the Conqueror; I don't know much about it, but I DO know that there were Kings in England before 1066. But it does what it sets out to do well: a brief recitation of the Kings and Queens since the Norman Conquest, with a bit of detail about each.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic overview of the history of the English Monarchy.
Review: For anyone who has even a passing interest in the English monarchs (what's the difference between Bloody Mary and Mary, Queen of Scots?) this is the perfect book. Within four to eight pages, depending on the subject, Antonia Fraser gives a wonderful summary of every monarch since Normand time, right up to Elizabeth II. I used this book not only to clarify which Edward or Mary was which, but also to give me teasers about important events in English history. From this I read two books by another great English historiographer, Alison Weir, "The Wars of the Roses" and "The Princes in the Tower." I even used Fraser's book to guide me as I watched "Mrs. Brown" on video! Fraser manages to take these fascinating people and put them in the context of their time, without romantic presupposition or fake dialogue. Fraser delivers documented facts or opinions and still manages to give her work an interesting and engaging voice.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: Great for both the student of the subject as well as the mild enthusiast. Simple to follow and understand. Comes complete with helpful lineage/geneology charts of the different dynasties. Beautiful pictures and interesting story-type verse. I wouldn't be caught dead without a copy close at hand! It helps me look up quick facts as well as learn more of the cultures of the different eras. I couldn't have survived four years of college without it!!!
Rating:
Summary: An amazing account of the Monarchy of England....
Review: I, as a history fanatic, Love this book! It is easy to read and easier to understand.....it has come in handy when I was needing referance material for reports and essays for my Western Civ classes!
Rating: 
Summary: The "Reader's Digest" Condensed version of history
Review: If you are a serious historian of England (as I am) then this book is almost useless. It is very simplistic and stays away from any truly controversial issues, often toeing the very traditional line (Richard III for instance--if you want a fight with a medieval English Historian, find out which side he is on the debate, then take the opposite. I have literaly seen people with a ph.d almost comming to blows over this issue). This book is a place to start, but please dig deeper.
Rating:
Summary: A Wonderful Overview Of The Monarchs Of England!
Review: If you are not aware of whom the Kings and Queens of England are, or if you are a novice in understanding who these colorful individuals are this is a wonderful book to introduce you to them. This book covers all of them from the beginning (Norman Rule) to present day, and even takes a look at the future of the monarchy. Short biographies on each monarch as well as color photos help put a face and personality to each monarch. Don't expect this book to offer a detail explanation and action of each monarch since that would require the book to be way to extensive. This is a brief intoduction to each and a wonderful first look. This book is great for either pleasure reading, or reference material.
Rating:
Summary: Flawed collection of biographies
Review: Since I believe that the best way to learn history is through reading biographies, I was looking forward to reading this book to get a good overview of English history. This book, however, turned out to be somewhat disappointing. While I understood that these biographies were intended to be brief, there were still details I felt were lacking, while for some biographies, there were almost too many details; that is, I felt that the authors tried to squeeze so much into a few pages that I began to lose the feel of what was going on. Some of these biographies are better than others; the last one, for Elizabeth II, is particularly disappointing as the writer throws objectivity out the window. In addition, for an oversized book like this, I would expect more illustrations and better captions...for some pictures with multiple people, there is no indication who is who. As a quick reference source, this book is okay, but as an overview of the English monarchs, one could do better. Despite its flaws, I would actually recommend Churchill's History of the English Speaking People over this.
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