Rating: 
Summary: The (Heart) Chamber of Secrets
Review: A fantastic read, written in a style that lends itself more towards the detective genre than any other. I cried, I swore and I held my breath until I read the last page but I had to put my life on hold as I followed the rich tapestry of history, suspense and modern science that Deborah Cadbury has graced our mortal lives with.
This is the story of the last truly royal family of France in the terrifying days of the French revolution. It tells the tale of a king, Louis XVI whose indifference is surpassed only by his incompetence. It tells of his wife, Marie Antoinette, a woman more sinned against than sinner and her children, innocents torn between the privilege of the Bourbon name and the horror of the guillotine. In particular the book relates the life of the Dauphin, son of Louis XVI. For a time he was himself uncrowned king of France and yet in the warped minds of his jailers he was a pawn to be abused and scorned. His life ended in most appalling conditions, following a period of imprisonment, the description of which had me in tears. Yet his story had only begun.
Rumours about his escape and rumours of the true Dauphin surfacing all over France and around the globe has led to speculation that the eight-year old child who died in a Revolutionary prison was not the son of the executed king. Pretenders to the throne, some of whom were quite convincing, laid claim to a stilted dynasty. But the answer to all concerned lay within the cells of a tiny heart, hardened over two centuries, and this last relic of a tragic life gave up its secret in a sterile laboratory in Belgium.
Deborah Cadbury has written a brilliant tale that sets the pulses racing. She has entices the reader into her story, a brutal and harrowing depiction of the fall of the Bourbon dynasty, and you must follow the threads and clues, until at last all is revealed and you can catch your breath.
I heartily recommend this book to all readers. Stop reading the reviews and just get the book. Now. Without delay
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Summary: ALL THE MORE FASCINATING BECAUSE IT IS TRUE
Review: A unique combination of page-turning adventure, history, and modern science provide one of the most satisfying reads to be found. Award-winning journalist Deborah Cadbury has presented the remarkable answer to a question that has baffled the world for over 200 years - the fate of Louis XVII. Plus, her answer is offered in energetic, affecting prose backed by flawless research. Toss in the fact that her story moves with the excitement of a topnotch mystery and you have a stunning book.When Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette rose to the throne in 1774, the 19-year-old king and his 18-year-old queen wept, saying, "God guide and protect us! We are too young to govern." As history reveals, their prayer went unanswered. This true story powerfully evokes the high drama and brutality of the French Revolution, while relating the absorbing account of one family. Ms. Cadbury vividly describes the steps, taken almost unknowingly by the royal family, which led to their incarceration and eventual beheading. The storming of Versailles and the taking of the Bastille are painted with wrenching exactitude as is the imprisonment of the King, the Queen and their two children in the Temple Tower. in Paris. Most heartbreaking of all is the ruthless barbarity endured by the young Dauphin. When Marie Antoinette was beheaded in 1791 her adored son was left to face his abusers alone. Two years later a 10-year-old boy died in a rat infested cell, wasted by neglect and tuberculosis. Leaders of the Revolution declared the boy-king dead - Louis XVII was no more. However, rumors abounded: was the real Dauphin perhaps still alive? Had he somehow escaped and found sanctuary? Over the next 200 years numerous pretenders came forward, all pretending to be the son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette. Some of them presented almost believable cases, which served only to torment Marie-Therese, the Dauphin's sister. Only recently, a mere two years ago, thanks to our advanced knowledge of DNA the mystery was solved. "The Lost King of France" fascinates not only because the story is so expertly told but because it is true. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: Very readable, but heart-wrenching
Review: As my title states, I found this book very 'readable'. I read a great number of historical non-fiction books, & find some authors don't have a clue for holding the readers attention. This is not so of this author.
Having a keen interest in the royal family at the time of the French Revolution I was eager to read this book, & was not disappointed, although parts are heart-wrenching to read i.e. the details of how the little dauphin was treated after being separated from his mother & sister, & even moreso after the execution of his mother (Marie Antoinette).
Having read a great number of books set at this time I fully understand that the royal family were not blameless, however it must be remembered that this was just a little boy. He should not have been held responsible for the actions of his parents, nor treated so barbarically because of his birthright. The book made it abundantly clear just how desperate some were to completely irradicate the old regime in France, & in particular the royal family, & even moreso the (male) off-spring of (the hated) Marie Antoinette.
The book unfortunately does not give much insight into the personality of the little dauphin, but this would probably prove almost impossible for any author to research & re-construct, due to the shortness of his life & the actions of the revolutionists (i.e. during the revolution a debate began over whether to keep the nations heritage intact or begin history anew & radicals began a movement that attempted to purge France of anything that harkened back to the rot that was the monarchy. Archives & family records of nobles were burned)
The first part of the book details activity leading up to the French Revolution, & this may tend to put some readers off, however I urge readers to continue with the book as it does settle into details, sometimes quite grim, of the little dauphin's life & demise.
The book also gives the reader an insight into the torment, which must have been suffered by the dauphin's sister, after the revolution, when several `impostors' came forward claiming to be her brother.
The DNA facts are quite fascinating.
In summary, I found the book highly readable, shocking, compelling, fascinating but above all heart-wrenching to read, & I recommend it highly to anyone interested in this fascinating period of history.
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Summary: DNA and History: Providing Long Lost Answers
Review: Deborah Cadbury has reopened an old mystery: what happened to King Louis XVII, the child of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who was born to luxury in Versailles Palace, then became a victim of the French Revolution, moving from palace to prison and losing his parents, sister, aunt, and finally his own life. The book begins with a summary of the main events of the Revolution as they affected young Louis-Charles, the Dauphin, who was only four when the Bastille was stormed. Over the next four years Louis-Charles lost his possessions and his family. He was kept in prison, brutalized by the guards and deprived of the companionship of his older sister. He remembered his mother and brought flowers to her cell door months after her execution. His death at the age of about ten must have been a merciful release. The next part of the book deals with the odyssey of the Dauphin's heart, which was spirited out of the prison by one of the doctors who examined the boy's body. We also learn of the many pretenders who claimed to be the Dauphin and of the pain they caused Marie-Therese, the only surviving child of Louis XVI. Finally, we learn how the process of determining the real identity of the heart through DNA analysis developed in the 1990s. After reading of the travails little Louis-Charles endured in prison, it is comforting to know that at long last we know his ultimate fate, thanks to learning and technology undreamed of in his own time.
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Summary: DNA and History: Providing Long Lost Answers
Review: Deborah Cadbury has reopened an old mystery: what happened to King Louis XVII, the child of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, who was born to luxury in Versailles Palace, then became a victim of the French Revolution, moving from palace to prison and losing his parents, sister, aunt, and finally his own life. The book begins with a summary of the main events of the Revolution as they affected young Louis-Charles, the Dauphin, who was only four when the Bastille was stormed. Over the next four years Louis-Charles lost his possessions and his family. He was kept in prison, brutalized by the guards and deprived of the companionship of his older sister. He remembered his mother and brought flowers to her cell door months after her execution. His death at the age of about ten must have been a merciful release. The next part of the book deals with the odyssey of the Dauphin's heart, which was spirited out of the prison by one of the doctors who examined the boy's body. We also learn of the many pretenders who claimed to be the Dauphin and of the pain they caused Marie-Therese, the only surviving child of Louis XVI. Finally, we learn how the process of determining the real identity of the heart through DNA analysis developed in the 1990s. After reading of the travails little Louis-Charles endured in prison, it is comforting to know that at long last we know his ultimate fate, thanks to learning and technology undreamed of in his own time.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderfully researched book
Review: I love historical biography but didn't know much about this Royal Family. I was fascinated with both parts of this book - the fate of Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, and their children and the never ending list of imposters pretending to be Louis XVII.
The French Revolution is a perfect example of absolute power in the wrong hands and it was a frightening time. Miss Cadbury kept my interest the entire book and the research that went into this book cannot go unnoticed. Hope she has written some other historical work because I plan to read them.
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Summary: Purely heartbreaking...
Review: I myself have never been a big fan of history books. But this one is nothing like what I had expected. It reads more like a heart wrenching novel, but you know everything had actually happened, which makes the reading so much more fun. It started with the young Marie Antoinette leaving her country to be married to the French Prince, who eventually became Louis XV and ended with the decade long mistry resolved. It described in rich detail the unfortunate fate of the royal family during the Revolution and continued with the survival story of Marie Teresa. The story is heart breaking, it makes you wonder what is the limit of human being's worst behavior.
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Summary: Very good account of a tragic situation
Review: I picked this book out of curiosity.The title intrigue me as well as the fact that DNA investigation will solve a mystery that has bothered people for a long time.I wasnt dissapointed with Ms Cadbury's book.It was well researched and contains lots of facts that helps understands the whole process as to why this tragic situation developed.Ms Cadbury doesnt allow the reader to to get bored.She tells the story in a very compelling way but not to make you think that you are reading a spy novel.The language and terms are very simple and easy to understand....It's a good book
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Summary: A Powerful....Must Read!!!
Review: I read The Lost King of France: A True Story of Revolution, Revenge, and DNA when it came out over 2 years ago. To this day, I'm still haunted by details of Louis-Charles, Duc de Normandie's tragic life. Never have I read such a compelling piece of history. It's one of those books you never forget. I too had a hard time putting this fascinating account of Louis-Charles mysterious life and death, down. Even though I knew the results of the findings of the DNA beforehand, Deborah Cadbury's absorbing investigated work and well documented piece kept me on the edge of my seat till the very end. This tragic story of Louis-Charles will stay with me for a long, long time.
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Summary: Scorched-earth French succession policy
Review: In this wonderful book, Deborah Cadbury not only details the life of Louis-Charles, but gives information on his sister who survived and married within her own family by wedding her cousin, the duc d'Angoulmne. It also does a great job of encapsulating the revolution itself and the reigns of the three kings and two emperors that followed this specific act to end the monarchy in France by killing off an adolescent boy, who through TB would probably not have lived long in any event. A sad tale of the pointless brutality of the French revolution.
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