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: 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: The "Reader's Digest" Condensed version of history
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: 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.
Rating:
Summary: A very interesting audiobook for history buffs
Review: This audiobook is a fascinating glimpse at the English monarchs from William the Conqueror to present. As many monarchs were presented, there were details left out, but it gives a great general foundation in the basic tenets of each reign. The anecdotes breathed life into these historical figures and helped me remember names! A great audiobook for a long car trip or work-time listening. The reader gave enough emotion on the tape to keep the material flowing without using the often strange 'duck voices' some readers use when trying to vary the material.
Rating:
Summary: A Handy Dandy Guide to England's Rulers
Review: This big picture book of kings and queens is a great reference work for anyone interested in English royal history. The color illustrations are lavish, the brief biographies hit all high points and the geneologies of the various royal houses are very useful when trying to trace the convoluted relationships of England's royals. This is a handy book to have around when you just can't figure out just how Germans ended up on the British throne, can't remember which of Henry VIII's wives died on the block or want to know why Queen Victoria died in the arms of Kaiser Wilhem. Lots of information on all matters royal, including ancient traditions, heraldry, issues of precedent, the crown jewels, court dress, palaces and passtimes and other fun facts. A good book to have close to hand.
Rating:
Summary: A Guide to the Maze of Kings and Queens of England
Review: This is the absolutely perfect audiobook for your car. For commuting to and from work, or for long trips, this book will enchant you. I've listened cover to cover a dozen times now, then went and bought the book too, each of which compliments the other.
I strongly advise you to first word pad a list of the Kings and Queens, then add a word or two to each as you learn about them, so that you can keep them straight (killed by brother, boy king, illigitimate daughter of Henry 8th. This will prove invaluable to you as the names repeat again and again and you get your Henry 3'rds mixed with your William 3'rds. Keep one copy of the list in your car for quick reference, one at work, one at home.
After hearing the complete tapes or reading the book, memorize the linage by name and maybe one fact about each. Suddenly events are clearer as you re-read them, and you're not frustrated when you hear something about "Henry V" on TV and want to rush to your reference book.
This audiobook is a Cliffnotes Version of History with anecdotes thrown in, which is perfectly acceptable in view of the huge number of subjects with which it must deal. There is an understandable Anglophile bent to the book, with an understandable Windsor-slant. Poor America is treated as if one of His Majesty's ships were lost at sea when William 3rd is discussed.
For the first time I finally understood Why William the First had some claim to the throne in 1066, WHY Henry 5th had some claim to France, WHY Elizabeth 1st took such strong reigns, and how in the world the Germans got control of the throne. Like separate pieces of a puzzle, it is the accumulation of facts of the different reigns that leads to an understanding.
Some aspects of the royal foibles are glossed over, most particularly as they become more current. Queen Victoria's disregard for the suffering of the mill workers, miners, and Irish are glossed over. The current reign is treated most benignly, however, I'm sure that political necessity dictated that access to historical documents meant an accommodation to the current Queen.
One joy of the tapes is one can pick up any tape out of order and listen and learn. I strongly recommend ALSO buying the book to flesh out the tapes, however. When I bought the tapes when they first came out, they cost over [PRICE], so the current price is an incredible bargain, especially as a gift for a history teacher, Anglophile, heck anyone with an IQ.
I found through the tapes that the "Pretenders to the Throne" through the ages were actually legitimate claimants with a reasonable argument for succession. Execution blocks were especially used to "head-off" possible legitmate claims. (Sorry for the pun.)
One simply can NOT watch any historical movie without having read, understood, and somewhat memorized this book. Watching the Movie "The Lion in Winter" is all the more astounding when one realizes who the spoiled sons turn out to be in history and the roles they are to play in shaping modern England.
It is a bit of a shame that a tad more attention could not have been given to pre-1066, but in view of the span of reigns that required attention, this is understandable.
My one hope is that Antonia Fraser could be prevailed on to do the same for the History of the President's of the United States some day.
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