Rating: 
Summary: Pretty good
Review: Another solid work by Hibbert, but at times, he has a rather cursory review George III's life.
Rating: 
Summary: Well done biography of a maligned king...
Review: Before I read this biography of George III, I knew very little about him. I knew he liked Handel because we were told when we stood up for the Alleluia chorus of the Messiah that we did it because George III set the precendent way back when. Some of us still stand. I knew that George III had been depicted as a tyrant by the framers of the Declaration of Independance. I knew that George III had suffered from an hereditary disease that caused his urine to run purple, hence it's name I wanted to know more about George III because I am fascinated with the history of the French Revolution and the defeat of Napoleon. I wanted to know why George wasn't rousted from his throne like the French King and the monarchy done away with. What I discovered about George III was that he was a good man, a loving father, and a beloved king. I learned he was religious, loved Handel to excess, and was opposed to slavery. I learned that he had all kinds of charities, cared about the poor and the sick, and lived relatively frugally all his life. He admired the Methodists because of their "simple" ways, even though he was High Church Anglican. He lived until he was in his 80's and his madness did not finally put him under until he was 72. He had many children, most of whom disappointed him. He and his wife spoke German behind closed doors, and he owned lands in Hanover in Germany. I learned a lot more, and I enjoyed reading this book even though I wasn't sure I would. Hibbert writes well, his text is interesting and his research thorough. The story is about the private life of George III, so not a lot of political or economic history is discussed although it is always in the background. This is the story of the "upstairs" at Windsor, Buckingham, and Weymouth.
Rating:
Summary: A changed view.
Review: Being American I was taught the typical view of "Crazy, tyrannical King George III", who forced the American colonies to rebel. After reading this biography I have the utmost respect for George III. He was a good and honest man. He did his best for his nation and his family. Maybe a little controlling in the fact of his Royal Marriage Act and how his son's had so many mistresses and natural children or the fact that his daughters, if they married at all they did it late in life. This book makes me believe he probably would have been a happier man if he were just a country gentleman and/or farmer. After reading this bio I do not believe he can be said to lack for love of his family or his country. Parliament had more to do with the American Revolution than George III. May more people read and see the great man George III, both in family life and as a national leader, was and should be remembered as.
Rating:
Summary: A changed view.
Review: Being American I was taught the typical view of "Crazy, tyrannical King George III", who forced the American colonies to rebel. After reading this biography I have the utmost respect for George III. He was a good and honest man. He did his best for his nation and his family. Maybe a little controlling in the fact of his Royal Marriage Act and how his son's had so many mistresses and natural children or the fact that his daughters, if they married at all they did it late in life. This book makes me believe he probably would have been a happier man if he were just a country gentleman and/or farmer. After reading this bio I do not believe he can be said to lack for love of his family or his country. Parliament had more to do with the American Revolution than George III. May more people read and see the great man George III, both in family life and as a national leader, was and should be remembered as.
Rating:
Summary: A changed view.
Review: Being American I was taught the typical view of "Crazy, tyrannical King George III", who forced the American colonies to rebel. After reading this biography I have the utmost respect for George III. He was a good and honest man. He did his best for his nation and his family. Maybe a little controlling in the fact of his Royal Marriage Act and how his son's had so many mistresses and natural children or the fact that his daughters, if they married at all they did it late in life. This book makes me believe he probably would have been a happier man if he were just a country gentleman and/or farmer. After reading this bio I do not believe he can be said to lack for love of his family or his country. Parliament had more to do with the American Revolution than George III. May more people read and see the great man George III, both in family life and as a national leader, was and should be remembered as.
Rating: 
Summary: Interesting Account of King George III
Review: Christopher Hibbert has once again produced a well researched account of another interesting and great man. Following on from Nelson and Wellington comes this very readable biography of the English King, George III. I'm not too sure what sort of reception this book will receive in the United States where I take it he was not so well liked in his time but its a very enjoyable book and offers a very interesting and detailed look at, by all accounts, a popular King. The book took a little to get into but after a few chapters it was becoming one of those books that you find hard to put down. The author covers every facet of George III's life including his family, politics, social life and his madness. The King appears to have been a very kind and considerate Monach and took great interest in his subjects and the humanities. Its a great yarn and I'm sure that readers both sides of the Atlantic will enjoy the story.
Rating:
Summary: A different take on an monumental historical figure.
Review: Historian Christopher Hibbert brings his considerable talent for writing personal biographies to the fascinating subject of Britain's King George III. Not only is Hibbert's scholarship solid, but he also does a wonderful jo of combining all the important elements of the King's life into an entertaining and compelling read. George III was on the throne for almost 60 years during a period of great social and political upheaval throughout the western world, yet many don't know much about him. Americans especially know little more about him that the tyranical caricature popularized during the American Revolution. The book begins with a chapter about the King's dissolute father whose personality and relationship with his family were remarkably similar to that of George III's own son, the future George IV. Hibbert establishes George III's own unique personality by examing both his early upbringing and the key political players who helped shape his dedication to duty. George III certainly lacked the flamboyance of both his father and son. In contrast, he was sober and prudish, but nevertheless quite interesting and complex. During his reign he weathered both the American and French Revolutions, long periods of war abroad, and various periods of political unrest at home. Throughout, Hibbert paints a portrait of a monarch selflessly concerned about his subjects and dedication to providing thoughtful leadership. As for his personal life, the King was faithfully resigned to an arranged marriage with a rather plain and increasingly unpleasant woman with whom he had 15 children. The family dynamics make for great reading. His relationships with most of his sons were difficult and a sources of much frustration since they frequently refused to comply with his strict mandates. His many daughters were mostly confined to the royal household and were expected to wait attendance on the King and Queen. A few daughters managed to ecape into marriage late in life, and others had scandalous love affairs with the King's courtiers. All of this family drama was further acerbated by the mysterious "madness" that George III began to suffer from periodically in his middle age. By the time the madness begins, Hibbert has done such a wonderful job of establishing the King's decency and dignity that the reader cannot help but be moved as these very qualities are brutally stripped away by his disease. Also, there is an appreciation of the magnitude of the political crisis it precipitated. My one complaint about this book is that, at least in this American's opinion, Hibbert almost completely glosses over the American Revolution. His general analysis - that the Americans unjustly demonized the King - has some merit, but it virtually ignores the significant economic and social changes that created the Revolution. Perhaps such political theory is beyond the scope of this personal biography, but it should be examined more thoroughly, not only with regards to the American Revolution but also with regards to how these changes were successfully integrated into the British constitutional monarchy.
Rating:
Summary: A different take on an monumental historical figure.
Review: Historian Christopher Hibbert brings his considerable talent for writing personal biographies to the fascinating subject of Britain's King George III. Not only is Hibbert's scholarship solid, but he also does a wonderful jo of combining all the important elements of the King's life into an entertaining and compelling read. George III was on the throne for almost 60 years during a period of great social and political upheaval throughout the western world, yet many don't know much about him. Americans especially know little more about him that the tyranical caricature popularized during the American Revolution. The book begins with a chapter about the King's dissolute father whose personality and relationship with his family were remarkably similar to that of George III's own son, the future George IV. Hibbert establishes George III's own unique personality by examing both his early upbringing and the key political players who helped shape his dedication to duty. George III certainly lacked the flamboyance of both his father and son. In contrast, he was sober and prudish, but nevertheless quite interesting and complex. During his reign he weathered both the American and French Revolutions, long periods of war abroad, and various periods of political unrest at home. Throughout, Hibbert paints a portrait of a monarch selflessly concerned about his subjects and dedication to providing thoughtful leadership. As for his personal life, the King was faithfully resigned to an arranged marriage with a rather plain and increasingly unpleasant woman with whom he had 15 children. The family dynamics make for great reading. His relationships with most of his sons were difficult and a sources of much frustration since they frequently refused to comply with his strict mandates. His many daughters were mostly confined to the royal household and were expected to wait attendance on the King and Queen. A few daughters managed to ecape into marriage late in life, and others had scandalous love affairs with the King's courtiers. All of this family drama was further acerbated by the mysterious "madness" that George III began to suffer from periodically in his middle age. By the time the madness begins, Hibbert has done such a wonderful job of establishing the King's decency and dignity that the reader cannot help but be moved as these very qualities are brutally stripped away by his disease. Also, there is an appreciation of the magnitude of the political crisis it precipitated. My one complaint about this book is that, at least in this American's opinion, Hibbert almost completely glosses over the American Revolution. His general analysis - that the Americans unjustly demonized the King - has some merit, but it virtually ignores the significant economic and social changes that created the Revolution. Perhaps such political theory is beyond the scope of this personal biography, but it should be examined more thoroughly, not only with regards to the American Revolution but also with regards to how these changes were successfully integrated into the British constitutional monarchy.
Rating:
Summary: A Glorious Madness
Review: I did enjoy this book, Hibbert has a way of including small details of life within the larger context of of his subject which gives wonderful insight into both his subjects and the time he is writing of. For instance the quotes from Fanny Burney's diaries of life in Court and the stiflingly formal dress and code of conduct to which they had to adhere. In some ways I found the chapters a bit muddling. The book doesn't follow a complete continuum of time from start to finish. The chapters are all in an ordered timeline, but often the subject digresses and they will discuss events that take place years in advance. It isn't a complaint, I just found it an interesting way of approaching the topic, and quite different from the previous books of Hibbert's that I have read. This is a very sympathetic biography but very interesting. It is easy to see the King slipping into madness and why - and to pick the signs (such as his frenetic energy). It is also more than just an account of a mad King though and I enjoyed it for the depth of focus it bought. Well worth reading.
Rating:
Summary: Starts slow, but becomes more enjoyable
Review: I struggled through the first portion of the book -- more background information about the politics and history of the period would have been helpful. Once it hits the period of the Revolution and the king's illness, the book picks up quite a bit. After you've read the book, rent The Madness of King George and compare truth and art.
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