I was passed this book by my mum and I have to confess that before reading I couldn't quite place where abouts George III fell in our Royal timeline and couldn't tell you anything about him other than he was possibly mad at some point (I knew one of the George's had been but alas couldn't tell you which one).
Well having read the book I can confirm he was 'the mad one' and he fits in between 1738-1820 to be precise. Yet Hibbert expertly illustrates why George III was so much more than simply the mad King. He was a patron of the arts and sciences owning one of the largest collections of books of his time, he was intelligent and a kind devoted husband.
Did you know he was the King reviled in the Declaration of Independence? Did you know he was the first monarch to live in Buckingham Palace (or Queens House as it was then known)? I certainly didn't and was fascinated to read about the grandfather of Queen Victoria and a period of history I was more unfamiliar with than I realised. It was refreshing to read about a monarch other than Henry VIII or Victoria (as interesting and brilliant as they were).
I found the book to be very well written by Hibbert, who verged just on the right side of depth without drowning the reader in names, dates and places. He vividly brought George III to life although I would now like to read more about the coming about of the Declaration of Independence as the King in Hibbert's account does not seem recognisable to the King so despised by Americans of that time.
Overall, whilst it's not a breeze to read the 400 pages, it is well worth the effort. I came away far more knowledgeable and didn't feel like I was pulling teeth in the process which I can so often feel like with books of this genre.
If you liked this one Hibbert has also written a personal history of Queen Victoria, or for something a bit different try Scotland the Autobiography short sharp snippets of diary entries, newspaper articles and interviews unlike any other history book I have read.
Well having read the book I can confirm he was 'the mad one' and he fits in between 1738-1820 to be precise. Yet Hibbert expertly illustrates why George III was so much more than simply the mad King. He was a patron of the arts and sciences owning one of the largest collections of books of his time, he was intelligent and a kind devoted husband.
Did you know he was the King reviled in the Declaration of Independence? Did you know he was the first monarch to live in Buckingham Palace (or Queens House as it was then known)? I certainly didn't and was fascinated to read about the grandfather of Queen Victoria and a period of history I was more unfamiliar with than I realised. It was refreshing to read about a monarch other than Henry VIII or Victoria (as interesting and brilliant as they were).
I found the book to be very well written by Hibbert, who verged just on the right side of depth without drowning the reader in names, dates and places. He vividly brought George III to life although I would now like to read more about the coming about of the Declaration of Independence as the King in Hibbert's account does not seem recognisable to the King so despised by Americans of that time.
Overall, whilst it's not a breeze to read the 400 pages, it is well worth the effort. I came away far more knowledgeable and didn't feel like I was pulling teeth in the process which I can so often feel like with books of this genre.
If you liked this one Hibbert has also written a personal history of Queen Victoria, or for something a bit different try Scotland the Autobiography short sharp snippets of diary entries, newspaper articles and interviews unlike any other history book I have read.
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