Royal Pains
A Rogues' Gallery of Brats, Brutes, and Bad Seeds
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4.0 • 4 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
The author of Notorious Royal Marriages presents some of history's boldest, baddest, and bawdiest royals.
The bad seeds on the family trees of the most powerful royal houses of Europe often became the most rotten of apples: über-violent autocrats Vlad the Impaler and Ivan the Terrible literally reigned in blood. Lettice Knollys strove to mimic the appearance of her cousin Elizabeth I and even stole her man. And Pauline Bonaparte scandalized her brother Napoleon by having a golden goblet fashioned in the shape of her breast.
Chock-full of shocking scenes, titillating tales, and wildly wicked nobles, Royal Pains is a rollicking compendium of the most infamous, capricious, and insatiable bluebloods of Europe.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Royalty has always been good for stories of extremes good, bad, and infamous. In her latest exploration of aristocratic errors, Carroll (after Notorious Royal Marriages) looks at a handful of aristocrats who gained infamy through homicidally bad behavior (like Ivan the Terrible or Renaissance "Blood Countess" Erzs bet B thory), serious sexual indiscretions (Prince Henry, Duke of Cumberland), or outright treason (King John and Richard III). Carroll writes comprehensive biographies of each, highlighting the implications and outcomes of their poor decisions; the results will leave readers alternatively horrified, amused, and disgusted. Despite repetitive and unimaginative prose, the information and brisk pacing make Carroll's book a treat, and readers with idle interest in the antics of the privileged classes will eat it up. The author tries to be fair when dealing with contending perspectives and is transparent about her own bias. Packed with gruesome details and brimming with wit, this is a wildly breezy read.
