A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors

Those naughty, naughty, naughty royals! I always knew that rank excess was a recipe for disaster, but these little vinettes have been a real eye-opener. At the end, I realized that I am very, very glad never to have been born a royal. My life-expectancy would have been severely diminished.......thanks mostly to my own family.

A very enjoyable little book; I am looking forward to reading more of its ilk from the same author (this was his first one). No history knowledge is necessary for enjoyment, yet to will conclude the book with some of it.

Michael Farquhar’s “Scandal” series is simply fantastic. If school history books included the subject matter presented here along with all the dry dates and places, more students would enjoy history class I’m sure! Many readers are enchanted by historical figures, as indicated by the popularity of such writers as Philippa Gregory, or Jean Plaidy. We want to hear about the sordid affairs of Henry VIII, Louis XVI, and other famous dead people! But, the author doesn’t give us fiction. He digs into the past of many royals across the centuries for the juicy stories that actually happened, but aren’t necessarily important.

There were books before this one, most notably “Royal Babylon,” that made a similar attempt. However, show more that book was plodding and the writing too formal and dissertation-like. This is where Farquhar shines. He tells each anecdote with simple, elegant language that is easy to read and flows like a fiction novel. It’s like reading an episode of “Access Hollywood” for the celebrities of previous centuries. Some will argue that he has his facts wrong, or “it didn’t happen that way.” They’re missing the point. This is meant to titillate, entertain and give readers a peak into a less than glorious past. And it may just inspire some people to look further for more information on some of the historical subjects depicted. Highly recommended!

Other books in the series:
A Treasury of Great American Scandals
A Treasury of Deception
A Treasury of Foolishly Forgotten Americans show less

Quick easy to read chapters. Witty comments on the bad behavior of the royals and popes through history. It includes family trees and timelines to help see where things fit in time.

This was so much fun! For an avid historian this book equaled chocolate! I was perfectly thrilled with this book, even though I think the author had a problem with Queen Victoria and his chapter on James I(of the KJ Bible) was sheer drivel.
But I heartily enjoyed the rest of the book! I definitely appreciated his chapters on the War of the Roses, for some reason I've never been able to fully understand it until I read this book.
I absolutely ate it up, and I highly recommend it to anyone who has the least interest in British, French, or Russian royal history, (and scandals!)

Those naughty, naughty, naughty royals! I always knew that rank excess was a recipe for disaster, but these little vinettes have been a real eye-opener. At the end, I realized that I am very, very glad never to have been born a royal. My life-expectancy would have been severely diminished.......thanks mostly to my own family.

A very enjoyable little book; I am looking forward to reading more of its ilk from the same author (this was his first one). No history knowledge is necessary for enjoyment, yet to will conclude the book with some of it.

Those naughty, naughty, naughty royals! I always knew that rank excess was a recipe for disaster, but these little vinettes have been a real eye-opener. At the end, I realized that I am very, very glad never to have been born a royal. My life-expectancy would have been severely diminished.......thanks mostly to my own family.

A very enjoyable little book; I am looking forward to reading more of its ilk from the same author (this was his first one). No history knowledge is necessary for enjoyment, yet to will conclude the book with some of it.

Those naughty, naughty, naughty royals! I always knew that rank excess was a recipe for disaster, but these little vinettes have been a real eye-opener. At the end, I realized that I am very, very glad never to have been born a royal. My life-expectancy would have been severely diminished.......thanks mostly to my own family.

A very enjoyable little book; I am looking forward to reading more of its ilk from the same author (this was his first one). No history knowledge is necessary for enjoyment, yet to will conclude the book with some of it.