Musings from Brian J. Noggle: Book Report: <i>Kings and Queens of England and Great Britain </i> by Eric R. Delderfield (1975)

Book Report: Kings and Queens of England and Great Britain by Eric R. Delderfield (1975)

Book Report: Kings and Queens of England and Great Britain by Eric R. Delderfield (1975) As you know, gentle reader, I am something of an Anglophile as long as it doesn't require actually traveling to Britain or liking, really, anyone or anything currently British. I was an English major, though, and as much as I tilted the degree toward American writers, I couldn't escape the constraints of my collegiate upbringing. Plus, I think it's interesting the progression of the English monarches throughout much of the relevant history of the Western world.

Consider this book to be a more detailed version than Britain's Kings and Queens: 63 Reigns in 1100 Years, which I reviewed three years ago. That pamphlet, from the same time period as the edition of this book that I read, summed up the leaders and the effects their rules had upon England and Europe at large; this book, though, offers more verbosity in the leaders' lifetimes and occasional sections into the time periods. Of course, this book is worth more than the pamphlet I reviewed in 2003, but it's an expansion on the themes and rules therein.

Both books I've reviewed come from the early 1970s, so there's not been much change in the lineage aside from the marriage of Charles III (projected) and the divorce of Charles III (projected) and his issue. Still, in the 1970s, the chroniclers had a certain (as sports fans now call it) homer sentiment; that is, the introduction of this book admits that the early rulers were barbaric, but the early times were barbaric, but that the home team (Britain) eventually turned out okay and that its influence on the world was good. As an American conservative, I respect that (and apply it to my own country).

This edition (ca 1975) offered me enough trivia and Britainnia to be worthwhile; I cannot speak to the late editions, but I don't think they'll be any less interesting.

On a side note, I'll let you know, gentle reader, that I was a little ashamed of recovering the same territory that I mentioned in my review of the Bellews book. Until such time as I discovered when I covered that book, that is. I thought I'd read that book this year, or perhaps late last year. When the beauty that is this blog revealed that I read that earlier pamphlet 3 years ago, I was stunned. What a different world that was, for me at least. What were you doing then, and was it as immediate for you as the 9th century was for me?

Books mentioned in this review:

- posted by Brian J. @ 12:00 AM