Book Review: ROYAL AFFAIRS by Leslie Carroll

A witty and humorous nonfiction chronology of "Royal Affairs" throughout the history of British monarchs. What a great read, Leslie had me going from section to section wondering what witty perspective she had on that particular historical figure. My favorite quote was her "use it or loose it" policy on Edward IV, hilarious and oh so fitting. Opening with Henry II and Rosamund de Clifford all the way down to the current prince of wales Charles and Camilla Bowles. I knew that I loved her style and confirmed we are like minded when she refereed to Isabella (Edward II wife) with "hell hath no fury like a woman scorned in bed", so true.

I found really helpful the section on Mary Queen of Scots. I had so many question and all were answered in short and to the point, not being over shadowed by the details. Her husbands murder, and what happened to Bothwell? Well the awnser is he was thrown into a deep dark remote fortress of Dragsholm castle in Denmark. He lived a decade there before dying of madness. She even found out that his remains are mummified and still preserved under glass at Farevejle church, near Dragsholm. My other favorite that I have to mention was the heart wrenching story of Caroline of Brunswick and George IV daughter the princess Charlotte who married prince Leopold. She died after a fifty hour delivery of a still born son. The reference to Charlotte was brief but it built up the whole history in her family and why he loss was so tragic.

5/5 muses, This was the perfect nonfiction set up for an ADD reader like myself. Long enough to fit in the best with out going over board and losing my interest. Falling into the category of special nonfiction that is not dull or lagging. I am really looking forward to her next new release "Notorious Royal Marriages" on January 5Th 2010. If it is anything like this one I know it will be a goodies book and I will love it. Thank you Leslie I loved the book, and you are right "real history is much more sexy".

"Royal unions have always been the stuff of scintillating gossip, from the passionate Plantagenet's to Henry VIII's alarming head count of wives and mistresses, to the Sapphic crushes of Mary and Anne Stuart to the scandal-blighted coupling of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Thrown into loveless, arranged marriages for political and economic gain, many royals were driven to indulge their pleasures outside the marital bed, engaging in delicious flirtations, lurid love letters and rampant sex. On these pages the arousing history comes alive."