About book George, Nicholas And Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins And The Road To World War I (2009)
This is a 4.5 stars read. I really enjoyed this book! It is a biographical look at George V of England (also his father Edward and grandmother Victoria), Nicholas II of Russia, and Wilhelm II of Germany. The book basically looks at all three people from birth to death, with the obvious focus being on the lead up to World War I. It is a fascinating look at the last decades of true autocratic monarchies in Europe and leaves the reader feeling that none of these leaders were up to the task of actually leading. I particularly enjoyed reading about Nicholas II. One of my favorite books is Nicholas and Alexandra by Robert K. Massie and that book provided a much more sympathetic view of the Nicholas and his family. This book by Carter presents a much more pathetic figure but I can see how both interpretations have merit and truth.A fantastic read for anyone as an introduction, but also as a great review of the time period. It's not that this book is so well written, although it isn't bad. It's the story of the three cousins, George V of England, Nicholas II of Russia, and Wilhelm II of Germany that earns my 4-star rating. Carter's book is well researched (I discovered her through watching a BBC documentary on King Edward VII (Bertie, who is far more colorful and interesting than his son George V) although I did notice a few contradictions. Then again, she does much better than Catrine Clay with her encyclopedic book on the same subject. Clay does a good job of following the lives of each of the three in parallel so that you get a good idea of what happens with each at the same period of their lives and doesn't bog you down with so many quotes. Whereas Robert Massie's excellent biography of Nicholas and Alexandra reads like a novel, Carter's doesn't. But it is readable and the subject matter is fascinating. Here were three rather ordinary men -- cousins -- who ruled most of the world. Goodness me. How could Germany have put up with Wilhelm for so long? Although Nicholas was responsible for many terrible things, he is, by all accounts that I have read, on a personal level a very sympathetic character -- certainly the most sympathetic of the three cousins. He simply didn't have the intellect, the education, nor the personality to be an emperor. What endears him (at least to me) is his love for and devotion to his wife and family. He didn't like public life or socializing. He would have made a fine gentleman farmer, chopping wood and spending most of his time with his family. And he would have been far happier. George's betrayal of Nicholas -- who he claimed to love dearly -- is unforgiveable. Yup, a very interesting story.
Do You like book George, Nicholas And Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins And The Road To World War I (2009)?
This is a good book. If you are interested in the time leading up to WWI you should read this book.
—tbingz
I would highly recommend - and I listened to it as an audiobook, which was even better!
—ghamo
