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Royal Charles: Charles II And The Restoration (1980)

Royal Charles: Charles II and the Restoration (1980)

Book Info

Genre
Rating
3.95 of 5 Votes: 1
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ISBN
0440569605 (ISBN13: 9780440569602)
Language
English
Publisher
dell

About book Royal Charles: Charles II And The Restoration (1980)

Everything you ever wanted or needed to know about Charles II of England, complete with pictures. Very interesting tome along with much detail about the King who ruled England from 1660-1685. Mary Queen of Scots great grandson was an avid sportsmen, gardener and scientist..this King is a fascinating figure. Supporting the building of the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, a steady topic of diarist Samuel Pepys and a patron of Christopher Wren who rebuilt London after the Great Fire of 1666; this King was a avid fan of horse racing where the term "sport of Kings" came into play during his reign. He was also a fan of mistresses, having had 16 children with 8 them. He had laws passed giving dogs free travel throughout his realm and we all know had Spaniels named after him. Every morning he walked his dogs in St James Park for his morning "constitutional" therefore the street "Constitution Hill" (bordering the park)..now runs up beside Buckingham Palace. Although experts think he died of kidney disease, the 17th century royal doctors attending him (12 of them)administered 58 drugs to him over 5 days time...making his end a ghastly, torturous one at 55 years old.

They cut out snippets from the Hornblower movies as well. If you got the DVDS, you got scenes that weren't on television. I wonder if the same is true for the Charles series.

Do You like book Royal Charles: Charles II And The Restoration (1980)?

A jolly good read! At a time when England was discovering tea, science, government and banking, Charles II lead a life out of a fairy tale. His father beheaded, his kingdom siezed, Charles was a warrior prince, a pauper in exile after a daring escape from England and finally, unexpectedly returned to his throne to open the golden age of The Restoration. A more extraordinary life cannot be imagined; a wise ruler, a loving father, a decent husband (despite his notorious mistresses and swarm of bastard children) He saw the plague and then a great fire destroy London. He deftly juggled the Byzantine politics of European wars and squabbling domestic religious zelotry. His life even ended with an extraordinary death bed religious conversion. His court was known for it's guilded excesses and pagentry yet Antonia Fraser reveals a wise and caring man who struggled to bring peace to his realm.
—Frederick Gault

I was a little in love with Charles II before I read this book, and a little more after. The book covers Charles years in exile after the beheading of his father, and the early part of his reign. Charles was energetic, kind and well mannered, fond of the theatre, and women, art, gardens, small dogs and beautiful buildings. He brought Yachts to England, and played real tennis, rode and swam in the Thames. He wasn't proud, and when he got hot, prone to whipping his wig off, no matter the company. There is a second book, and I have it, but I am a little concerned to read of Charles decline - I would rather I think remember him this way!
—Manda

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