Reviews for Charles I, the personal monarch

The average rating for Charles I, the personal monarch based on 2 reviews is 3 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2020-08-29 00:00:00 Sally Schram Covers the basics, but with questionable judgment at times, and it is a test-case for why historians should never attempt to be psychoanalysts. Plus the editorial team at Routledge should have been ashamed of themselves - this is one of the most egregiously typo-ridden books I have ever read.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-12-04 00:00:00 Andrew Loughran Biographies are often segregated into Academic and Popular, the latter snubbed for being dumbed down for the unwashed masses, the former snubbed for being dull as dirt and twice as dry. Here is a biography that breaks those stereotypes, and does so with both style and substance. I know very little about Charles I (had pointy mustache, got head chopped off), and after reading this I'm keen to learn more. The English Civil War has never thrilled me, historically speaking, but maybe it's time to branch out. The attempt at wearing a psychologist's hat in the beginning chapters felt a little much to me, particularly the bits about homosexuality (gay men are promiscuous, their mommies didn't love them, etc. etc. weary sigh); but such haberdashery is limited. That's pretty much the only criticism I can think of – basically this is a damn good book, proof positive that academic writing don't have to be plodding and dusty, and popular history doesn't have to be shallow and sensationalized. We need more books like this.