Rating: Not rated
Tags: History, Lang:en
Summary
"Here, Theo Aronson has assembled the entire cast of
embattled monarchs. His is the story of eight momentous years
viewed, as it were, from the monarchical standpoint; an account
of the passing, not only of their particular world, but of the
entire monarchic and dynastic order of the Continent. It
describes the brilliant sunset and the dramatic break-up of the
Europe of the Kings.”
“An interesting version of an oft-told tale. Rather
than simply being a diplomatic or military history, Crowns in
Conflict uniquely personalizes World War I. It also helps place
monarchies in a historic context.”
“In Crowns in Conflict: The Triumph and Tragedy of
European Monarchy 1910-1918, Theo Aronson takes a distinct
approach to the end of monarchical Europe. For one, he takes a
broader view, looking at roughly a dozen major and minor
monarchs who sat on Europe’s thrones in the second decade
of the 20th century. The second, and most notable, is that the
book is biographical in nature, not surprising given that
Aronson, who died in 2003, wrote nearly two dozen royal
biographies. His method produces a very readable examination of
the topic. Rather than rehash the standard history of how the
Central and Entente Powers careened into war, the book looks at
the history of each monarch and what the kings and queens did
through the course of the war.”
“Crowns in Conflict: The Triumph and the Tragedy of
European Monarchy, 1910-1918 is an interesting read and I
recommend it.”
“In Crowns in Conflict: The Triumph and Tragedy of
European Monarchy 1910-1918, Theo Aronson takes a distinct
approach to the end of monarchical Europe. For one, he takes a
broader view, looking at roughly a dozen major and minor
monarchs who sat on Europe's thrones in the second decade of
the 20th century. The second, and most notable, is that the
book is biographical in nature, not surprising given that
Aronson, who died in 2003, wrote nearly two dozen royal
biographies. His method produces a very readable examination of
the topic. I found it an interesting version of an oft-told
tale. Rather than simply being a diplomatic or military
history, Crowns in Conflict uniquely personalizes World War I.
It also helps place monarchies in a historic context.”
“A well written look at European monarchies. Five
stars.”
The years immediately before the First World War saw the
last great flowering of European monarchy. Although sovereigns
no longer ruled by divine right, their prestige and positions
remained almost intact. The glittering centerpieces of national
life, those crowned and anointed monarchs were still widely
regarded as mystical, unassailable, divinely guided. And, with
the majority of them being so closely related, they constituted
a royal clan, an international freemasonry through which it was
assumed the peace of Europe was being maintained. World War I shattered all this. King took up arms against
king; cousin was pitted against cousin. Twelve leading
monarchs, ranging from the vainglorious Kaiser Wilhelm II to
such lesser-known figures as the brigandly Nicholas of
Montenegro, the 'outre' Foxy Ferdinand of Bulgaria and the
tragic Emperor Karl of Austria-Hungary, were involved in the
conflict. For, in the end, that celebrated kinship of the
family of kings proved irrelevant. Against the upheavals of
these years, monarchs were revealed as both powerless and
impotent. Here, Theo Aronson has assembled the entire cast of
embattled monarchs. His is the story of eight momentous years
viewed, as it were, from the monarchical standpoint; an account
of the passing, not only of their particular world, but of the
entire monarchic and dynastic order of the Continent. It
describes the brilliant sunset and the dramatic break-up of the
Europe of the Kings. ** "Here, Theo Aronson has assembled the entire cast of
embattled monarchs. His is the story of eight momentous years
viewed, as it were, from the monarchical standpoint; an account
of the passing, not only of their particular world, but of the
entire monarchic and dynastic order of the Continent. It
describes the brilliant sunset and the dramatic break-up of the
Europe of the Kings.”
“An interesting version of an oft-told tale. Rather
than simply being a diplomatic or military history, Crowns in
Conflict uniquely personalizes World War I. It also helps place
monarchies in a historic context.”
“In Crowns in Conflict: The Triumph and Tragedy of
European Monarchy 1910-1918, Theo Aronson takes a distinct
approach to the end of monarchical Europe. For one, he takes a
broader view, looking at roughly a dozen major and minor
monarchs who sat on Europe’s thrones in the second decade
of the 20th century. The second, and most notable, is that the
book is biographical in nature, not surprising given that
Aronson, who died in 2003, wrote nearly two dozen royal
biographies. His method produces a very readable examination of
the topic. Rather than rehash the standard history of how the
Central and Entente Powers careened into war, the book looks at
the history of each monarch and what the kings and queens did
through the course of the war.”
“Crowns in Conflict: The Triumph and the Tragedy of
European Monarchy, 1910-1918 is an interesting read and I
recommend it.”
“In Crowns in Conflict: The Triumph and Tragedy of
European Monarchy 1910-1918, Theo Aronson takes a distinct
approach to the end of monarchical Europe. For one, he takes a
broader view, looking at roughly a dozen major and minor
monarchs who sat on Europe's thrones in the second decade of
the 20th century. The second, and most notable, is that the
book is biographical in nature, not surprising given that
Aronson, who died in 2003, wrote nearly two dozen royal
biographies. His method produces a very readable examination of
the topic. I found it an interesting version of an oft-told
tale. Rather than simply being a diplomatic or military
history, Crowns in Conflict uniquely personalizes World War I.
It also helps place monarchies in a historic context.”
“A well written look at European monarchies. Five
stars.”
Theo Aronson is the author of over twenty works of royal
historical biography, published in eleven languages. Among the
widely read are Grandmama of Europe, The King in Love, Napoleon
and Josephine and a biography of Princess Margaret. In the
course of researching and writing these books he has
interviewed major and minor members of Britain’s royal
family and members of the royal households, as well as various
officials, servants, friends and others whose lives are in some
way connected with the monarchy.
Marshall S Lion
Prairie Progressive
Blog Critics
Amy’s Books
Seattle PI
Jessica Nipper - ReviewerReview
Marshall S Lion
Prairie Progressive
Blog Critics
Amy’s Books
Seattle PI
Jessica Nipper - Reviewer
About the Author