The Life and Times of George V

Kings and Queens of England

by Denis Judd

George V stood for order and tradition in an age of tumultuous change. Grandson of Queen Victoria, he was pragmatic and forthright but also a man of sensibility. This study shows how the King's strong sense of duty, married with warm humanity, won the affection of his people at home and overseas. Denis Judd is also author of "The Crimean War", "The House of Windsor" and "Prince Philip".

Genres: History, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 1993

About the author

Denis Judd was born in Northamptonshire in 1938 and educated in a village primary school before passing the 'Eleven Plus' and entering the local grammar school. He won a State Scholarship to Oxford, where he took his first degree in Modern History at Magdalen College, going on to study for a PhD at London University, on: 'A. J. Balfour and the evolution and problems of the British Empire 1874-1906.' He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

He has been Head of History, and is now Professor Emeritus of Imperial and Commonwealth History, at the London Metropolitan University. In his research, writing and broadcasting he has specialised in the British Empire and Commonwealth, especially South Africa and India. He has also written extensively on British history, on aspects of the monarchy, and among his biographies is the authorised life of the children’s author Alison Uttley.

Reviews

[Simon]

It's a pretty decent overview of British politics under George V's reign, with adequate coverage of the great issues between 1910-1936. The pictures are interesting, perhaps the book's chief virtue. It was written before Margaret Thatcher's time, and there is a definite Labour bias. But it is much more "Times" than "Life", which is understandable. The constitutional monarch good at his/her job simply doesn't have much serious impact upon history, and George V was good at his job. There are better biographies out there than this one, but it marks a good introduction to the man and his period.

Confused by most of the reviews below, who seem to be mistaking George V and George VI.

[Cathy]

I was hoping to be able to say that this was a fairly light read that would provide "Downton Abbey" fans unfamiliar with English history some context for the time period. And it was, until I actually got into the period of George V's reign. At that point, it sort of gets bogged down in contemporary politics, and anyone who's never heard of Lloyd George or Bonar Law or who doesn't know the difference between the Liberal and Labour parties is going to get kind of lost. It has lots of terrific pictures, though, and an excellent family tree of the descendants of Queen Victoria. A decent but not outstanding reference.

[Scott]

Excellent overview of both the life of King George V but equally the times in which he lived and the events that shaped his reign. A great refresher on my favorite king.