A Brief History of British Kings and Queens: British Royal History from Alfred the Great to the Present

by Mike Ashley

In one portable volume, A Brief History of British Kings and Queens offers a royal biographical A–Z, its pages lavish in details on all the rulers of the kingdoms within the British Isles, together with their wives or consorts, pretenders, usurpers, and regents, from Queen Boadicea of the early Britons to today's Elizabeth II. This complete record of Britain's kings and queens contains more than 1,000 monarchs and 2,000 years of fascinating history. "Everything its title promises. The pages are filled with ... everything anyone might ever want to know about the royals."—Publishers Weekly "Highly recommended."—Choice

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, Reference, Historical, Audiobook, British Literature

464 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1998

About the author

Michael Raymond Donald Ashley is the author and editor of over sixty books that in total have sold over a million copies worldwide. He lives in Chatham, Kent.

Reviews

[the Lady of the Possums · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm gonna start by saying that I had pretty high hopes for this book. I was not necessarly expecting it to be the most engaging reading in my life (those sort of books are often a little dry) but I thought that it would be a good introduction to british history, a book that I could recommend to people wishing to start studying this subject. I was wrong and I'm certainly not gonna recommend this book to anyone.

I'm not an expert on every single sovereign that ever ruled in England, Scotland or Wales but I still managed to find mistakes and innacuracies. Ashley mix up some dates (for example claiming that Hugh le Despenser became Edward II's chamberlain in 1313 when all the sources that exist show that it happened almost five years later in early 1318).
He also present theories as fact, which gets really annoying really quickly. Don't get me wrong: all historians have to interpret facts and will present the most plausible theories as possible facts if they have enough circumstantial evidences. It's normal. Doesn't mean it's appropriate to go around claiming that we know for a fact that Mary I suffered from congenital syphilis when there's nothing to prove it (and I mean, Henry VIII would have infected her but not any of his wives or the three children he had later in his life? OK) or that George III suffered from porphyria when it's a marginal theory at best.

In my opinion, a book such as this one would have gain a lot from a very neutral narration. I realize that it's almost impossible to be entirely neutral and that even the best historian in the world will have their favorites. This being said, Ashley push the things a little far for my taste. I rolled my eyes when I read bout how Empress Matilda ruined her own chances of succeeding by being "too arrogant" and "fiery tempered" but that King Stephen was "capable, intelligent and brave". Or when I read about how Jane Seymour "beguiled the king with her coquettish ways". Or that Alice Perrers, the mistress of Edward III was not only a little slut but also that she was "scheming and grasping and made his last years a misery.". I come to think that Ashley's way of writing about women is particularly annoying but don't worry: men are also poorly treated in this book. Did you thought that Edward III was one of the most impressive king in English history? In this book, you will learn that he was actually a sad loser! Good to know, right?

Oh, and there's also a comment that made me very uncomfortable about how Edward VIII may have been a "repressed homosexual" since he was mostly attracted to "masculine women". I honestly know very little about the Windsor so I'm not saying it's impossible but trying to find informations about Edward VIII's love life showed me a very clear pattern of womanizing so I guess he was really, really good at repressing stuff.

I was also surprised to see Ashley mentionning William III and Mary II's possible "homosexual tendencies" but then not making even the slightest mention of the fact that Queen Anne was possibly a lesbian, or at the very least primarly romantically attracted to women. For a guy who likes to mention people's homosexual tendancies, that's a lost occasion.

I'm giving two starts to this book because of it's potential, mostly. There's a lot of good, accurate informations and the format itself make it a practical ressource, that give you access to litterally all the people who ruled this island, wich is great. This being said, right now reading this book is exactly like reading wikipedia entries on historical figures: you're probably gonna learn some accurate facts but there's also gonna be a lot of inacuracies added to the mix. This book could be much better if it went throught a new round of edition but in the meantime I would recommend Wikipedia: at least it's free so you don't have to pay for the historical myths you're consuming.

[Beorn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Easily the best, most accesible and easily readable book on not just the history of the British monarchy but to a certain extent the country itself and how each influenced the other.

I've read books on the same subject in the past but they have preferred to just resort to reciting by rote all the agreed information and it feeling like one big list.
I'll be honest, the post Tudor world has never interested me so I didn't read that section but what I read up to there was remarkably well elucidated and clear to understand (with the exception of Wales which was a lot more complicated but that's history's fault not the author's).

If you're going to take a dip into British history or a specific monarch in particular, you could go far worse than using this book as an entry level seeder.

[Aleks · Rating 3 out of 5]

A pretty interesting and informative book. I got it for about 5 bucks and it easily outweighed its low fee by the entertainment and hours spent reading it. The author's passion on the subject shows in his writing. I learned a lot from the book; it cleared up many of the eras which had previously confused me. I would recommend this book to people looking to learn about British monarchs.

The charts and lineages at the back of the book were helpful.

[Jacob Stelling · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fairly strong summary of English, Scottish and Welsh monarchy, although the nature of the book means that a lot of key information was omitted, as well as certain rumour being presented as fact.

This book also serves as evidence that (in my opinion at least) the monarchy becomes far less interesting after the Glorious Revolution, as around this time political history comes into play.

Overall, a well-rounded summary of the British monarchy which did have the potential to be better.

[cellomerl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always find this subject fascinating. This book is a very readable and comprehensive overview, and presents the deep cultural history and influence of the royal lineage, highlighting the endless intrigue and fighting and killing and disease carrying people off. There are family trees and other resources in the last quarter of the book’s volume, which I probably should have referred to while actually reading, so that I could have kept track of who was descended from whom.
I think it’s amazing how well documented the story of these royal families is, even going back a long way, especially when you consider how few people could actually read and write centuries ago, even the nobles themselves. I suppose it was left up to the Church to chronicle everything.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great primer on the entire history of British kings and queens. A few minor points I disagreed with the author on, but also enlightening for the later periods of the monarchy, which I am less familiar with. Definitely a good reference book! Would have liked an inclusion of Irish monarchs, as was presented for Scotland and Wales, but I suppose that's a whole other book, haha.

[L Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been listening to this on audible as I was looking for a book that also gave information on Scottish monarchy as so few books on British Royalty seem to do. This certainly fits the bill and I’m enjoying it so much I am going to buy a hard copy. I like that it deals, not only with crowned Kings and Queens, but also gives interesting information about those who should or could have ruled and why they didn’t. Another reason for buying a hard copy is so that I can dip into areas of my particular interest and I’m hoping it will help me to work out all the Roberts/Matildas/Henry’s etc which gets really confusing as a listener! History’s fault not the author! An added bonus is that it also explains some of the complexities of Welsh rulers that I knew nothing about.

Some reviewers have mentioned that a map would be useful. I don’t have my hard copy yet but would imagine that the author would have needed to include many maps as county names, places and borders have changed considerably throughout our history. I am British, by the way, and I would have to look up some of these places, particularly the Welsh ones as I only know what they are called today.

Other reviewers have mentioned that there are inaccuracies. If there are they don’t really matter for my purposes. It’s a starting point for further reading in my opinion and I will forgive a few date errors here and there and turn a blind eye to his opinion on the personality of various characters. Not that I think they are necessarily the author’s opinions but, more likely, the way these people have been viewed historically. And to the reviewer who ranted on about Richard III, (which I now can’t find) this isn’t a book about one person and the jury is still out on what happened.

In conclusion, I think this is a great reference book for anyone who wants to begin to learn more about British history and how we came to be where we are today. My next reads will be on the Jacobites and Cromwell. Any recommendations?!

[Helene Harrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review - This isn't the best history of British Kings and Queens I've read - I much preferred David Starkey's Monarchy: England and Her Rulers from the Tudors to the Windsors or Crown and Country: A History of England Through the Monarchy or David Loades's The Kings Queens of England: The Biography. However, this book did add some additional information to these because it looks separately at the royal lines of Scotland and Wales. There are a few errors, and a few opinions put across as fact that are in fact still debated, so you can't take everything too seriously. Nevertheless a good introduction, but for something more factual and in-depth look at Starkey or Loades.

General Subject/s? - History / Monarchy / Royal Family

Recommend? – Maybe

Rating - 15/20

[Jason Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I get there are many people who won't like this book. They don't care about history, or Kings and Queens or even the British.

This book covers rulers before Kings existed to present on all the nations that make up the United Kingdom. Ashley describes his original book as a tome, so he came back and created a "brief history". Each King, Queen, or consort is given a brief history covering their ascension to the throne, personality, family, achievements, failures, and more but its not boring. Not to me anyway.

I thought he seamlessly moves from one lineage and connects it to one of the other nations lineage. Example, he ends with Queen Elizabeth of England, then switches and covers the Scottish Kings and Queen, then intertwines King James VI of Scotland succeeding Elizabeth and becoming King James I of England.

I loved it. The 1500s-1600s, King Henry the VIII all the way to King Charles II is the most exciting time for me, but also the most tumultuous.

[Brad Mundy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to read for any length of time and that's not the fault of the author. He works hard to inject enough interesting material into every monarch's life, both pre and post ascension to the throne. He also provides background for those that had a claim to the throne but didn't get there. The sheer number of people involved (kings/queens,advisors, pretenders, etc.) is overwhelming and would tax any author's ability to make this anything other than what it is: a slog.

It has a wealth of good information and because of that is a good reference book to keep around. One conclusion after reading it cover to cover: a lot of kings (and very few queens) were either incompetent or uninterested. I came away with a dim view of heriditary rulers.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this despite finding it a little dry to read. It's very clear and concise in describing each monarch, their reigns and their impact or lack there of. I found the explanation of each family tree very interesting especially the Tudor and Stuart lines. I'd say the title is accurate as each explanation of each monarch is rather brief in order get each one in the book. But overall good structure, accurate chronology and easy to understand. It definitely would be a good book to pick up if you are studying kings and Queens of Britain as it really irons out the chronology and impact of each reign in a simplified nutshell.

[Will Norton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers a simple biography and history of the monarchs of Britain, Ireland, and Wales. Specifically, the very early history of the monarchy is delved into with the same ferocity as later monarchs. This would seem strange because I would assume that Henry V would be more detailed than a very early monarch before the Richard the Leonhart. Still, the lessons and history give some treatment to the accomplishments and temperament in rule ruler by ruler. If anything, this book is a simple guidebook to the dynasties and individuals within those dynasties and includes external history during their rule.

[Isla · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a solid, straightforward book for anyone curious about British royalty. It covers an incredible range of history, from ancient rulers to Queen Elizabeth II, all in one place. It’s more of a reference than a story, so it’s best for dipping in and out rather than reading cover to cover.

The amount of detail is impressive, and you can tell Mike Ashley really knows his history. At times it can feel a bit dry, but I still found it fascinating to see how all the names and dynasties connect. A good book to have on your shelf if you love royal trivia or just want to understand who came before who.

[Lorna Dykstra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had been looking for a book like this for a long time. A Brief History of British Kings and Queens was exactly what I was looking for. The author presented each monarch in a concise manner, focusing on each one's major achievements and failures. I found the various genealogical tables very helpful in unravelling the often complicated and intertwined lineages of the monarchs of England, Scotland and Wales. This was a fascinating read which helped me decide which kings or queens I may be interested in reading about in greater detail in the future.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive yet readable guide to the kings and queens of England, Wales, and Scotland. Although the focus is on individuals, through them we can trace the history of Britain, especially its political history. The inclusion of early post-Roman rulers who were more like chieftains or warrior princes provides interesting background. Despite the book being published 25 years ago, the information is generally accurate. I noticed a few discrepancies between Ashley's summaries and the details I've read in more focused books, but this one still provides a good overview.

[I-Read-That-Too · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent reference book of British history. Good ground point for people who have no idea about the general timeline of British history, and quite readable all the way through. It contains a number of black and white reproductions of paintings of various monarchs, which do not print well and were fairly pointless to the text. It does not contain maps, which would have been a much more useful inclusion, particularly as country borders were frequently changing.

[Ay Oh Be · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an easy to read, well organized overview of the British Monarchy. While I would have liked more inserted maps (as I know very little about UK geography - though I know more now) since I often found the different areas of the UK confusing and hard to place overall I found the book to be an interesting read.
It is a great starting point for the introduction to the Royal lineage and definitely points the way to interesting characters for further research.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brief lustig and clarification of the kings and queens of England spanning 1200 years. I learned that New York was named after the Duke of York. I enjoyed how the author tied in literature and arts. I didn't like "it became apparent that Diana was ill-suited to pressures of life as a member of the Royal Family and her relationship with Charles began to crack." How is it okay for her to tolerate infidelity? But apart from that, this is a great reference to who's related to whom.

[Rees Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anybody with an interest in kings or queens,

This is essentially your book.

You need to read this to have an understanding of the various monarchy figures over the years.

Would definitely recommend it.

T.Cromwell Will stand out to anybody and you will finish this and then go in search of his book just solely about him.

Well, that's what I did, I read the book and ended up finding my own fave figures. disregarded any interest in the other kings or rulers.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, on Audible, was my companion on walks in January. It's a good read/listen - pacy, full of random facts, and covers a lot of ground. British does mean British here - history of Welsh and Scottish kings and queens also included. Really enjoyable.

[Emilija · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that this book gives a very good outline of the British monarchy. I liked that it branched out and looked at the Welsh leaders and the Scottish kings a little as well. It was a very interesting read, but it does leave you wanting to read other books to learn more.

[Mandy J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting and covers all the known rulers of England. I’m familiar with the Tudors, as are most, and I’ve read about the Wars of the Roses, but everything before that was a mystery, so this was great.

[Candy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little more information than I've gotten from similar themed books. Kudos!

[Michael J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spellbinding....Almost Game of Thrones without the Dragons....hard to make this stuff up!

[Emma Dargue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Listened to this on audio book and found it interesting and informative as it focuses on both Scottish and Welsh kings as well as English kings.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an engaging history of the British Monarchs, neither dry nor boring. Just enough detail to hold one's interest, but not so much that one is overwhelmed with extraneous information.

[Anna Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Long and at time dry and hard to follow but I think that is just the nature of the subject matter. Overall super informative and fascinating.

[Fergie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the rich, long history of Britain, it's a credit to any writer or historian who takes on the task of thoroughly researching the topic. This book explores the vast roots of English history, beginning with commentary of the region before the birth of Christ. From Queen Boadicea of the ancient Brits who fought against the tyranny of Roman occupation right up to the present Queen, this book does more than an admirable job of explaining the origins of the resilient, defiant nature of the inhabitants of the island nation. Britain's illustrious background is discussed brilliantly by the capable Mike Ashley. He gives equal weight to the histories of Scotland and Wales -- leading up to and beyond when the island was united to become Great Britain.
The reader mustn't be deceived by the title of the book. Although "brief" is necessary to include in any title that arises from such a long history as that of Great Britain if it is to be contained to one book, this book is anything but brief. Likewise, because of the intricate and immense details that go into the telling of such an ancient culture, the book is not often an easy read. But, the reader will be paid back tenfold through the interesting history of one of the greatest nations the world has ever seen. Like all great nations, its history is not always perfect, but there is much here for the English people and their descendants to be proud of.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and it was interesting to find out more about the country before all the well known kings and queens. I really enjoyed reading about George VI and thought he was super brave. The only thing that knocked the book down for me was after queen Elizabeth II it went back to explain what had happened with the land in the past and give a list of all known rulers which was a bit gardgoing and overly factual after the rest of the book. Had it been combined it probably would of been easier to read. Overall loved it!