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Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II

Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II

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  • Create Date：2022-02-17 17:21:42
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
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  • Author：Tracy Borman
  • ISBN：0802159109
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Summary

Since William the Conqueror， duke of Normandy， crossed the English Channel in 1066 to defeat King Harold II and unite England's various kingdoms， forty-one kings and queens have sat on Britain's throne: "shining examples of royal power and majesty alongside a rogue's gallery of weak， lazy， or evil monarchs，" as Tracy Borman evocatively describes them in her sparkling chronicle， Crown & Sceptre。 Ironically， during very few of these 955 years has the throne's occupant been unambiguously English--whether Norman French， the Welsh-born Tudors， the Scottish Stuarts， and the Hanoverians and their German successors to the present day。Acknowledging the intrinsic fascination with British royalty， Borman lifts the veil to reveal the remarkable characters and personalities who have ruled and， since the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660， more ceremonially reigned--a crucial distinction explaining the staying power of the monarchy as the royal family has evolved and adapted to the needs and opinions of its people， avoiding the storms of rebellion that brought many of Europe's royals to an abrupt end。 Richard II; Henry VIII; Elizabeth I; George III; Victoria; Elizabeth II: their names evoke eras and the dramatic events Borman recounts。 She is equally attuned to the fabric of monarchy: royal palaces; the way monarchs have been portrayed in art， on coins， in the media; the ceremony and pageantry surrounding the crown。

In 2024， Elizabeth II would eclipse France's Louis XIV as the longest reigning monarch in history。 Crown & Sceptre is a fitting tribute to her remarkable longevity and that of the magnificent institution she represents。

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Reviews

Jessica ，

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 I do think that this book is aimed at a somewhat-particular reader- if you are well-versed in the history of monarchy， you probably aren’t reaching for a collective biography。 However， I think that this book is the perfect introduction to the English/British monarchy。 There are always people becoming newly interested in the monarchy， and it does seem unfortunate that they often have to go back 15-20 years to find a so Thank you to NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review。 I do think that this book is aimed at a somewhat-particular reader- if you are well-versed in the history of monarchy， you probably aren’t reaching for a collective biography。 However， I think that this book is the perfect introduction to the English/British monarchy。 There are always people becoming newly interested in the monarchy， and it does seem unfortunate that they often have to go back 15-20 years to find a solid introduction。 Borman is a talented writer and keeps the book engaging and entertaining， not always an easy feat！ I appreciate that she included context to each monarch， rather than placing them in a vacuum。 All in all， a wonderful text！ 。。。more

David ，

All the kings and queens from 1066 to present！ New book recommended by StL Post Dispatch

Mystic Miraflores ，

This is a very readable history book which didn't get bogged down in very academic details。 However， I would have liked to have had more information on some of the queens， such as Queen Emma and Queen Charlotte。 Some of the British monarchs were real "characters" with a lot of drama， farce and tragedies during their lives。 No one could have invented such a fascinating cast of characters！ As a Tudor aficionado， I am very familiar with that era， and some of the War of the Roses time period。 Howeve This is a very readable history book which didn't get bogged down in very academic details。 However， I would have liked to have had more information on some of the queens， such as Queen Emma and Queen Charlotte。 Some of the British monarchs were real "characters" with a lot of drama， farce and tragedies during their lives。 No one could have invented such a fascinating cast of characters！ As a Tudor aficionado， I am very familiar with that era， and some of the War of the Roses time period。 However， I learned a lot about the Stuarts （to whom I never paid much attention） and the Hanoverians。 Even today， the book is already overtaken by events。 On Feb 6， 2022， Queen Elizabeth II said she wanted Camilla to be the Queen Consort when Charles becomes king。 I know that's a bitter pill for many on Team Diana to swallow。 。。。more

Graham Catt ，

Wars， scandals， beheadings， rebellions and much， much more。 The 1000 year history of British monarchy reads like Game of Thrones without the dragons。Tracy Borman’s book is fascinating， compelling reading。 A fabulous achievement。

Jane ，

Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy， from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II by Tracy Borman。 A History of English rulers for nearly a thousand years from 1066 to the present。I love the historical accuracy in Tracy Borman’s books whether fiction or nonfiction。 In this book no detail is missed in her historical and personal biographical information of each monarch。 It is interesting how laws were made， influenced and how the government was changed because of the behavior of Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy， from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II by Tracy Borman。 A History of English rulers for nearly a thousand years from 1066 to the present。I love the historical accuracy in Tracy Borman’s books whether fiction or nonfiction。 In this book no detail is missed in her historical and personal biographical information of each monarch。 It is interesting how laws were made， influenced and how the government was changed because of the behavior of these rulers。This book will stand out as a new textbook of the British Monarchy and the influence of England on world history。 Politics is a constant power struggle， it never seems to change whether it is historical Kings or the politicians of today。 Your life is never your own， is power worth it？ Apparently it is to some， but why？ Does history give some of the answers？ Borman’s Crown and Sceptre will be devoured by history lovers， for pure reading enjoyment and as a historical reference。 I received a complimentary copy of this book。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read， enjoy and review this book。 5 Stars 。。。more

Annarella ，

A well researched and informative book about British monarchy， an overview of nearly 1000 years。It's interesting and the timeline helps to keep track of dinasties and monarches。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine A well researched and informative book about British monarchy， an overview of nearly 1000 years。It's interesting and the timeline helps to keep track of dinasties and monarches。Recommended。Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC， all opinions are mine 。。。more

Anne Morgan ，

"Crown & Sceptre" is an interesting overall look at the English monarchy， from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II。 Brief biographies of each sovereign provide fascinating historical information but also allow Anglophiles to see the ebb and flow of the monarchy， the development and changes of aspects that we may still recognize today， and help us to follow the families of the House of Tudor， Stuart， Plantagenet， Windsor， and others。 Tracy Borgman is an excellent historian and does a brilliant "Crown & Sceptre" is an interesting overall look at the English monarchy， from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II。 Brief biographies of each sovereign provide fascinating historical information but also allow Anglophiles to see the ebb and flow of the monarchy， the development and changes of aspects that we may still recognize today， and help us to follow the families of the House of Tudor， Stuart， Plantagenet， Windsor， and others。 Tracy Borgman is an excellent historian and does a brilliant job of tracking how the monarchy is seen by the people， how the crown must change to suit the age， and how it does （or does not） succeed up to the present day。Well written and well researched， this is a must read for those interested in British history！I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more

Ed ，

interesting I really enjoyed this interpretation of the British monarchy 。 I found that this book focused more on the life of the Monarch then national events ， a great read 。

Brianna Westervelt ，

A truly fascinating book as this is something I've always wanted: an accessible compendium of all the British monarchs since the Norman Conquest。 But my， what an undertaking。 I'm in awe and I applaud you， Ms。 Borman。 （You can do both at the same time， right？）Already familiar with Tracy Borman via several Smithsonian Channel television shows， Crown & Sceptre serves to demonstrate her unmatched royal expertise。 A truly fascinating book as this is something I've always wanted: an accessible compendium of all the British monarchs since the Norman Conquest。 But my， what an undertaking。 I'm in awe and I applaud you， Ms。 Borman。 （You can do both at the same time， right？）Already familiar with Tracy Borman via several Smithsonian Channel television shows， Crown & Sceptre serves to demonstrate her unmatched royal expertise。 。。。more

Eleanor （bookishcourtier） ，

Tracy Borman is quickly becoming my favourite historian。 Her writing is succinct and sophisticated and so easily consumable。 This was such a comprehensive overview of the monarchy and was interesting regardless of whether I had prior knowledge of a monarch or not。 This serves well both for an introductory reader of history and a well versed one， in my opinion。 Moreover， I flew through this book due to the chapters being the perfect length to read in the evenings，and just keep you wanting more。

Elizabeth ，

I read this as an ARC from Netgalley。com。This book is a good overview of the English monarchy from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II。 I wouldn't call it ground-breaking， but it is very solid。 While I've read quite a bit about the English throne， I've never read a book that covers the entirety of all of the rulers in such an easy to digest manner。 This would be a good book to recommend to anyone who wants to keep a quick reference on the highs （or lows） of a particular ruler or dynasty on han I read this as an ARC from Netgalley。com。This book is a good overview of the English monarchy from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II。 I wouldn't call it ground-breaking， but it is very solid。 While I've read quite a bit about the English throne， I've never read a book that covers the entirety of all of the rulers in such an easy to digest manner。 This would be a good book to recommend to anyone who wants to keep a quick reference on the highs （or lows） of a particular ruler or dynasty on hand， or someone who is interested in the topic but doesn't want to get bogged down in too much detail。 。。。more

Lois ，

2。75 Stars rounded upThis is a very brief but interesting look at a lot of Monarchs。There's really nothing new here at the same time the author manages to keep the info fresh-ish and moving。I removed a star because the author engages in the traditional sexism， etc that characterizes most of these type of biographies。 2。75 Stars rounded upThis is a very brief but interesting look at a lot of Monarchs。There's really nothing new here at the same time the author manages to keep the info fresh-ish and moving。I removed a star because the author engages in the traditional sexism， etc that characterizes most of these type of biographies。 。。。more

Rosie Lee ，

A remarkable read

Paul Godwin ，

Not at all sure who this book is for。 I cannot conceive of anyone interested in the subject who hasn’t already acquired the information shared in the book。 This is a Ladybird Book of monarchs without the charm or the brevity。 Little insight and a huge disappointment。

Gail Jo Jansen ，

This book is truly incredible。 I just finished but I’m already tempted to flip to the beginning and start again。 I really admire Tracy Norman’s work on television， but this was my first sojourn into her written works—and I was not disappointed。 This book is comprehensive without being overwhelming， each chapter sumptuously detailed yet succinct enough to leave you amazed you learned so much in so few pages。 This is a great starting point for learning about the British monarchy and provides great This book is truly incredible。 I just finished but I’m already tempted to flip to the beginning and start again。 I really admire Tracy Norman’s work on television， but this was my first sojourn into her written works—and I was not disappointed。 This book is comprehensive without being overwhelming， each chapter sumptuously detailed yet succinct enough to leave you amazed you learned so much in so few pages。 This is a great starting point for learning about the British monarchy and provides great guidance for further research on individuals。 I’m already looking forward to rereading this！ 。。。more

Alice Jackman ，

I feel like I have been looking for this book for years。 Concise， interesting history of the monarchy with fun tidbits you didn’t think you needed to know。 Borman doesn’t get distracted but sticks to the point。 How has monarchy survived since William the Conqueror？ I loved it and think it should be required reading for anyone studying British history。

Helen Carolan ，

Another wonderful slice of history from Ms Borman。 Here she takes a look at the British monarchy from William the conqueror right through to the present day。 As usual from this author it's interesting and informative without being too highbrow。 Excellent read。 Another wonderful slice of history from Ms Borman。 Here she takes a look at the British monarchy from William the conqueror right through to the present day。 As usual from this author it's interesting and informative without being too highbrow。 Excellent read。 。。。more

Eugenia ，

What a nice and enjoyable read。 I am quite well versed in British monarchy but having it reviewed in such a concise and linear way was an added pleasure， this may not necessarily be a book for serious historians but it’s definitely a great read for fans of history， fans of British royal family， and amateur history nerds such as myself， Thank you， Tracy Borman， My usual pet peeve， why no illustrations？

Caroline Palmer ，

I received an eARC from NetGalley。A well written if not unique piece of scholarship。 It’s yet another book on the British Monarchy meant as more of an introduction to the different monarchs for the general public that is new to English/British history than the presentation of new scholarship for those already familiar or amateur historians with the subject。 David Crowther of the History of England podcast and David Starkey do a much better job of reworking old material to make it interesting to I received an eARC from NetGalley。A well written if not unique piece of scholarship。 It’s yet another book on the British Monarchy meant as more of an introduction to the different monarchs for the general public that is new to English/British history than the presentation of new scholarship for those already familiar or amateur historians with the subject。 David Crowther of the History of England podcast and David Starkey do a much better job of reworking old material to make it interesting to a fan of history。 While I enjoy reading and hearing about English history， a book on one of the lesser researched figures in English history would have been preferable to regurgitating old material。 。。。more

Ashley ，

I received this as an ARC from Netgalley。com。First line: The mass of people expect a King or Queen to look and play the part。Summary: A concise but short history of the kings and queens of England。 My Thoughts: This is my first book by Tracy Borman but I have been following her work through podcasts， articles and social media for years。 She is someone I admire because she basically has my dream job。 I really enjoyed this because it helped me understand different parts of English history especial I received this as an ARC from Netgalley。com。First line: The mass of people expect a King or Queen to look and play the part。Summary: A concise but short history of the kings and queens of England。 My Thoughts: This is my first book by Tracy Borman but I have been following her work through podcasts， articles and social media for years。 She is someone I admire because she basically has my dream job。 I really enjoyed this because it helped me understand different parts of English history especially the reasons behind the Hanoverian line in the succession。 Each king or queen was covered in several pages highlighting the main points of their reign。 The writing was easy to read and informative。 I have wanted to pick up several other books by Borman and now I will definitely prioritize them more。FYI: Great for anyone interested in British history。 。。。more

Melisende ，

Again， I am very wary when it comes to books with the title "new" in them as I invariably find nothing new。 And again there was really nothing new here for me。 I am going to preface this review， however， by stating that I read only up to the reign of Anne for beyond that was not really within my purview - therefore whether there was anything "new" or not to be gleaned I will leave in the capable hands of another reader。Borman compartmentalizes the book according to familial term designated for e Again， I am very wary when it comes to books with the title "new" in them as I invariably find nothing new。 And again there was really nothing new here for me。 I am going to preface this review， however， by stating that I read only up to the reign of Anne for beyond that was not really within my purview - therefore whether there was anything "new" or not to be gleaned I will leave in the capable hands of another reader。Borman compartmentalizes the book according to familial term designated for each ruler and their dynasty （ie: Stuarts， Normans， Plantagenets， Tudors， etc）。 As such， it is broken down as follows （making it easier to chose where you want to start）。Each section provides enough detail on and about each monarch and their reign; however， there are the usual tropes associated with a number of monarchs that I would hesitate in recommending it as an unbiased primer for someone starting。 Having said that， there is enough here from which to launch into more detailed or specialised accounts。Now whilst I mentioned that for me there was nothing new in the bulk of the narrative - there were a couple of little nuggets that I would have loved more detail on， as Borman disappointingly does not follow up with any actual source material。 These nuggets are the type of thing that stands out for me - but as no source was / can be provided， it just falls within the realm of whimsical hearsay， and places this book back firmly on the shelf of popularist general history。Still， there are many who will appreciate the condensed accounts of England's monarchs， spanning a period of some nine hundred odd years。 。。。more

kiers ，

Arc received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。A very well-researched book about the history of the British monarchy， covering from William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II。 The essays on each monarch were brief and objective， straight to the point and unbiased， though sometimes it looked too much on the bright side of things。 It focuses much on the broader political scopes of their reign， rather than the going-ons of their domestic lives。 Although I did feel that some of the es Arc received from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。A very well-researched book about the history of the British monarchy， covering from William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II。 The essays on each monarch were brief and objective， straight to the point and unbiased， though sometimes it looked too much on the bright side of things。 It focuses much on the broader political scopes of their reign， rather than the going-ons of their domestic lives。 Although I did feel that some of the essays were too long or perhaps it may have been because I didn't have much interest in some of the people here。 Admittedly， there were a handful that I skipped。 However， if you wish to have a brief background of the royals for research or a project this will be the book for you。 I definitely learned a few new things from reading this book。 。。。more

Joyce ，

5 starsThis is a wonderful book。 It gives a brief history of all the Kings and Queens since before the invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066 all the way through to the present。 It also provides brief vignettes of their consorts （or， in some cases co-rulers）。 It gives a clear and unbiased textual treatment of these individuals。 Some were good， some were bad。 A few were very bad。 I learned new information in this book as well。 For example， I did not realize that King George V was such a good m 5 starsThis is a wonderful book。 It gives a brief history of all the Kings and Queens since before the invasion of William the Conqueror in 1066 all the way through to the present。 It also provides brief vignettes of their consorts （or， in some cases co-rulers）。 It gives a clear and unbiased textual treatment of these individuals。 Some were good， some were bad。 A few were very bad。 I learned new information in this book as well。 For example， I did not realize that King George V was such a good man。 I had the opinion that he was uncaring and very stern with his children。 This book is well written in a linear fashion。 It is easy to read and accessible to everyone。 I highly recommend this book to everyone who is interested in the British monarchy or British history。 Ms。 Borman is a wonderful historian and has done extensive research on her subjects。 I can always count on her to give a clear-headed view of her subject。 I want to thank NetGalley and Grove Atlantic/Atlantic Monthly Press for forwarding to me a copy of this absolutely great and informative book for me to read， enjoy and review。 The opinions expressed here are solely my own。 。。。more

Rachel ，

Crown & Scepter by Tracy Borman is an impressive and immersive nonfiction that beautifully covers the full history of the English monarchy from William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II。 I really enjoyed this！I am blown away by the way the author was able to take this huge amount of history， facts， and timeline of English monarchs and find a way to present this massive concept into an interesting， streamlined， and easily digestible book that the reader can truly enjoy。 I have loved reading Eng Crown & Scepter by Tracy Borman is an impressive and immersive nonfiction that beautifully covers the full history of the English monarchy from William the Conqueror to Queen Elizabeth II。 I really enjoyed this！I am blown away by the way the author was able to take this huge amount of history， facts， and timeline of English monarchs and find a way to present this massive concept into an interesting， streamlined， and easily digestible book that the reader can truly enjoy。 I have loved reading English and Scottish history for a long time now， so obviously I was excited to read a book that is comprehensive in regards to not only describing each monarch， but the transitions， important events， how the roles of each altered， and how we made it to present-day from 1066 to current-day。 She was able to pace it appropriately by giving the reader everything needed， but yet not too much to overwhelm。 She clearly is knowledgeable and has done her research。 I have enjoyed hearing her on Podcasts in the past， and now I know that she is equally as interesting and talented as an author as well。I most certainly will be recommending this book to anyone that loves not only English history， but also any fans of Monarchy as well。 Just stunning。5/5 stars Thank you EW and Atlantic Monthly Press for this wonderful arc arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion。I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon， Instagram， and B&N accounts upon publication。 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Crown & Sceptre: A New History of the British Monarchy, from William the Conqueror to Elizabeth II&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0