George V: The Unexpected King
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- Create Date：2021-04-27 11:56:22
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：David Cannadine
- ISBN：014198872X
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Summary
The acclaimed Penguin Monarchs series: short， fresh， expert accounts of England's rulers - now in paperback
For a man with such conventional tastes and views， George V had a revolutionary impact。 Almost despite himself he marked a decisive break with his flamboyant predecessor Edward VII， inventing the modern monarchy， with its emphasis on frequent public appearances， family values and duty。 George V was an effective war-leader and inventor of 'the House of Windsor'。 In an era of ever greater media coverage - frequently filmed and initiating the British Empire Christmas broadcast - George became for 25 years a universally recognised figure。 He was also the only British monarch to take his role as Emperor of India seriously。 While his great rivals （Tsar Nicolas and Kaiser Wilhelm） ended their reigns in catastrophe， he plodded on。
David Cannadine's sparkling account of his reign could not be more enjoyable， a masterclass in how to write about Monarchy， that central - if peculiar - pillar of British life。
For a man with such conventional tastes and views， George V had a revolutionary impact。 Almost despite himself he marked a decisive break with his flamboyant predecessor Edward VII， inventing the modern monarchy， with its emphasis on frequent public appearances， family values and duty。 George V was an effective war-leader and inventor of 'the House of Windsor'。 In an era of ever greater media coverage - frequently filmed and initiating the British Empire Christmas broadcast - George became for 25 years a universally recognised figure。 He was also the only British monarch to take his role as Emperor of India seriously。 While his great rivals （Tsar Nicolas and Kaiser Wilhelm） ended their reigns in catastrophe， he plodded on。
David Cannadine's sparkling account of his reign could not be more enjoyable， a masterclass in how to write about Monarchy， that central - if peculiar - pillar of British life。
Reviews
Gordon Kwok
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A short biography on King George V （great cover） about a 100 pages or so。 For those who don't know， he is the grandfather of the current Queen of the United Kingdom。 He was known as an "unexpected" king because at his birth， he was the second son of the Prince of Wales （later King Edward VII） and he spent essentially the 27 years of life assuming his older brother would be king （and produce children）。 Alas， that did not happen， his brother Prince Eddy was sickly and weak， uninterested in the wor A short biography on King George V （great cover） about a 100 pages or so。 For those who don't know， he is the grandfather of the current Queen of the United Kingdom。 He was known as an "unexpected" king because at his birth， he was the second son of the Prince of Wales （later King Edward VII） and he spent essentially the 27 years of life assuming his older brother would be king （and produce children）。 Alas， that did not happen， his brother Prince Eddy was sickly and weak， uninterested in the world and died of pneumonia at the age of 28。 All of a sudden， Prince George （then the Duke of York） and his life took on immediate importance as he was now in direct line to the throne。 Overall， a great book on a great monarch and who exemplified duty。 。。。more
Caidyn （he/him/his）
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Like， I know this guy pioneered the modern monarchy as we know it -- aka， being all constitutional and changed the name to Windsors and all that -- but he wasn't a great person。 I'll definitely read more about him in the future， but he's pretty low on my monarchs to learn about list。 Like， I know this guy pioneered the modern monarchy as we know it -- aka， being all constitutional and changed the name to Windsors and all that -- but he wasn't a great person。 I'll definitely read more about him in the future， but he's pretty low on my monarchs to learn about list。 。。。more
Shawn Thrasher
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A short （about 120 pages） glimpse into the life and times of King George V。 Cannadine understands what holds the interest of a reader who may pick up a short biography like this， and spices the politics and world history with some peppery bits and pieces about the monarch。 If George V owned the house next to yours， he'd probably spend most of his time telling you to get out of his yard; he sounds like a conservative old grump。 His wife， Queen Mary， would have probably made a better king: she spo A short （about 120 pages） glimpse into the life and times of King George V。 Cannadine understands what holds the interest of a reader who may pick up a short biography like this， and spices the politics and world history with some peppery bits and pieces about the monarch。 If George V owned the house next to yours， he'd probably spend most of his time telling you to get out of his yard; he sounds like a conservative old grump。 His wife， Queen Mary， would have probably made a better king: she spoke several languages and was better educated; she is definitely the one who led the monarchy by the nose into the modern world。 Maybe something short to read while waiting for the next season of The Crown to begin。 。。。more
Mshelton50
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A brief but superb biography of King George V by Sir David Cannadine。 The book is part of the Penguin Monarchs series， which will offer brief lives of all English monarchs from Athelstan to Elizabeth II。 All the familiar bits about George V are here: the abysmal education， the simple sailor persona， the hair trigger temper， the deep Tory political outlook， the awful parenting skills， etc。 But Cannadine （under whom I was privileged to be able to study for a year） puts the reign in context， and sh A brief but superb biography of King George V by Sir David Cannadine。 The book is part of the Penguin Monarchs series， which will offer brief lives of all English monarchs from Athelstan to Elizabeth II。 All the familiar bits about George V are here: the abysmal education， the simple sailor persona， the hair trigger temper， the deep Tory political outlook， the awful parenting skills， etc。 But Cannadine （under whom I was privileged to be able to study for a year） puts the reign in context， and shows that George -- who was not raised to expect the throne， that being for his older brother， Prince Eddy -- was a successful king。 He helped get the British Empire through WWI， and worked behind the scenes to integrate the Labour Party into the constitutional system。 In fact， George， who loathed Bolsheviks and Communists， got along very well with Ramsay MacDonald， the first Labour PM。 The King also seemed to have a shrewd eye as to what would happen after his death， （1） correctly predicting that his eldest son， the future Edward VIII， would ruin himself within a year， and （2） fervently hoping that nothing would stand in the way of his second son， the future King George VI， and his granddaughter， the present Queen。 。。。more
Jacob
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A fantastic short and concise overview of King George V's life and reign。 A great introduction not only to the King himself， but also to the history of the period in which he reigned。 A fantastic short and concise overview of King George V's life and reign。 A great introduction not only to the King himself， but also to the history of the period in which he reigned。 。。。more
Geevee
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Another good well-written concise volume that covers one of England's/Britain's later monarchs who came to throne following the death of his influential father （Edward VII was a young playboy， tough father but influential and deft king）。 I've read a number of books on George V and find him an interesting character; born and educated in the high-Victorian age （1865） he was not meant to be king but with the death of his brother prince Albert Victor became next in line following his father。George s Another good well-written concise volume that covers one of England's/Britain's later monarchs who came to throne following the death of his influential father （Edward VII was a young playboy， tough father but influential and deft king）。 I've read a number of books on George V and find him an interesting character; born and educated in the high-Victorian age （1865） he was not meant to be king but with the death of his brother prince Albert Victor became next in line following his father。George served in the Royal Navy and this shaped his views and behaviours to his family - he had few close friends - his staff and indeed his subjects。 He was the polar opposite to his father， preferring to be a quiet country gentleman rather than at the centre of the social scene。However， George was an able and capable king who saw much change， worry and death。 His reign was just four years' old when the first world war commenced seeing a change of family name to Windsor and the deaths of almost a million British and Empire service men and women。 After the rise of communism and fascism plus the moves for independence of Ireland and India， and the fall of many royal houses - all family members by marriage or birth came。 At home after the war the social changes （women's suffrage in 1918， the Bright Young Things and Modern Art with Cubism， Dadism or Surrealism for example） coupled with economic difficulties with labour forming its first government and the National Coalition Government。 He was a deft communicator and started the tradition of the King's Christmas message （since 1952 the Queen's）。 Overall his reign was short but one that set the path from Victorian/Edwardian to a more modern family。David Cannadine is both a expect author on British history and one with great knowledge on European history。 This gives this book not just a solid content as it crams a lot in for just over 100 pages but is one written with an author's interest in the players。This first-edition volume， like all in this series [with the exception of that of Oliver Cromwell's which is a Black cover] is a white cover and colourful 3/4 dust-wrapper with gold and black lettering and the king's signature on the reverse。 Inside a number of colour and b&w plates provided added interest。Recommended as a readable and informative starter to this king。 。。。more
Carolyn Harris
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George V: The Unexpected King is the best of the biographies of 20th century monarchs in the series。 David Cannadine strikes the right balance between the King's personal life and political views and presents his reign as a turning point when the royal family turned their personal attention from the extended family of European monarchs to the wider British Empire。 George's decision to deny asylum to his cousin， Czar Nicholas II in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution， which had tragic consequ George V: The Unexpected King is the best of the biographies of 20th century monarchs in the series。 David Cannadine strikes the right balance between the King's personal life and political views and presents his reign as a turning point when the royal family turned their personal attention from the extended family of European monarchs to the wider British Empire。 George's decision to deny asylum to his cousin， Czar Nicholas II in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution， which had tragic consequences， is presented in this context of gradual withdrawal from the close bonds that united Europe's royal houses before the First World War。 Cannadine also discusses how the reign of George V saw the invention or revival of modern royal traditions including the Windsor name， the monarch's annual Christmas broadcast and royal weddings in Westminster Abbey。 。。。more
Steve
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