Royal History

Book Categories: Monarchies, World History, Regions, Scandal, Power & Politics, Courts, Tiaras, Postcards, Miscellaneous, New Books, DVDs, Children's Books

Monarchies and Dynasties

World Royal Families by Edward Riley, Sandra Forty, and Judith Millidge. Overview of all monarchies since 1900. Includes photographs and family trees.

The Historical Atlas of Dynasties and Royal Houses by Jeremy Harwood. Starts with the birth of monarchy in the ancient Middle East and ends with coverage of modern royal houses and ruling dynasties.

Royal Families Worldwide by Mark Watson. Information on more than 60 of the world's royal families. Each entry includes the name of the reigning monarch or head of family, a complete family listing, a brief dynastic history, their constitutional status and source of income, and a black-and-white photograph.

Monarchies, 1000-2000 by W. M. Spellman. A global and comparative analysis.

World History

The Penguin History of the World by J. M. Roberts. From early civilizations to the computer age and beyond, this acclaimed book offers a sweeping look at world history. Includes 90 maps.

Oxford Atlas of World History: Concise Edition edited by Patrick K. O'Brien. From the origins of humanity to the year 2000.

Ignorance Is Blitz compiled by Anders Henriksson. Need a laugh? Check out this very funny book, which covers world history through the eyes of befuddled college students, from prehistoricle times to the Age of Now. Get the inside scoop on Noah's wife Joan of Ark, Caesar's death on the Yikes of March, Archduke Ferdinand's assignation, and more! (Originally published under the title Non Campus Mentis.)

Scandal, Mystery, Folly

A Treasury of Royal Scandals by Michael Farquhar. The shocking true stories of history's wickedest, weirdest, most wanton kings, queens, tsars, popes, and emperors.

Was Napoleon Poisoned? And Other Unsolved Mysteries of Royal History by Peter Haugen. Who was the real King Arthur? What made George III insane? What or who killed King Tut? Explore some of history's greatest cold cases.

Napoleon's Privates: 2,500 Years of History Unzipped by Tony Perrottet. The theft of Napoleon's private parts after his death, whether champagne glasses were really molded upon Marie Antoinette's breasts, and similar historical mysteries.

The March of Folly by Barbara W. Tuchman details four turning points in history that illustrate the very heights of folly, including the Trojan War and the loss of the American colonies by Britain's George III.

Mad Kings & Queens: History's Most Famous Raving Royals by Alison Rattle and Allison Vale. Profiles of 40 mad rulers, including Ivan the Terrible of Russia and Mustafa I of Turkey.

Books About European Royal Scandals
Books About British Royal Scandals

World Royalty by Region

Books About African Royalty
Books About American Royalty
Books About Asian Royalty
Books About European Royalty
Books About Middle Eastern Royalty
Books About Oceanian Royalty
Index of All Books on Royalty.nu

Power and Politics

Kingship: The Politics of Enchantment by Francis Oakley. Traces the history of kingship from around 8,000 BC to the modern industrial world. Considers the pharaohs of ancient Egypt, emperors of Japan, Maya rulers, medieval popes and emperors, and early modern English and French monarchs, focusing on kingship's connection with the sacred.

Kings or People: Power and the Mandate to Rule by Reinhard Bendix explores the role of royal prerogative in history.

In the King's Shadow by Philip Manow. How medieval ideas about kingship have influenced modern representative democracy.

The King Whisperers: Power Behind the Throne, From Rasputin to Rove by Kerwin Swint. Behind a ruler there can often be found a shadowy puppetmaster pulling the strings. This book profiles notorious "king whisperers" spanning the globe and historical periods, royal and non-royal.

Tiaras and Jewels

Books About Royal Tiaras & Jewels
Books About Imperial Jeweler Faberge

Royal Courts Around the World

The Court and Court Society in Ancient Monarchies by A. J. S. Spawforth. Examines Achaemenid and Sassanian Persia, the empire of Alexander, Rome under the Caesars, the Han rulers of China, and Egypt's Eighteenth Dynasty.

Royal Courts in Dynastic States and Empires: A Global Perspective edited by Jeroen Duindam, Tülay Artan and Metin Kunt. Research on royal courts from antiquity to the modern world, from Asia to Europe, including architecture, staff organization, and the relationship of the ruler with relatives and other elites.

The Royal Hunt in Eurasian History by Thomas T. Allsen. From antiquity to the 19th century, the royal hunt was a vital component of the political cultures of the Middle East, India, Central Asia, and China. Royal hunts functioned as inspection tours and imperial progresses.

Fools Are Everywhere: The Court Jester Around the World by Beatrice K. Otto. Court jesters were everywhere, from ancient China and Mogul India to medieval Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and the Americas. This book highlights little-known jesters and their humanizing influence on powerful people.

Charlemagne's Tablecloth: A Piquant History of Feasting by Nichola Fletcher. This exploration of history's great feasting tables answers riddles such as "Why did Charlemagne use an asbestos tablecloth at his feasts?"

Feast: A History of Grand Eating by Roy Strong. From ancient empires and their revels to the banqueting customs of the early 20th century. From Alibris.

Books About European Courts
Books About English Royalty & Courts

Postcards

Postcards of Lost Royals by Bodleian Library. Postcards depicting royals from around the world who lost their titles in the early 20th century. Includes the Balkans, the Iberian Peninsula, Ethiopia, Korea, Russia, and Germany.

Postcards of Nursing: A Worldwide Tribute by Michael Zwerdling. More than 580 full-color images from postcards depicting nurses from the 1890s to the present. Includes 20 pages of portraits of royal nurses and nursing patrons (mostly European) along with informative notes about the role played by royalty in the history of postcards and nursing.

Miscellaneous

Royal Weddings edited by Friederike Haedecke and Julia Melchior. A look at the pageantry of royal weddings in such countries as Sweden, Japan, and Spain. Includes color and black-and-white illustrations, including wedding invitations and little-known photos capturing private moments. Text in English and German.

The Character of Kingship edited by Declan Quigley. Gives an overview of the anthropology of kingship and the debates about the nature and function of royal ritual.

The Royals by the editors of LIFE. Photos of royals that first appeared in LIFE magazine and the stories behind them. Includes British royals, Queen Noor of Jordan, Princess Grace of Monaco.

The Royals: Their Lives, Loves and Secrets by the editors of People Magazine. Goes behind palace walls to reveal the luxurious lifestyles of the rich and royal from around the world. Revised and updated for 2010.

Napoleon's Hemorrhoids: And Other Small Events That Changed History by Phil Mason. Anecdotes about the tiny ripples that created big waves in history. Why does Canada owe its economy to a red fox? What were Einstein's last words? How did Napoleon's hemorrhoids influence the Battle of Waterloo?

Royal Dates With Destiny by Robert Easton. Short vignettes describing the deaths of the world's most powerful people, presented in calendar form with at least one entry for each day of the year.

Omai: The Prince Who Never Was by Richard Connaughton. When a handsome Tahitian prince called Omai visited England in 1774, he became an overnight celebrity and met King George III. However, he was not really a prince (or even a Tahitian) and died a lonely death while still in his twenties.

Rock and Royalty by Gianni Versace. Includes images of royalty through history, including Queen Victoria, Empress Catherine of Russia, and a young Queen Elizabeth II. Royalties benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

Micronations

Micronations: The Lonely Planet Guide to Self-Proclaimed Nations by John Ryan. A humorous mock-guidebook to self-proclaimed nations such as Sealand and Hutt River Province, and the quirky characters who've set themselves up as presidents, emperors, and Serene Highnesses. Features color photos, maps, flags, and stamps.

Recently Published Royalty Books

Children's Books

Kids Who Rule: The Remarkable Lives of Five Child Monarchs by Charis Cotter. Discusses the lives of King Tut; Mary, Queen of Scots; Queen Christina of Sweden; Puyi, the last emperor of China; and the current Dalai Lama of Tibet. Nonfiction for children ages 9 to 12.

Ten Kings and the Worlds They Ruled by Milton Meltzer, illustrated by Bethanne Andersen. Looks at how rulers through history have used and abused power. For children ages 9 to 12.

World Leaders: People Who Shaped the World by Rob Nagel, edited by Anne Commire. A set of books for middle school children that covers royalty in Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe.

Real-Life Royalty by Starshine Roshell. A look at modern royals from around the world. For children ages 9 to 12.

Real Princesses: An Inside Look at Royal Life by Valerie Wilding. Photos and facts about princesses past and present, including Diana of Wales, Beatrice of York, Francina Ndimande of the Ndebele in Africa, and Sayako of Japan. For children ages 9 to 12.

Royal Murder: The Deadly Intrigue of Ten Sovereigns by Elizabeth MacLeod. Tells the stories of Cleopatra, Vlad the Impaler, Marie Antoinette, and others. For children ages 9 to 12.

Dictators and Tyrants: Stories of Ruthless Rulers by Michael Burgan, illustrated by Daniel Perez. Nonfiction for children ages 9 to 12.

The King Who Barked: Real Animals Who Ruled by Charlotte Foltz Jones, illustrated by Yayo. Incitatus the horse was made a consul in the Roman Empire. He had a marble stable and ate oats mixed with flakes of gold. Then there was Saur, a dog declared king during the days of the Vikings, who signed decrees with his paw. For children ages 4 to 8.

Monarchy by Jennifer Fandel. This book examines monarchy as a form of government. For children ages 9 to 12.

What Is a Monarchy? looks at monarchy as a form of government. For children ages 9 to 12.

Monarchies by Diane Gimpel. A look at world governments. For young adult readers.

Monarchy by Rebecca Stefoff. Looks at monarchy as a political system. For young adult readers.

Monarchy (Political and Economic Systems) by Richard Tames and David Downing. For young adults.

Monarchy by by Nathaniel Harris. This book from the "Systems of Government" series looks at monarchy in the world today and examines its history. For children ages 9 to 12.

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Royalty DVDs

The DVDs listed below are formatted for North American audiences.

Royal Families of the World. This three-video set profiles 13 modern-day royal dynasties, including Britain, Monaco, the Austrian Habsburgs, Thailand, Morocco, and Jordan.

More Documentaries & Movies About Royalty