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Featured Book of the Month

Cesare and Lucrezia Borgia: Brother and Sister of History's Most Vilified Family by Samantha Morris. Biography of siblings (children of Pope Alexander VI) whose lives were filled with intrigue and danger. Published in December 2020.

For other books about the Borgia dynasty, click here.

New Royalty Books

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Published in January 2021

Modern British Royalty

The Crown in Crisis: Countdown to the Abdication by Alexander Larman. A day-by-day narrative of the Abdication Crisis, based on previously unseen archival material and interviews with close friends of Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson.

British Royal History

Power and Pleasure: Court Life Under King John, 1199-1216 by Hugh M. Thomas. Examines the many facets of John's court, including hunting, feasting, castles, luxury, chivalry, and religion.

The Letters of Edward I: Political Communication in the Thirteenth Century by Kathleen B. Neal. The king's correspondence varied in tone, vocabulary and structure across his reign and between recipients.

The Rise and Fall of a Medieval Family: The Despensers by Kathryn Warner. The Despenser family rose to prominence in the reign of Edward II, when Hugh Despenser the Younger became the king's favorite.

Chaucer's Queens: Royal Women, Intercession, and Patronage in England, 1328-1394 by Louise Tingle. Investigates the influence of queens in late 14th-century England, focusing on Philippa of Hainault, Anne of Bohemia, and the princess Joan of Kent.

Royal Greenwich: A History in Kings and Queens by Pieter Van Der Merwe. An illustrated history of the royal heritage of Greenwich, starting in the mid-15th century, when it was a sprawling Tudor palace.

Royal Seals: Images of Power and Majesty by Paul Dryburgh. Illustrated guide to the seals of the kings and queens of England, Scotland and United Kingdom, as well as the Church and nobility.

Henry VIII in 100 Objects: The Tyrant King Who Had Six Wives by Paul Kendall. Take a journey across the country to places where Henry stayed, the homes of his consorts, and more.

England and France

The Black Prince and King Jean II of France: Generalship in the Hundred Years War by Peter Hoskins. A study of the careers of Edward, the Black Prince, who led the English army to victory at the Battle of Poitiers, and his opponent, French king Jean II.

Europe

Hermine, an Empress in Exile: The Untold Story of the Kaiser's Second Wife by Moniek Bloks. To achieve her goal of royal power, Hermine turned to Adolf Hitler, but her dream was not realized.

Making and Unmaking the Carolingians: 751-888 by Stuart Airlie. Ruling the Frankish realm, the family of Charlemagne had to be ruthless in asserting their status.

A Military Life of Constantine the Great by Ian Hughes. Assesses whether Constantine deserves the title "the Great" for his military achievements.

Portuguese Painting at the End of the Ancien Régime c. 1799-1807: History, Monarchy and the Empire by Foteini Vlachou. History painting featuring the monarchy's origins appeared in state-sponsored projects and aristocratic commissions.

French Royal Women During the Restoration and July Monarchy: Redefining Women and Power by Heta Aali. Examines public discussions around the duchesse d'Angoulême, the duchesse de Berry, Queen Marie-Amélie, and Adélaïde d'Orléans.

Other

The Son King: Reform and Repression in Saudi Arabia by Madawi Al-Rasheed. A critical look at Muhammad bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's reformist crown prince.

Pocahontas and the English Boys: Caught Between Cultures in Early Virginia by Karen Ordahl Kupperman. The story of four 17th century young people, English and Powhatan.

War and Responsibility in Japan: The Role of the Emperor and the War Occupation Debates by Kiyohiko Toyama. A reappraisal of the emperor's responsibility for Japan's conduct during WWII.

Published in December 2020

British Royal History

Richard III in the North by M. J. Trow. King Richard III was not born in the North, but he loved the area and made it his own.

Charles I's Executioners: Civil War, Regicide and the Republic by James Hobson. The killers of the king were soldiers, lawyers, Puritans, Republicans, and some simply opportunists.

Plantagenet Queens & Consorts: Family, Duty and Power by Steven J. Corvi. Examines the lives of Eleanor of Provence, Philippa of Hainault, Katherine Valois, Elizabeth of York, and others. New paperback edition.

Europe

Frederick the Great's Philosophical Writings edited by Avi Lifschitz, translated by Angela Scholar. Includes the Anti-Machiavel as well as other essays, prefaces, reviews, and dialogues.

The Triumph of an Accursed Lineage: Kingship in Castile From Alfonso X to Alfonso XI (1252-1350) by Fernando Arias Guillén. How Alfonso XI ended the internal turmoil which plagued Castile.

Barbarian Kings and European Identity edited by M. C. La Rocca. Historiography, archaeology and memory.

Other

Kingship, Power, and Legitimacy in Ancient Egypt: From the Old Kingdom to the Middle Kingdom by Lisa K. Sabbahy. Explores the king's emphasis on his relationship to the sun god Ra and the goddess Hathor.

The Mughal Feast: Recipes From the Kitchen of Emperor Shah Jahan by Salma Yusuf Husain. Recipes and tips for cooking, including methods to clean fish and soften bones.

Fiction

The Empress: A Novel by Laura Martinez-Belli, translated by Simon Bruni. A novel about the tragic reign of Empress Carlota of Mexico.

Children's Books

Queen Elizabeth II Paper Dolls by Eileen Rudisill Miller. Includes two Elizabeth II dolls and one Prince Philip doll, as well as dozens of royal outfits.