Buenos Aires

Book Description

Charles I waged civil wars that cost one in ten Englishmen their lives. But in 1649 Parliament was hard put to find a lawyer with the skill and daring to prosecute a King who claimed to be above the law: in the end the man they briefed was the radical lawyer John Cooke. His Puritan conscience, political vision, and love of civil liberties gave him the courage to bring the King’s trial to its dramatic conclusion: the English Republic. He would pay dearly for it: Charles I was beheaded, but eleven years later Cooke himself was arrested, tried, and brutally executed at the hands of Charles II.

Geoffrey Robertson, an internationally renowned human rights lawyer, provides a vivid new reading of the tumultuous Civil War years, exposing long-hidden truths: that the King was guilty as charged, that his execution was necessary to establish the sovereignty of Parliament, that the regicide trials were rigged and their victims should be seen as national heroes.

John Cooke sacrificed his own life to make tyranny a crime. His trial of Charles I, the first trial of a head of state for waging war on his own people, became a forerunner of the trials of Augusto Pinochet, Slobodan Milosevic, and Saddam Hussein. This is a superb work of history that casts a revelatory light on some of the most important issues of our time.

Customer Reviews:

A fascinating perspective.......2007-10-17

Apart from anything else, this book is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Geoffrey Robertson's style brings immediacy to the events he narrates and makes the book as enjoyable to read as if it were a well-written historical novel.
As other reviewers have noted, the book is blatantly anti-royalist, but since all history is written from a perspective, I think it is refreshing to find Robertson owning up to his perspective right from the title, which makes it obvious where his sympathies lie.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is a further perspective that Robertson brings, namely that of a lawyer. Seeing the trials of both Charles I and the regicides from the insider viewpoint of someone who is intimately familar with the law as opposed to most historians, who interpret events primarily from a political standpoint, brings all kinds of new insights to the interpretation. An independent judiciary, and one where lawyers must take any brief brought to them by a citizen, is an integral element in a functioning democracy and it is enlightening to read about some of the early developments in this direction, particularly those espoused by Cooke.

I would, however, definitely recommend balancing the views in this book with other sources on the civil war as there are certainly areas that are glossed over by Robertson in presenting his partisan point of view.

A man ahead of hi s time.......2007-03-31

I recommend this book to all that enjoy reading history. The writing is very fluid and moves at a fast past. It added greatly to my knowledge of this period of English history. I was particularly interested in the conflicts in the revolutionary forces. Also, the fact that in this period as in all written history, the winners tell the story.

A Must for Anyone.......2007-03-24

Robertson displays the skills of a jurist, historian and writer all in one. A masterfully compiled, well written, and brilliantly presented analysis of John Cook, what is known of his life, as well as the time in which he lived (and, sadly), died.

A highly informative book, captivating from beginning to end, and full of modern day references that help to understand the fundamental impact some of the thoughts, actions and writings of John Cook had.

Part of the Development of Our Legal System.......2007-01-29

As I read today's letters to the editor in the local paper, I see all kinds of comments re President Bush that accuse him of all kinds of things. I think that perhaps those writers should read this book to see what a serious matter this can be.

In this book we are looking at the pivotal case where a monarch, King Charles I of England is tried for being a tyrant and subsequently executed. The attorney handling the attack on King Charles, John Cooke, pioneered the new legal ground that Kings were not granted their power by God but by the will of the people. It was the popular thing to do at the time, but extremely foolish if the Royal Family should get back into power. And they did. And John Cooke paid with his own life.

As I read this I was reminded of the trials after World War II of the German and Japanese leaders, and of the subsequent trials of people like Manuel Noriega, Saddam Hussein, Pinochet, Milosevic and others. It opens up a bunch of questions as to where the legal system has retained its power vs. simply the power of the victor.

An interesting book about an interesting time in the development of the English legal system that later became our own.

The Tyrannicide Brief.......2007-01-10

Geoffrey Robinson, a British jurist and worlwide advocate for human rights, has produced a gripping biography of a man largely ignored by history, John Cooke, a barrister selected by Parliament to prosecute the deposed and imprisoned king, Charles I. In pressing his case, Cooke broke new legal ground, arguing that rulers derive their power, not from God, but from the people they rule. And following from this, rulers can be called to account, deposed, and punished if they rule tyrannically. In this case, and in his subsequent juridical career, Cooke is shown to have been farsighted and fair. His patriotism, his concern for human rights, and his integrity gained him no protection from Stuart wrath, however, after the Restoration, and the terrible payment they exacted from him is detailed, almost too vividly, in the final pages of the book. Still, the principles he espoused are today the recognized rights of Englishmen, are enshrined in the American Constitution, and are slowly becoming part of international law, as Sadaam Hussein recently learned.

Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown

Average customer rating:

Shallow and Disappointing
Compelling and informative
Obvious writer bias ruins interesting subject
A great read.
Competent biography of the last of the Fatally Flawed Stuarts

Ungrateful Daughters: The Stuart Princesses Who Stole Their Father's Crown
Maureen Waller
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Eastern Europe | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 031230711X

Book Description

In 1688, the birth of a Prince of Wales ignited a family quarrel and a revolution. James II’s drive towards Catholicism had alienated the nation and his two staunchly Protestant daughters by his first marriage, Mary and Anne. They are the ‘ungrateful daughters’ who usurped their father’s crown and stole their brother’s birthright.

Seven prominent men sent an invitation to William of Orange---James’s nephew and son-in-law---to intervene in English affairs. But it was the women, Queen Mary Beatrice and her two stepdaughters, Mary and Anne, who played a key role in this drama. Jealous and resentful of her hated stepmother, Anne had written a series of malicious letters to her sister Mary in Holland, implying that the Queen’s pregnancy was a hoax, a Catholic plot to deny Mary her rightful inheritance.

Betrayed by those he trusted, distraught at Anne’s defection, James fled the kingdom. Even as the crown descended on her head, Mary knew she had incurred a father’s curse. The sisters quarreled and were still not speaking to each other when Mary died tragically young. Anne did nothing to deserve her father’s forgiveness, declaring her brother an outlaw with a price on his head.

Acclaimed historian Maureen Waller recreated the late Stuart era in a compelling narrative that highlights the influence of three women in one of the most momentous events in English history. Prompted by religious bigotry and the emotion that beset any family relationships, this palace coup changed the face of the monarchy, and signaled the end of a dynasty.

Customer Reviews:

Shallow and Disappointing.......2007-06-14

The Glorious Revolution of 1688 was a compelling human drama as well as a major political event. At the center of the political events were Mary II and Anne, daughters of James II, real human beings who faced difficult decisions as to where their duty lay. Unfortunately, Ungrateful Daughters does a very poor job of telling this story. Instead of a story of real people dealing with an actual dilemma, Waller's book tells the tale as a shallow soap opera with the principals divided into neat categories of victims (James II and Mary Beatrice) and villains (William, Mary, and Anne).

The theme of James II as victim has come into vogue in recent years, as the result of a revisionist historical interpretation which casts him as a proto-modern champion of religious toleration. Regardless of the sincerity of James's professions about liberty of conscience, they were the result of the fact that members of his own Roman Catholic faith were a minority in Britain and would thus be the beneficiaries of any alteration in religious policy. James certainly never exhibited any inclination toward tolerance that would not end up benefiting members of his own Church. There is no record that his enthusiasm for toleration ever led him to press for better treatment of Protestants in countries with a Catholic majority. At exactly the same time that James was advocating tolerance of Catholics in Britain, the Protestants in Louis XIV's France were being forced to either convert to Catholicism or emigrate, and there is no record that James II ever protested to Louis about their treatment.

However, the deeper issue between James II and Parliament was not religious but political. James professed that he, as king, had the power to suspend and dispense with laws enacted by Parliament. Parliament, understandably, strongly disagreed with this claim, and there was bound to be a clash at some point. Religious policy just happened to be the issue upon which the disagreement came to a head. Waller is not as sympathetic to James as the most extreme revisionists (which incurred the ire of at least one reviewer on this site), but the theme of James as victim is a major one, as evinced by the title of the book itself.

Waller spends a great deal of time discussing a pivotal event leading up to the revolution - the birth of Prince James Francis Edward (later known as the Old Pretender) to King James and Queen Mary Beatrice in the summer of 1688. It was the prospect of a Catholic heir to the throne that pushed many who were undecided into supporting the intervention of William. Even before the birth there were many rumors circulating that the Queen's pregnancy was a conspiracy on the part of the Catholics to ensure the birth of a Catholic heir to the throne, and the rumors became certainties for many people after a boy was born, just as many Catholics had predicted. The fact that both Mary and Anne gave credence to these rumors is the crux of Waller's portrait of them as "ungrateful daughters." Historians have long accepted that there was no truth to the rumors insinuating that the new prince was not the son of the king and queen, and Waller excoriates both Mary and Anne for doubting it and doing nothing to stop the rumors. Anne in particular is held up as the villain of the piece, and, reading Waller's account, one gets the impression that she single-handedly fomented the rumors surrounding the birth of her half brother and could have stopped the revolution in its tracks had she acted differently.

However, Waller utterly fails to take into account that the circumstances of the prince's birth were not nearly as clear in 1688 as they are with the benefit of hindsight. At the time there were plenty of suspicious circumstances for those who wanted to doubt. The very fact of the birth of a healthy son to a woman whose eight previous pregnancies either ended in miscarriage or produced sickly babies who died soon after birth was in itself suspicious. Also, the birth took place a full month earlier than was expected. Waller argues that the discrepancy was due to a mistake on the part of the royal physicians as to the date of conception, which was probably the case, although she does not explain why this should have been clear to everyone in 1688. Additionally, although the birth was witnessed by numerous people, they were all either Catholics or political allies of James, whose testimony was regarded as suspect. Notably absent, besides Anne herself, were the Dutch ambassador and Edward and Lawrence Hyde (brothers of James's first wife and thus uncles of Mary and Anne), whose testimony would have been accepted as conclusive. From the perspective of three hundred years in the future, all these things may appear insignificant next to the fact that a baby boy was born in full view of numerous witnesses. However, in the atmosphere of 1688, with the prospect of a Catholic heir who might someday decide that a re-conversion of Britain to Catholicism was preferable to toleration (just as Louis XIV had reversed his grandfather's edict giving toleration to French Protestants), the questionable aspects surrounding the birth gave plenty of material to justify doubts on the part of those who were disposed to be suspicious.

The doubts about the new prince's legitimacy did not rest upon the testimony of either Anne or her sister. Neither Anne nor Mary started the rumors, although Anne repeated them and Mary in Holland believed them. The stories were spread throughout the country by such popular press as existed at the time and many prominent political figures lent credence to them and spread them. Anne's conduct in this affair leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, but it is far from clear that she could have done anything effective to quash the rumors, even if she had wanted to. Even if she had publicly denied the rumors, there was nothing to prevent people from dismissing this as done at the behest of James. Nuance, however, has no place in this book. By portraying Anne as holding the balance of affairs in her hand and failing to accurately consider events in the context of their time, Waller gives an incomplete and distorted picture of events.

There are numerous instances throughout the book of sloppy research and assumptions presented as fact. For example, Waller claims at one point that certain letters (not written by Anne) "imply" that Anne promised her father that she would restore the throne to her brother. There is no solid evidence that Anne actually made such a promise, and Waller does not present any. However, this supposed promise becomes a major theme in the book, and Waller refers to it again and again as fact, describing certain actions of Queen Anne during her reign as violations of the promise that she made to her father - a promise that there is no proof Anne ever made. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated example, but rather typical of Waller's method. Assertions are made on flimsy evidence, or no evidence at all, and thereafter referenced as fact.

The story of the Revolution of 1688 has the potential to be a compelling tale of real people living through momentous events. The two princesses who are the chief subjects of this book could be portrayed as real women who had to make difficult choices when their duty to their father came into conflict with what they saw as their duty to their faith and their country. Instead, what this book gives is a two-dimensional caricature of two women who "stole their father's crown" for no better reason than petty vindictiveness.

Compelling and informative.......2007-06-04

The Stuarts were more than a series of Scots-English monarchs, they were a contentious family filled with ambitious, egotistical, often ignoble figures who were not above slipping the knife in to advance their own careers. The generational and religious tension chronicled in this well-written true-to-life soap opera began with James II's move toward the Catholic Church, which alienated both his people and his two staunchly Protestant daughters, Mary and Anne, each of whom reigned after him. Whether Mary's husband, William of Orange, usurped the crown in the Glorious Revolution depends on your point of view, but Anne (who wasn't speaking to her older sister at the time of her early death) declared her half-brother, James ("The Old Pretender"), an outlaw -- having previously claimed, in letters to Mary, that their hated stepmother's pregnancy was a Catholic hoax and plot. Waller's narrative is compelling and enjoyable as well as informative. You can almost see a screenplay waiting to be written.

Obvious writer bias ruins interesting subject.......2006-04-18

Better books on the time period can be found. The writer distorts historical fact to fit her own agenda.

A great read........2006-02-10

I loved this book. It is well written and contains such detail that the characters truly come to life. I have many books on the Restoration and none of them describes James, Duke of York and his second wife Maria Beatrice and the "ungrateful daughters" better. Many jucy details. What they wore, how they looked, their quirks and peculiarities give a much fuller picture of the court and courtiers. This book is an easy read and would engage a reader who does not like usual history books. This does not mean it is light. It's the writing of an author who is a keen observer of the subjects.

Competent biography of the last of the Fatally Flawed Stuarts.......2006-01-20

If ever there were a family that deserved a biography like this it is the Stuarts. From the blood of Mary Queen of Scots rose a dynasty of strangely unattractive Kings and queens, culminating in the two daughters of James II. These two Queens of the stuart house, Mary II and Anne I have not had the same exposure to biography as other rulers of England, (such as Elizabeth or Victoria) and perhaps this is as much about their length of reign as anything - however they did preside over one of the most interesting periods and actions in British History. That is the deposition of their father to rule in his favour.

Waller, I thought, handled the material well, I was not disturbed by the jumps and only really noticed it in some of the reviews here. It is well written and well thought out. The unsympathetic portrayal of Anne especially can easily be explained, she was really a very unsympathetic character and her faults reminded me strongly of the George IV a century later, with a tendency to self-justification and general whininess. Something I expect you can do if you are Queen, but also perhaps a hang over from a century earlier when the annointed Ruler of the realm really did hold extraordinary powers and did not need to answer to any other power in the land apart from their own. A fundamental problem with her Grandfather who lost his head over that belief.

Over all I enjoyed it. As far as dysfunctional families go this is one interestingly flawed family, with its own bitternesses and a great deal of wealth and power at stake.

I would definitely recommend this as a good read for anyone who hasn't dipped into the period before.

Colonel Blood: The Man who Stole the Crown Jewels

Average customer rating:

Biography on an Outlaw Who Stole the Crown Jewels of England

Colonel Blood: The Man who Stole the Crown Jewels
David Hanrahan
Manufacturer: Sutton Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0750933275

Book Description

This gripping tale of seventeenth-century England's most wanted man is set against the background of the civil wars in England and Ireland.

Customer Reviews:

Biography on an Outlaw Who Stole the Crown Jewels of England.......2007-03-19

The nonfiction biography "Colonel Blood: The Man Who Stole the Crown Jewels" by David C. Hanrahan had its good and bad moments. It wasn't among the best biographies I have ever read, but it did have shining moments that made me want to read about the lives of other people mentioned in the book.

To start, "Colonel Blood" is about Thomas Blood, a seventeenth century veteran of the English Civil War who became an outlaw - and then, impossibly, became a favorite of King Charles II after Blood tried to steal from the king himself.

The idea of reading the real-life story of the man who stole the English Crown Jewels from the Tower of London was what obviously attracted me to reading this book. I figured it had to be a fascinating story. Unfortunately, the writing itself was not what I expected.

The writing is dry, for the most part. Many people are mentioned and are hard to keep track of. There is not much in terms of detail about the everyday lives of people living in seventeenth century Britain. There wasn't even that much detail about the Civil War.

However, there were a couple chapters that fascinated me, mostly because the people themselves were so fascinating. Chapter 9 on George Villiers, the Duke of Buckingham, was an interesting portrait of a man of questionable morals, personally and politically. Chapter 12 on Charles II, the Merry Monarch, was also fascinating in its portrayal of a very self-indulgent man with dozens of mistresses, to his Queen's horror. The poor Queen was childless and had to suffer the humiliating presence of the King's mistresses and illegitimate children. I felt so bad for her.

I'm not sure if this is the only biography on Colonel Blood. For me, it was hard to read (though I read it quickly) because it couldn't keep my attention. Too many people, names, incidences, etc. filled its pages without the author fleshing out their identities and stories more clearly. Honestly, I would have liked more. I would have also liked to have found Colonel Blood as interesting as some of the minor characters in the story, but it was not meant to be.

Who's Who in Stuart Britain 1603-1714: 1603-1714 (Who's Who in British History)

Average customer rating:

Who's Who in Stuart Britain 1603-1714: 1603-1714 (Who's Who in British History)
C. P. Hill
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0811716414

Dorset Pilgrims: The Story of West Country Pilgrims Who Went to New England in the 17th Century

Average customer rating:

Dorset Pilgrims: The Story of West Country Pilgrims Who Went to New England in the 17th Century
Frank Thistlethwaite
Manufacturer: Heart of the Lakes Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Who's Who in Stuart Britain (Hispanic Classics)

Average customer rating:

Who's Who in Stuart Britain (Hispanic Classics)
C. P. Hill
Manufacturer: Shepheard-Walwyn Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Hispanic & Latino | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Irish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Europe | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Who's Who in Tudor England (Who's Who in British History)

Average customer rating:

Useful for students and history buffs

Who's Who in Tudor England (Who's Who in British History)
C. R. N. Routh
Manufacturer: St. James Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1558621334

Book Description

Among the noted figures of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries featured in this volume are Guy Fawkes, the Yorkshire Protestant who joined the Spanish Army and converted to Catholicism, later to return to become the prime mover in the Gunpowder Plot. Also making an appearance is Nell Gwynne, the former orange seller who became a favored mistress of Charles II; and Oliver Cromwell, the Lord Protector of England and nemesis of the monarchy.

Customer Reviews:

Useful for students and history buffs.......2000-04-01

This book is a chronologically-arranged series of biographies of important figures active in English history from 1485 to 1603. It's highly useful for students and for people with an interest in the period trying to find out quick but accurate information on someone they see mentioned elsewhere. It's not a great browsing book, but is an excellent reference resource. It's one of a series of books covering most of English and, later, British history. The only drawback is that its confinement to England means that some important players in Tudor history, such as the rebel Irish leaders of Elizabeth's reign, are omitted. However, it does include key Scots like Mary Stuart and Darnley.

Lord James Stuart for ever: Let every freeman support the man who wishes the artizan and mechanic to enjoy his foaming can of ale

Average customer rating:

Lord James Stuart for ever: Let every freeman support the man who wishes the artizan and mechanic to enjoy his foaming can of ale
True Blue
Manufacturer: R. Lloyd, printer, High Street
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008AILJO

Average customer rating:

Who's Who in Stuart Britain
Charles Peter Hill
Manufacturer: Shepheard-Walwyn (Publishers) Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MTAKUY

Average customer rating:

Who's Who in Stuart Britain

Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HCY7GY

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books