Biography
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Some lost their thrones. Others supported the Nazis. Several suffered from haemophilia. One had to get a job, and two were executed!
Written entirely in the first person, this is a concise introduction to the extraordinary lives, scandals, loves, triumphs and tragedies of the extended royal family that has stretched across Europe, some of them becoming Kings and Queens.
In Children of The Empire, Michael Farah imagines how forty-seven children and grandchildren of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert would have each summarised the story of their life, from their early childhood to the very end.
Complete with individual portraits and family trees, this is an easy and enjoyable gateway to the family of Queen Victoria, accessible to all.
Here's what readers have to say about this book....
A pragmatic and interesting take at history, Michael Farah made a period in time accessible and alive. I loved that I can grab this book and re-read the chapters in any order, imagining getting ready to meet one of these royals with a briefing at hand ... I'll finally have something to tell them!
This is a very readable book in my opinion and provides a very good brief of the offspring of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It shows how close the European royal families were with the family ties. It is a great introduction for anyone to modern British history and I can see a real use for it in primary/secondary schools for teaching history. Very user friendly book and pitched at an appropriate level to keep it flowing and maintain readers interest.
A chatty and accessible read, Children of the Empire tells the stories of Queen Victoria's children and grandchildren. Each chapter is a mini biography, written as if in the first person. Farah has researched his subjects thoroughly, reciting facts about their births, deaths and everything in between in a straightforward and enjoyable style. Where the book falls down is in a complete lack of any analysis, with the written portraits being presented without conclusions or comment. This means that the text quickly becomes rather repetitive - I was born, I reigned (or not), I died. With no discussion of wider context the whole book doesn't really enlighten the reader beyond the bare facts of who is who in the European royal tree. Still, this title will have its fans - the layperson who prefers their history as a straightforward reproduction of facts - and it may serve as a decent starting point for further reading. Worth a try for general collections.
I loved this a lot! It offers a different perspective of Queen Victoria's children and grandchildren. I recommend it if you want to read from them, not about them. The reason why I cannot give it 5 stars is because I think it could go deeper into what happened. It seemed simplified to me.
A fascinating read, a book that history buffs will devour full of information about each of the children. Reflecting on how we are still influenced by these times
