Author Description

From Caratacus to Elizabeth II, the kings and queens who have ruled over the British Isles have played a vital role in forging the destiny of their kingdoms. This splendid book details the lives, the achievements, and the struggles of the monarchs of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. Beginning with the pre-Roman rulers of Britain, and moving on through the shadowy early Anglo-Saxon chieftains to Alfred the Great and the unification of England, the book takes the story past the Norman Conquest to the Angevins, Plantagenets, and the Wars of the Roses. Special sections chart the histories of the Scottish, Welsh, and Irish monarchies, and chapters on the Tudors, Stuarts, Hanoverians, and Windsors bring the story up to date. With an outstanding text and hundreds of color pictures and maps, this is a work that brings history to life.