The most recommended books about monarchy

Who picked these books? Meet our 17 experts.

17 authors created a book list connected to monarchy, and here are their favorite monarchy books.
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Book cover of We Are the Origin

KaliVictoria Author Of The Shadows of Heaven

From my list on centering Black women and Black girls in fiction.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an own voice author, it is incredibly important for me to write characters that look like me, but it is exceptionally healing to find novels where I feel represented. My inner child yearns for more books that remind me of my adolescent wish to be a main character, to have a fleshed-out story, to be the hero or overpowered creature of the night. Being a main character means being seen and being heard, and I think now is the time to branch into every genre I can to know that any story, no matter how big or small the pages, can be done and can be Black. Happy reading! 

KaliVictoria's book list on centering Black women and Black girls in fiction

KaliVictoria Why did KaliVictoria love this book?

C.M. Lockhart did an incredible job with We Are the Origin. With this book, we get to navigate a world full of gods, vessels, assassinsā€”there are several moments where I would forget the time while I read this novel, because the world building and character arcs are just that interwoven and well executed. In terms of diversity, itā€™s refreshing for our main character, Brandi, to be around people that look like her while also being unapologetically herself. This story is original, the characters are well-fleshed out, and I am patiently awaiting the sequel. 

By C.M. Lockhart,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked We Are the Origin as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

She was a shadow.

Forced into a life of serving the queendom before she was old enough to deny them, Brandi was a cultivator of death and the queenā€™s own blade, reserved only for the disloyal and the blasphemous. Crafted by the queendom and forged in blood, she was nothing more than a tool. She was never meant to have an opinion on whose blood she shed ā€” never meant to question whose back she was pressed into or whose throat she was slipped across.

She was destruction.

But when Freya, the goddess of life and judger of souls, demandsā€¦


Book cover of The Image of Ivan the Terrible in Russian Folklore

Sarah Covington Author Of The Devil from Over the Sea: Remembering and Forgetting Oliver Cromwell in Ireland

From my list on historyā€™s villains and their surprising reputations.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm a professor of history at the Graduate Center and Queens College at the City University of New York, where I'm also director of the Irish Studies program and the MA program in Biography and Memoir. My specialty, covered in five books that Iā€™ve authored or co-edited, is English and Irish history in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries; my new book represents the culmination of a decadeā€™s research devoted to Ireland. In addition to teaching British and Irish history, I offer more unusual and wide-ranging classes including the history of the devil, the history of crime and punishment, and the history of the body. My life is divided between New York City and mid-coast Maine.

Sarah's book list on historyā€™s villains and their surprising reputations

Sarah Covington Why did Sarah love this book?

The extent of an evil leaderā€™s influence can be measured in terms of whether he or she enters popular folklore. In the case of Ivan the Terrible, the Russian ā€œgroznyā€ in ā€œIvan Groznyā€ is actually translated as ā€œawe-inspiring,ā€ though the ā€œterribleā€ tag has ensured that the czar would be remembered for his paranoia, brutality, and alleged insanity.

In folklore it was different: as Perrieā€™s book demonstrates, Ivan was a sympathetic figure through the twentieth century, in tales that recounted his triumphs in war or his repenting after an act of cruelty. Perrie attributes the favorable views of Ivan to ā€œpopular monarchism,ā€ but he was also a figure whose image could be grafted onto existing folkloric archetypes to powerful effect.

By Maureen Perrie,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Image of Ivan the Terrible in Russian Folklore as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Ivan the Terrible has long been a controversial figure. Some historians regard him as a crazed and evil tyrant; while others (especially Soviet scholars of the Stalin period) have viewed him as a progressive and far-sighted statesman. The folklore about Ivan has played an important part in these debates. Was Ivan's depiction in folklore favourable or hostile? And how far can it be regarded as evidence of contemporary popular attitudes towards the tsar? In this unusual and far-ranging study, Maureen Perrie discusses the nature of Ivan's image in Russian folklore; its historical basis; its development; and the controversies which haveā€¦


Book cover of The English Constitution: The Principles of a Constitutional Monarchy

Gerard N. Magliocca Author Of American Founding Son: John Bingham and the Invention of the Fourteenth Amendment

From my list on constitutional history.

Why am I passionate about this?

My books are about American constitutional history, especially the parts or people that are typically overlooked. In these polarized times, there is both wisdom and comfort that can be found in looking at our past. One lesson from looking back is that there was no ā€œgolden ageā€ in which Americans all got along. Democracy is sometimes messy, sometimes violent, and almost always involves fierce disagreements. Judged at a distance, there is great drama and great satisfaction in looking at how prior generations addressed their problems. I hope you enjoy the books on my list!

Gerard's book list on constitutional history

Gerard N. Magliocca Why did Gerard love this book?

This is the best book ever written about constitutions. Bagehot was a journalist and brought a common-sense take to constitutional history that lawyers often lack. He focuses on how the Victorian Constitution and how it evolved from Englandā€™s history, but also compares that set of customs and institutions to the American Constitution in the aftermath of the Civil War. Itā€™s a quick read that will really get you thinking.  

By Walter Bagehot,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The English Constitution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The English Constitution

By

Walter Bagehot

The English Constitution is a book by Walter Bagehot. First serialised in The Fortnightly Review between 15 May 1865 and 1 January 1867, and later published in book form in the latter year. It explores the constitution of the United Kingdom, specifically the functioning of Parliament and the British monarchy, and the contrasts between British and American government. The book became a standard work which was translated into several languages.

While Walter Bagehot's references to the Parliament of the United Kingdom have become dated, his observations on the monarchy are seen as central toā€¦


Book cover of The Sword of the Land

Rachanee Lumayno Author Of Heir of Amber and Fire

From my list on awesome fantasy you may not have heard of.

Why am I passionate about this?

Fantasy is my favorite genre, and honestly, Iā€™m pretty deep in it. Not only do I read a lot of fantasy, I also write fantasy novels. Iā€™ve been an active TTRPG player for the last few years, even creating and running a few campaigns. In addition, I wrote a one-shot campaign set in the world of my fantasy series, the Gifted Lands, which people can get for free when they sign up for my newsletter on my website. So itā€™s safe to say, I like fantasy. :) If you check out any of these books, let me know what you think of them! 

Rachanee's book list on awesome fantasy you may not have heard of

Rachanee Lumayno Why did Rachanee love this book?

I gotta say, Noel-Anne Brennan needs to be better known.

This book (along with its sequel, The Blood of the Land) makes up a compelling duology featuring Rilsin, the rightful ruler of her country, who pledges the throne to her cousin Sithli in an effort to stop the bloodshed in her land.

But her cousin is insane and could care less about being a good ruler, which means Rilsin may need to break her promise to help her countryā€”except Sithli also holds Rilsinā€™s baby hostage.

Wonderful, strong characters, an engaging story, super easy to read. What more could you ask for? If you decide to read this, set aside a few uninterrupted hours. You can thank me later. :)

By Noel-Anne Brennan,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Sword of the Land as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

After pledging her loyalty to her cousin Sithli, princess Rilsin Sea Becha, heir to the throne, realizes that she has made a grave mistake as she, unable to experience life and love, watches her cousin slowly destroy the kingdom, forcing Rilsin to risk everything she holds dear to save the Land. Original.


Book cover of Illusion

Alison McBain Author Of The New Empire

From my list on reimagine the past and see a strange new future.

Why am I passionate about this?

My family could never afford vacations when I was growing up, so I had to travel in my imagination through what I read. But that allowed me even greater freedomā€”I could go back in time, forward into the future, and everything in between. This skill led me to research and write my books today and have a career as an award-winning author and editor. History, to me, is only one side of the storyā€”what about all the people in the past who never had the chance to speak? Alternate history is a way to explore the voices weā€™ve never heard except through a writerā€™s imagination.

Alison's book list on reimagine the past and see a strange new future

Alison McBain Why did Alison love this book?

Technically, this is an alternate-world book rather than alternate history. Still, I may be forgiven for including it in this list because it so closely parallels the events of the French Revolution. So, it almost seems like it could have actually happenedā€¦ if magic existed in the world.

I love the main characterā€™s journey. She starts out as a somewhat unlikeable and privileged woman and is brought low in life, only to emerge as a better and stronger person afterward. I think itā€™s a journey perhaps many of us takeā€”we have the security of our childhood crushed by the expectations of becoming an adult and then have to learn how to be our true selves again in order to survive. I love a good coming-of-age story.

By Paula Volsky,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Illusion as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Arriving in the capital city of Sherreen to take her place at court, Miss Eliste vo Derrivale is suddenly stripped of her rank, home, and family during v'Aleur's reign of terror


Book cover of The Earliest English Kings

MJ Porter Author Of Son of Mercia

From my list on that led to my obsession with Saxon England.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m a writer of novels set in Saxon England. I studied the era at both undergraduate and graduate levels and never meant to become a historical fiction writer. But I developed a passion to tell the story of the last century of Early England through the eyes of the earls of Mercia, as opposed to the more well-known, Earl Godwin. Iā€™m still writing that series but venture further back in time as well. I might have a bit of an obsession with the Saxon kingdom of Mercia. Iā€™m fascinated by the whole near-enough six hundred years of Saxon England before the watershed moment of 1066, after which, quite frankly, everything went a bit downhill. 

MJ's book list on that led to my obsession with Saxon England

MJ Porter Why did MJ love this book?

Iā€™ve owned this book for over thirty years, and itā€™s still my ā€˜go-to-bookā€™ for the earliest of the English kingdomsā€”charting the centuries when Northumbria, Mercia, and then Wessex were in the ascendant during Saxon England. Itā€™s so readable and engaging. Without it, I donā€™t believe my passion for the era would ever have gained flight. And itā€™s not that it shies away from the more complicated arguments about source material and complexities in the narrative record. No, it does all that and much, much more. I still believe it to be one of the best books on the period, and I know for a fact, that many other Saxon historical fiction authors have this book on their bookshelves.

By D. P. Kirby,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Earliest English Kings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The Earliest English Kings is a fascinating survey of Anglo-Saxon History from the sixth century to the eighth century and the death of King Alfred. It explains and explores the 'Heptarchy' or the seven kingdoms of Anglo-Saxon England, as well as the various peoples within them, wars, religion, King Offa and the coming of the Vikings. With maps and family trees, this book reveals the complex, distant and tumultuous events of Anglo-Saxon politics.


Book cover of The Tudors: A Very Short Introduction

Toni Mount Author Of How to Survive in Tudor England

From my list on survival in Tudor England.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™ve studied and written about the Tudors for many years including a monthly article in Tudor Life magazine, plus Iā€™ve written several successful books looking at the lives of ordinary people in history and now, my first full scale look at the Tudors. The Tudor period is one of the best known in our history and is dominated by so many well-known and fascinating characters but my interest rests with the ordinary folk and how their lives changed so fundamentally in this time. The dissolution of the monasteries changed everyday life for many and marked the end of the medieval period and the beginning of a more enlightened time. 

Toni's book list on survival in Tudor England

Toni Mount Why did Toni love this book?

This is an indispensable summary of sixteenth-century English history, but itā€™s not as short as you might expect (the second edition actually includes greater content). The facts are well-researched, and the details are concise.

If you know nothing of the Tudors this is a good place to start, but being ā€˜very shortā€™ it will leave you wanting to know more.

By John Guy,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Tudors as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The monarchs of the Tudor period are among some of the most well-known figures in British history. John Guy presents a compelling and fascinating exploration of the Tudors in the new edition of this Very Short Introduction.

Looking at all aspects of the period, from beginning to end, he considers Tudor politics, religion, and economics, as well as issues relating to gender and minority rule, and the art, architecture, and social and material culture of the time. Introducing all of the key Tudor monarchs, Guy considers the impact the Tudor period had not only at the time, but also theā€¦


Book cover of Monarchy in Modern Greece

Andrew Scott Cooper Author Of The Fall of Heaven: The Pahlavis and the Final Days of Imperial Iran

From my list on modern monarchy.

Why am I passionate about this?

Andrew Scott Cooper, Ph.D., is passionate about researching and writing narrative history books. He holds a doctorate in history, masters degrees in journalism and strategic studies, and his work has been featured in media outlets including the New York Times, NPR and MSNBC. Earlier in his career, Andrew worked as a researcher on landmines at the UN and at Human Rights Watch on behalf of the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, recipient of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize.

Andrew's book list on modern monarchy

Andrew Scott Cooper Why did Andrew love this book?

How do monarchies begin and why do they fail? Remarkably few serious studies of Greeceā€™s deposed royal family have appeared in print. Monarchy in Modern Greece, now available in this excellent English translation, offers readers a highly informative and thoughtful account of Greeceā€™s experiment with ā€œcrowned democracy.ā€ Written in essay form, scholars and general readers alike will find much to illuminate and entertain as Costas Stamatopoulos judiciously reviews the reigns of the seven monarchs whose reigns were buffeted by domestic and international crises. The lengthy footnote section is a veritable gold mine for anyone wanting to explore further and dig deeper.

By Costas M. Stamatopoulos,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Monarchy in Modern Greece as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Distributed by University of Exeter Press. 107 b&w photographs, English language text. For perhaps the first time, a holistic account of the institution of the monarchy in modern Greece. Looks at the political behaviour of the Greek people and their relationship with authority in every form, to explore why this specific type of constitution was chosen in 1832 at the end of the Greek 'Struggle for Independence'. The development of the monarchy is explored in parallel with the quest for popular legitimization and the constitutional dimension, including the contradictions in the constitutional legislation and the fragility of a democratic constitutionalā€¦


Book cover of After Tamerlane: The Rise and Fall of Global Empires, 1400-2000

Choi Chatterjee Author Of Russia in World History: A Transnational Approach

From my list on understanding Russia's role in world history.

Why am I passionate about this?

I started a serious study of world history in the early 2000s when the United States-led wave of globalization reshaped the world order. The topic of Russia in world history became especially important under the Vladimir Putin Presidency. Since the 2010s, Russia has made a concerted attempt to revitalize Soviet-era links with countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, many of which are former colonies of Europe. Putin's administration is promoting the geopolitics of a "New World Order," a paradigm they believe will challenge global Western dominance. If we are to craft a coherent Western response and a strong foreign policy, we must understand Russian outreach and relationships in the world.

Choi's book list on understanding Russia's role in world history

Choi Chatterjee Why did Choi love this book?

I love this book because John Darwin takes the history of empires very seriously.

He argues that the present world is the legacy of the great empires that came into existence after the fall of Tamerlane in 1405. He was the last powerful Eurasian ruler who followed in the footsteps of Genghis Khan and Attila the Hun. This allowed Asian and European empires such as the Romanovs, Ottomans, the Mughals, the Manchus, the British, the French, the Nazis, and the Soviets to build their empires in space that yoked together Asia and Europe in shared imperial ambitions.

This is an accessible and beautifully written introduction to world history that is well worth your time and effort. It is a great book for a serious book club.

By John Darwin,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked After Tamerlane as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Tamerlane, the Ottomans, the Mughals, the Manchus, the British, the Soviets, the Japanese and the Nazis.

All built empires they hoped would last forever: all were destined to fail. But, as John Darwin shows in his magnificent book, their empire building created the world we know today.

From the death of Tamerlane in 1405, last of the 'world conquerors', to the rise and fall of European empires, and from America's growing colonial presence to the resurgence of India and China as global economic powers, After Tamerlane provides a wonderfully intriguing perspective on the past, present and future of empires.


Book cover of King Kelson's Bride: A Novel of the Deryni

P.G. Badzey Author Of Whitehorse Peak

From my list on fantasy with mystery, intrigue, and dash of faith.

Why am I passionate about this?

Tolkien and Lewis got their hooks into me when I was a teen and this led me to spend many hours playing RPGs, devouring fantasy novels by the armful. Unfortunately, many books were disdainful of faith (particularly of the medieval European variety) but the respectful ones inspired me. Years later, I decided to write my own novels and add a science-based perspective from 20+ years as an engineer. The result is a series of 5 epic fantasy novels. I have plans for more, branching out into sci-fi, romance, childrenā€™s books, and historical fiction. My recommendations showcase a few of the writers who inspired me and still provide a model for my work.

P.G.'s book list on fantasy with mystery, intrigue, and dash of faith

P.G. Badzey Why did P.G. love this book?

In this, the final novel of Kurtzā€™s epic series about the magic-wielding Deryni race, the half-blood King Kelson navigates dynastic marriage, alliances with far-flung kingdoms, assassination plots, and family betrayals. Kelson is a favorite character of mine: decent, brave, practical, and devout, and I felt great satisfaction when he finally met his soulmate in the spirited and courageous Princess Araxie. All doesnā€™t go smoothly for the pair, however, and they have to overcome many obstacles before they can be united. Kurtz is a master at atmospheric world-building, and I fell into her world as readily as I fell into Narnia and Middle Earth. I really liked how Kurtz expanded her scope to include regions similar to Byzantium, medieval Hungary, and the Islamic world. It was fascinating, thrilling, and uplifting; another of my all-time favorites.

By Katherine Kurtz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked King Kelson's Bride as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

ā€œKurtzā€™s strengths lie in her patient accumulation of telling detail, well-articulated plots, and believable magics. Should bring the fans flocking, and attract newcomers too.ā€ā€”Kirkus Reviews

Speculation runs rampant throughout the kingdom of Gwynedd as to when, and to whom, King Kelson will finally be wed. As a rival monarch takes his rightful place on the throne of a nearby land, it becomes more imperative than ever that Kelson produce a long-awaited heir.

With the mystical Deryni blood flowing through his veins, Kelson can only hope for a woman whose power and conviction are equal to his own. Love is setā€¦


Book cover of We Are the Origin
Book cover of The Image of Ivan the Terrible in Russian Folklore
Book cover of The English Constitution: The Principles of a Constitutional Monarchy

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