Janelle C. (jscrappy) reviewed King, Kaiser, Tsar: Three Royal Cousins Who Led the World to War on + 59 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
A well-written, well-researched and quite readable account of the relationships between King George V, Kaiser Wilhelm, and Tsar Nicholas II, and how those relationships, coupled with worldwide unrest at the end of the nineteenth century, propelled Europe into World War I.
The author draws heavily on the many surviving letters and telegrams sent from one member of the royal family to another, and this gives each person a vivid voice--not only the three rulers of the title, but also Queen Victoria, Edward VI, Tsarina Alexandra, and many of their friends, ministers, and servants.
The story is the most interesting when it deals with family relationships--marriages, births, and the often tempestuous relationships between parents and children. I got a little bogged down partway through, trying to keep track of the ever-changing list of ministers and aides to each ruler, but not enough to detract from the pleasure of a good story, well-told.
The author draws heavily on the many surviving letters and telegrams sent from one member of the royal family to another, and this gives each person a vivid voice--not only the three rulers of the title, but also Queen Victoria, Edward VI, Tsarina Alexandra, and many of their friends, ministers, and servants.
The story is the most interesting when it deals with family relationships--marriages, births, and the often tempestuous relationships between parents and children. I got a little bogged down partway through, trying to keep track of the ever-changing list of ministers and aides to each ruler, but not enough to detract from the pleasure of a good story, well-told.
