George III: A Personal History

I am one of the few I guess who like to get into a bio. I like a lot of retail. So if that's what you like, this book is for you. It's not a fast read or something you could read in a few days. None the less, I liked it very much.

Often, when a biography stresses the personal dimension of the subject, "personal" refers to an emphasis in the book. In Christopher Hibbert's biography of George III, the term "personal" in the subtitle is meant to the full. This is an enjoyable and highly readable biography. The reader learns more about the inner life of George than any other English monarch up to this point. A major reason is the large amount of documentation available about the private life of George. For example, Hibbert makes extensive use of Frances ("Fanny") Burney's careful diary of her experiences in the Royal household. Burney, who was a novelist herself, wrote detailed accounts of what happened and, given her eye for detail, is an invaluable source for the biographer. Another detailed source is the data available on George's mental illness which first manifested itself in 1788 and continued on and off until his death in 1820. In the last ten years it completely debilitated him. I got a strong sense of the pain and suffering George went through and the devastating effect on the Queen. Another source of the personal insights into George's life are the many details available about his irresponsible sons. His relationship with the first-born future George IV is spelled out throughout the book. But one of the most interesting chapters (out of many) is "The Royal Dukes" which summarizes the often dissolute lives of the other six surviving sons. "The Nunnery" summarizes what his daughters went through. This is a uniquely "modern" biography in that for the first time we have highly personal details about an English monarch and his family.Hibbert has chapters that deal with the American Revolution. They are reasonably good summaries given his focus in the book. The only real aspect I did not like in the book was that, after the American Revolution, we know almost nothing about the effect of the larger world on the British nation. The major events on the continent like the French Revolution and Napoleon are barely touched upon. It would have been out of the book's focus to give any detailed account of these as related to England; this is not at all a political biography. But I do wish that Hibbert had chapters at least summarizing these events and their effect on England. Granted, this is a personal biography but surely the King's chief ministers, with whom he consulted in the long stretches of time when he was stable, had their hands full with these issues. For the reader it would be important context for the reign of this monarch. I thought the last third of the book was so intensely focussed on the King, his illness, and his family that I was missing what was happening to the nation around him at that time.This biography marks a turn in English history that began a hundred years before George. Though George tried in the first part of his life, he and later monarchs no longer had the power to direct the nation's policies in a way that existed before the Glorious Revolution. So it makes sense that a biography of a king could be much more personal and less political. This book is thoroughly enjoyable reading and Hibbert is an excellent writer. But I do wish he would have included a little more context about events after 1789 that changed the world and that had an important effect on the direction of English history.

The book is not what I expected. Chock full of historical data, but the author drop the ball in making historically interesting. Would not recommend!

Historian Christopher Hibbert brings his considerable talent for writing personal biographies to the fascinating subject of Britain's King George III. Not only is Hibbert's scholarship solid, but he also does a wonderful jo of combining all the important elements of the King's life into an entertaining and compelling read. George III was on the throne for almost 60 years during a period of great social and political upheaval throughout the western world, yet many don't know much about him. Americans especially know little more about him that the tyranical caricature popularized during the American Revolution.The book begins with a chapter about the King's dissolute father whose personality and relationship with his family were remarkably similar to that of George III's own son, the future George IV. Hibbert establishes George III's own unique personality by examing both his early upbringing and the key political players who helped shape his dedication to duty. George III certainly lacked the flamboyance of both his father and son. In contrast, he was sober and prudish, but nevertheless quite interesting and complex. During his reign he weathered both the American and French Revolutions, long periods of war abroad, and various periods of political unrest at home. Throughout, Hibbert paints a portrait of a monarch selflessly concerned about his subjects and dedication to providing thoughtful leadership. As for his personal life, the King was faithfully resigned to an arranged marriage with a rather plain and increasingly unpleasant woman with whom he had 15 children. The family dynamics make for great reading. His relationships with most of his sons were difficult and a sources of much frustration since they frequently refused to comply with his strict mandates. His many daughters were mostly confined to the royal household and were expected to wait attendance on the King and Queen. A few daughters managed to ecape into marriage late in life, and others had scandalous love affairs with the King's courtiers. All of this family drama was further acerbated by the mysterious "madness" that George III began to suffer from periodically in his middle age. By the time the madness begins, Hibbert has done such a wonderful job of establishing the King's decency and dignity that the reader cannot help but be moved as these very qualities are brutally stripped away by his disease. Also, there is an appreciation of the magnitude of the political crisis it precipitated.My one complaint about this book is that, at least in this American's opinion, Hibbert almost completely glosses over the American Revolution. His general analysis - that the Americans unjustly demonized the King - has some merit, but it virtually ignores the significant economic and social changes that created the Revolution. Perhaps such political theory is beyond the scope of this personal biography, but it should be examined more thoroughly, not only with regards to the American Revolution but also with regards to how these changes were successfully integrated into the British constitutional monarchy.

Hibbert does a good job going over the life of King George III. He describes his childhood, his assentation to the throne, his political wheeling and dealings and his insanity. The book can be a little drawn out at times, but the goal of the author was accomplished and I certainly learned a lot about George. Hibbert also does a good job of not demonizing him or praising him unconditionally. This makes the book a good read for many Americans who only know King George as a tyrant who wanted to oppress the American colonies. I wish he had gone into more detail about the American Revolution and other foreign policy matters such as Napoleon. These things are covered in the book but not in excessive detail. The book went into sufficient detail regarding his madness in 1788 and in subsequent years.

For someone with kids and a full time job, I find it difficult to find time to read, although I do at every opportunity. Read this from cover to cover in 4 sittings so really enjoyed it. Although a personal history of George III, the author sheds just enough light on events of the reign (such as American independence) without seeing off the subject of George too much. Perfectly balanced, energetically written, full of detail and for quite a long book, very light reading. There won't be a better book on George III.

This book is written by a third party view who had digested a selected written resources about George III. The author called it a personal history not because is written by the George himself. The author had read a selected number of books and articles and complied a story about George III. In this sense it had become his view of the King. The limitation of the author and his lack of knowledge in other areas that George had been involved made the book a narrow and one dimensional history . King George III was a multi- talented man. He had a great interest in Science and agriculture and literature and music etc which were either ignored or mentioned casually in the book. Where the book is good are gossips, social interaction and pure history of the time.

As someone who enjoys reading history but is not an academic historian, this is my sort of book. Fascinating insights into the King throughout his life and how he shaped / was shaped by world events and other people strike, for me, the perfect balance. The writing style is perfect, and I looked forward to sitting down to read it.I picked up a hard copy second hand from awesome books for just £3.41.

I enjoyed this book so much that I have started reading it again. I have always felt that King George's illness in later life has distracted historians from his true worth. A well-researched, well written biography and worth every penny.

If you have little prior knowledge of George or his reign, this book is an excellent introduction. The book concentrates on George's personality and his personal relationships with his family and ministers rather than in-depth analysis of the events of his reign. George is one of the most tragic figures in our history and Christopher Hibbert presents his portrait with great sensitivity and warmth.