A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors | 
 enlarge | Author: Michael Farquhar
Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics)
Category: Book
List Price: $15.00
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Avg. Customer Rating:  90 reviews
Sales Rank: 15613
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8 x 5.3 x 0.8
ISBN: 0140280243
Dewey Decimal Number: 920.02
EAN: 9780140280241
ASIN: 0140280243
Publication Date: May 1, 2001
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Condition: The cover has wear. Thank you for shopping at Wabash Valley Books.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 85 more reviews...
 No depth September 8, 2008
A flat narration of some historical events. A surprisingly boring read for such a juicy subject.
 Great Tid Bits of History August 31, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I love history but I didn't want to read a 600 page novel that read like a textbook. This book is perfect. Fun, and straight to the point. I learned about all the dirty details of some of history's famous characters that my teachers and professors never bothered to mention. History + sex + murder= good time. The book educates you and entertains.
 Looking at the royals as most have never seen them July 17, 2008
This book details all the sexual and psychological peccadilloes of royalty. The main focus is European royalty from the Middle Ages to the present, but some discussion of ancient Rome is thrown in towards the end. It's a wonder the royals stayed on top as long as they did. Pure brain candy.
Highly Entertaining! July 8, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Michael Farquhar's "Scandal" series is simply fantastic. If school history books included the subject matter presented here along with all the dry dates and places, more students would enjoy history class I'm sure! Many readers are enchanted by historical figures, as indicated by the popularity of such writers as Philippa Gregory, or Jean Plaidy. We want to hear about the sordid affairs of Henry VIII, Louis XVI, and other famous dead people! But, the author doesn't give us fiction. He digs into the past of many royals across the centuries for the juicy stories that actually happened, but aren't necessarily important.
There were books before this one, most notably "Royal Babylon," that made a similar attempt. However, that book was plodding and the writing too formal and dissertation-like. This is where Farquhar shines. He tells each anecdote with simple, elegant language that is easy to read and flows like a fiction novel. It's like reading an episode of "Access Hollywood" for the celebrities of previous centuries. Some will argue that he has his facts wrong, or "it didn't happen that way." They're missing the point. This is meant to titillate, entertain and give readers a peak into a less than glorious past. And it may just inspire some people to look further for more information on some of the historical subjects depicted. Highly recommended!
Others in the series:
A Treasury of Great American Scandals: Tantalizing True Tales of Historic Misbehavior by the Founding Fathers and Others Who Let Freedom Swing
A Treasury of Deception: Liars, Misleaders, Hoodwinkers, and the Extraordinary True Stories of History's Greatest Hoaxes, Fakes and Frauds
A Treasury of Foolishly Forgotten Americans: Pirates, Skinflints, Patriots, and Other Colorful Characters Stuck in the Footnotes of History
Five Stars July 4, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A fun read that will have you laughing from beginning to end at the wickedest, weirdest and funniest true stories and the witty way the author writes them right down to the funny titles for each chapter.
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