George III: A Personal History — Christopher Hibbert

George III: A Personal History

Christopher Hibbert | Hardback

To most English people George III is the King who went mad; to most Americans he is the King stigmatized in the Declaration of Independence as ‘unfit to be the ruler of a free people’. In the nineteenth century, because he was unwilling to leave government to the Whig aristocracy, he was discredited as a clumsy tyrant and a villain. In more recent years he has often been portrayed as ‘Farmer George’ or ‘Mr King’, an absurd figure pottering about Windsor, chatting to servants, stable-boys and the shopkeepers of the town, presiding over a most peculiar Court — regulated by a strict and often bizarre etiquette — worrying over his beloved daughters’ sexual escapades and his sons’ enormous debts and scandalous dissipations.

In this absorbing book Christopher Hibbert reassesses a remarkable man, discusses his political beliefs and aspirations, his relationships with his ministers, courtiers and family, and the reasons why he came to be so widely loved by his subjects. He is portrayed as a man of great courage and sensibility, a generous patron of scientists, musicians, authors and artists, and as a discerning book collector in whose library Dr Johnson was so taken by his charm and knowledge.

A masterful biography from one of Britain’s most acclaimed popular historians.

Format: Hardback — a handsome edition, ideal as a gift for history enthusiasts.

Condition: Very good — minimal wear, pages clean and unmarked.