Interesting royal gossip covering much of Europe:multiple kingdoms, empires, duchies, etc.
Unfortunately the author listed bisexuality as a mental disorder and continually uses 'gy*&y like it's the proper name for the Romani peoples and not a slur.
Sigh. ( )

After reading this book, it becomes quickly apparent why Europe has fostered both World Wars...their historic leaders just haven't been all there, so to speak. The oven was on, but the bread wasn't cooking. If you want to get a neat summary of some of the worst European royal personalities, then this is an excellent book to make your start.

There's Don Carlos of Spain, one of the insane and deformed Hapsburg nutballs, who loved torturing animals and little girls. His own father had him killed, which was a mercy. A good example of the horrors of in-breeding. The Germans and French are well represented here also, but not the Brits. I'm sure the Sceptered Isle has its own book devoted just for those special nuggets of tea and murder.

Book Season = Autumn

( )

( From Barnes and Noble)
Beneath the splendor and sophistication of the monarchies of continental Europe are tales of scandal, mystery, and skullduggery. A Dark History: The Kings & Queens of Europe peels away the glitz to take a wry look at what really happened in the corridors, bedrooms, and dungeons of European power, from the Middle Ages to the present day.

Spanning the whole of mainland continental Europe, this history includes the burning of the Knights Templar, Vlad the Impaler’s stakes, Elizabeth Bathory’s bloodbaths, Louis XV’s womanizing, the mystery of the Man in the Iron Mask, King Ludwig I’s doomed love affair, the suicide pact of Austro-Hungary’s Crown Prince Rudolf, and the troubled life and tragic death of Princess Grace of Monaco.

Tales of murder, insanity, obsessive love, and horrific torture illuminate the troubles of royal dynasties, inter-breeding and empire, with examples drawn from Spain, Belgium, Romania, Sweden, the Netherlands, Austro-Hungary, Germany and France. Illustrated throughout with contemporary paintings and engravings alongside modern photography, A Dark History: The Kings & Queens of Europe offers a fascinating portrait of the dark side of European monarchy. ( )