Adrian Tinniswood is senior research fellow in history at the University of Buckingham and the author of Behind the Throne as well as the New York Times bestseller The Long Weekend and The Verneys, which was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson Prize. Tinniswood has contributed to the London Times, the New York Times, History Today, BBC History Magazine, and the Literary Review, as well as television and radio programs in the US and UK. He was awarded an OBE for services to heritage by her majesty, the Queen, and lives in Bath, England.
"[A] juicy new domestic history of the royal
household...Delicious."--Observer
Ranked Number 1 on "Five Best Books on British Royal
Households"--Wall Street Journal
"Behind the Throne is so much fun it's almost a guilty pleasure.
Adrian Tinniswood provides an utterly fascinating behind-the-scenes
look at the British monarchy, from the realities of the royal
chamber pot to bedchamber politics."--Amanda Foreman, author of
Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire
"Behind the Throne, erudite and amusing, bulges with colourful
scenes of barely managed chaos at court."--Times
"[Tinniswood] amply, entertainingly, compellingly succeeds in
making the case that when it comes to British royalty, it takes a
village to make a monarch."--New York Journal of Books
"[Tinniswood] displays a knack for uncovering the absurd and
delightful. A wit borne of a deep intimacy with his subject shows
through. It all has the effect of bringing the monarchy down to
earth."--New York Times Book Review
"A glimpse into a world where everything is possible for the
rulers, because the ruled do all the work: This sounds enchanting,
and so Behind the Throne proves to be...The author has a wry humor
and a way with a phrase."--Wall Street Journal
"A lively, engaging, and endlessly fascinating account of life
behind closed doors at the English court. Exploring five centuries
of royal service--from Elizabeth I to her modern day namesake--this
is a must-read for all fans of British royal history."--Tracy
Borman, author of The Private Lives of the Tudors
"An enjoyable and lively account of the British royal household
from Elizabeth I to Elizabeth II."--Choice
"An intimate and entertaining look at the private lives of monarchs
from Elizabeth I to the current occupants of Buckingham
Palace...Deft, zesty social history." -Kirkus--Kirkus
"Both fun and scholarly, this is a back-stage, back-stairs,
sometimes backside history of England that focuses on the
seamy-side of power, the sights you weren't intended to see and the
stories you weren't supposed to hear. Savor it like a good gossip
column."--David Starkey, author of Elizabeth: The Struggle for the
Throne and Six Wives: The Queens of Henry VIII
"Charmingly erudite...Like a seasoned tour guide, Tinniswood keeps
us moving through chambers of wonders, from the Elizabethan to the
modern era...Tinniswood is both a careful scholar and a nimble
writer."--Washington Post
"Fascinating...Never overly deferential, but humorous and distantly
respectful. Our royals are human beings after all...Behind the
Throne is a wonderfully entertaining account of life through five
centuries of royal households."--Sunday Times
"If Downton Abbey showcases a well-oiled machine of domestic
efficiency in an English estate, you might think the servants
surrounding British monarchs would be held to an even higher
standard of discretion and excellence. And, as historian Tinniswood
warns, you'd be entirely wrong. The reality, as he explores in this
diverting book covering the domestic life at court from Elizabeth
to Elizabeth, is both much messier and incredibly
interesting...This rare glimpse into royal households reveals the
priorities and peculiarities of kings and queens."--Booklist
"Meticulously researched, rich in detail and hugely entertaining,
Behind The Throne is an evocative feast of royal history, from the
first Elizabeth to the present, at its page-turning best. From a
master historian and story-teller, it is an absolute must for
anyone interested in the British monarchy, past and present, and
for any self-respecting history lover. A book I only wish I had
written, I cannot recommend it highly enough."--Christopher
Warwick, royal biographer and historian
"Shrewdly observed and engagingly written...A cracking read, packed
full of stories which Tinniswood relates with verve and
wit."--Spectator (UK)
"Superb."--New Criterion
"Think of Behind the Throne as Downton Abbey meets The Tudors, with
a dash of Victoria and a smidgen of The Crown thrown in."--Winnipeg
Free Press
"This is the most interesting and informative book on the British
royalty for many years."--Literary Review
"Tinniswood (The Long Weekend) explores the inner workings of the
well-oiled machine that is the household, servants, and monarchy of
Britain...A masterpiece of history that reads like a novel; a true
delight."--Library Journal (starred review)
"Tinniswood is a wry storyteller."--Baton Rouge Advocate
"Tinniswood's riveting overview of 500 years of the men and women
who made the monarchy shows what has changed - and what hasn't.
From the courtiers who handled foreign diplomats for James I to the
chauffeurs who drove Edward VII, the first royal motorist, the
delight is in the detail."--Sarah Gristwood, author of Game of
Queens and Elizabeth: The Queen and the Crown
"Well-researched and often entertaining...Devoted watchers of The
Crown will especially enjoy the nimble analysis of both the
narcissistic Edward VIII's brief reign and Princess Margaret's
doomed romance...Utilizing a Downton Abbey approach, this
enlightening narrative allows the royal family mystique to
disappear just a little."--Publishers Weekly
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