Stephen Coote

This biography provided a good overview of the Merry Monarch's life and reign, but no biography of a king as fascinating as Charles II should be as dry as this book was. That said, Charles' life is interesting enough that this biography isn't too bad to get through. I did appreciate the author's insights into Charles' early years before he was restored to the throne in 1660, but I did feel this book adhered to the traditional narrative of Charles and the figures who surrounded him at court, rather than questioning and re-examining some of these figures. Overall, a decent enough read and a good introduction to Charles as a monarch.… (meer)

Although this purports to concern itself with the Waterloo Campaign, it's really just a once-over-lightly on Napoleon's life and empire by an author who is a good storyteller. He rambles on about this-n-that for over 100 pages before he even gets to 1814, let alone 1815. The half of the book which actually deals with the Hundred Days is best on the politics and diplomacy of the days preceding, and, especially, following, the battle of Waterloo. Like most British authors, Coote is totally unfair to the Emperor; almost every French character who appears is portrayed as a malevolent boob; between this bias and the rather facile yarn-spinning, it's difficult to recommend this book among a crowded field.… (meer)