Great Dynasties is one of those appealing books aimed at the layman
reader but in fact some of the contributors are professional historians, such as Timothy Baker and John Kenyon. On the other hand , there is no
clearly stated editor and each of the chapters stands on its own. It is rather like an anthology of royalty. Each of 15 writers has contributed a chapter on a different " dynasty". Oringally published in
Italian in 1976 it was published in English in 1979; so the chapters have the ring of a translation. It is a general and light history of the great historical royal houses of Europe, though there are omissions ( Scandanavian and Dutch dynasties do not feature).
Difficult as it is to define a "great dynasty" there are certain assumptions here - monarchical government, power and wealth that descended through at least three generations if not more. The Hapsburgs dominated European history for over 600 years and then ceased to matter in the 18th century, although there are still members of the Habsburg family around today. Most of the chapters take a narrative and somewhat hagiographic approach and the contributor on the Napolonic dynasty is ready to raise the flag for the modern day Napoleons born in the 1950s with the hoorah that they uphold the "glorious name of Napoleon Bonaparte". There's scope for reflection and comparison here as to why certain families kept their heads, their thrones and their wealth and whether dynastic royalty is not an anachronism in the 21st century. Much depends on longevity, some luck, avoiding disastrous wars or overreaching ambition, championing the right religion, personal popularity, perhaps some wisdom and a readiness to contract marriages that brings new blood ( often of the more common variety) into the gene pool. Those families that
married and bred within narrow family limits seem to have bred out brains and bred in ineptitude and inherited medical conditions such a haemophilia. There is the conundrum of monarchical descent and absolutist rule - why do we need a monarch? As education and democracy leveled the stakes in society, there is less need for monarchs unless you wish to avoid republican presidents and dictatorships or see your
monarch as a national symbol and income generating tourist attraction. Clearly horses are importat. There is nothing better than a fine steed to show off the authority of the king ( there are many examples of equestrian statues). The appeal of this book is in the many attractive coloured reproductions of portraits, royal treasures , fabulous regalia and palaces of great beauty. There are 15 family trees included in the appendix. The book has the feel of a coffee table and does not come across as a text for an academic readership. three stars ! ( )