Bertie: A Life of Edward VII

Brilliantly entertaining… Richly detailed, impeccably researched… Written with a light touch and full of human sympathy… A landmark royal biography – Anne Chisholm * Sunday Telegraph *This is not only the best biography of King Edward VII; it’s also the best book about royalty ever published… Vivid, detailed and original – Piers Brendon * Independent *Paints the story of Edward VII and his long, hectic life as Prince of Wales in vivid colours: no scandal is left unturned, and yet the depth and authenticity of the research make it clear that this is a serious, even magesterial work – Antonia Fraser * Sunday Telegraph (Books of the Year) *Hugely entertaining from first page to last… It is also scholarly and revealing – Miriam Gross * Evening Standard (Books of the Year) *A model of how royal biographies should be written… impeccably researched, with much new material, balanced, sensible, disrespectful without being offensive, funny, and a vivid portrait of one of Britain’s most underrated and understudied monarchs – Philip Ziegler * Spectator (Books of the Year) *Ridley has written a marvellous biography. Her book is racy and pacy, filled with delicious descriptions of grand Edwardian shooting parties, cutting-edge fashion and, of course, a string of beautiful society women. But she is never trivial, and nor is her Bertie – Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *A fascinating and compulsively entertaining biography… Ridley’s research is woven through the book, often with considerable humour, illuminating not only the life of a king, but those of his family, friends and lovers… A vibrantly atmospheric portrait – Juliet Nicholson * Daily Telegraph *Profoundly learned and a cracking good read – AN Wilson * Spectator *Richly colourful and wittily observed – Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *

Jane Ridley is Professor of History at Buckingham University, where she teaches an MA course on biography. Her books include The Young Disraeli, acclaimed by Robert Blake as definitive; a highly praised study of the architect Edwin Lutyens and his relationship with his troubled wife, which won the Duff Cooper Prize; and Victoria, a short life written for the Penguin Monarchs series. Her most recent full biography, Bertie- A Life of Edward VII was a Sunday Times bestseller and one of the most critically acclaimed books of its year. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, Ridley writes book reviews for the Spectator and other newspapers, and has also appeared on radio and several television documentaries. She lives in London and Scotland.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.