Overview

The stunning debut of an important new history writer In this magnificent biography of a marriage-between Great Britain's King George III and Queen Charlotte-Janice Hadlow exposes with astonishing emotional force King George's attempt to achieve what none of his forebears had accomplished: a happy family life. To Americans, King George III has long been doubly famous-as the tyrant from whom colonial revolutionaries wrested their nation's liberty and, owing to his late-life illness, as the mad king. In A Royal Experiment, he is also a man with a poignant agenda, determined to be a new kind of king, one whose power will be rooted in the affection and approval of his people, and a new kind of man, a faithful husband capable of companionship and domestic harmony. For a long time, it seems as if, against the odds, George's great experiment might succeed. Queen Charlotte shares his sense of moral purpose, and together they do everything they can to raise their tribe of thirteen sons and daughters in a climate of loving attention. But in a rapidly more populous and prosperous England, through years of revolution in America and in France, the struggle to achieve a new balance between politics and privacy places increasing stress on George and Charlotte. The story that roils across the long arc of George's life and reign is high drama-tragic and riveting.

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9781250075147

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Reviews

In this engrossing and thorough portrait . . . . Hadlow provides a critical, yet compassionate and intimate account of George III's trials and tribulations in undertaking to create the ideal family. Janice Hadlow's A Royal Experiment is a masterpiece. Beautifully written, impeccably researched, this heartbreaking narrative of family dysfunction and royal sacrifice is an absolute page-turner. --Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire and A World on Fire Fascinating . . . . Hadlow paints subtle psychological portraits . . . . [She] has extensively researched this story, never rushing through the 'highlights' and giving a full picture of the family members in all their facets. She even dares to touch on the endless boredom of life at court . . . without ever becoming boring herself. --The New York Times Book Review From the first pages of Janice Hadlow's enthralling A Royal Experiment you know you are in the hands of a master narrator as well as a profoundly perceptive historian. And like all great historical writing, the book transcends its immediate story--gripping and moving though that is--to be a timeless reflection on the human condition. --Simon Schama, whose works include The Embarrassment of Riches and The Story of the Jews [A] fascinating, story-filled account. . . . In this densely detailed yet fast-paced book, as drama follows drama, the interest never flags. Each story is a revelation. . . . [George III and his family's] experience prefigures an enduring royal dilemma--how to live a private life in the glare of publicity. --The Guardian Particularly incisive--and, it should be stressed, completely accessible. --Booklist (Starred review) Hadlow debuts with a new take on England's King George III . . . . a better parent than his great-grandfather George I, who had his own son arrested, and a better husband than his flagrantly philandering grandfather George II . . . . [He] aimed to make the royal family a moral example to the nation . . . . Enjoyable for its vivid depiction of several varieties of royal lifestyles--and plenty of royal gossip. --Kirkus Reviews Truly engrossing. George III and his relatives give us the ultimate family saga; it almost defies belief that these events really happened. A real-life period drama to lose yourself in. --Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces In this engrossing and thorough portrait . . . . Hadlow provides a critical, yet compassionate and intimate account of George III's trials and tribulations in undertaking to create the ideal family. --Publishers Weekly In readable prose, with a welter of detail, Hadlow succeeds in her considerable task . . . . enlivened by Hadlow's infectious enthusiasm. --The Telegraph [A] colorful and brilliantly narrated royal chronicle . . . . Excellent both in her narrative skill and her scholarship, Hadlow . . . . has produced a perceptive, lively and wonderfully enjoyable book. --The Sunday Times Engrossing . . . . Hadlow, an accomplished storyteller, assembles . . . a picture full of emotional colour and drama, which still resonates today. --The Times Republicans and royalists alike will enjoy Janice Hadlow's authoritative debut, which looks at the strange world of the Hanoverian court . . . with wit and compassion . . . . A book that has all the flair and engaging storytelling as the documentaries that Hadlow was responsible for commissioning in her former roles in broadcasting [at the BBC]. --The Observer A page turner . . . . [Hadlow has] handled the story with detailed scholarship and fun. There are intensely vivid insights . . . . [An] enthralling book. --Country Life [One of the season's] biographies to watch out for. --Vogue Fall 2014 Books Guide Janice Hadlow's A Royal Experiment is a masterpiece. Beautifully written, impeccably researched, this heartbreaking narrative of family dysfunction and royal sacrifice is an absolute page-turner. Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire and A World on Fire Fascinating . . . . Hadlow paints subtle psychological portraits . . . . [She] has extensively researched this story, never rushing through the highlights' and giving a full picture of the family members in all their facets. She even dares to touch on the endless boredom of life at court . . . without ever becoming boring herself. The New York Times Book Review From the first pages of Janice Hadlow's enthralling A Royal Experiment you know you are in the hands of a master narrator as well as a profoundly perceptive historian. And like all great historical writing, the book transcends its immediate story--gripping and moving though that is--to be a timeless reflection on the human condition. Simon Schama, whose works include The Embarrassment of Riches and The Story of the Jews [A] fascinating, story-filled account. . . . In this densely detailed yet fast-paced book, as drama follows drama, the interest never flags. Each story is a revelation. . . . [George III and his family's] experience prefigures an enduring royal dilemma--how to live a private life in the glare of publicity. The Guardian Particularly incisive--and, it should be stressed, completely accessible. Booklist (Starred review) Hadlow debuts with a new take on England's King George III . . . . a better parent than his great-grandfather George I, who had his own son arrested, and a better husband than his flagrantly philandering grandfather George II . . . . [He] aimed to make the royal family a moral example to the nation . . . . Enjoyable for its vivid depiction of several varieties of royal lifestyles--and plenty of royal gossip. Kirkus Reviews Truly engrossing. George III and his relatives give us the ultimate family saga; it almost defies belief that these events really happened. A real-life period drama to lose yourself in. Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces In this engrossing and thorough portrait . . . . Hadlow provides a critical, yet compassionate and intimate account of George III's trials and tribulations in undertaking to create the ideal family. Publishers Weekly In readable prose, with a welter of detail, Hadlow succeeds in her considerable task . . . . enlivened by Hadlow's infectious enthusiasm. The Telegraph [A] colorful and brilliantly narrated royal chronicle . . . . Excellent both in her narrative skill and her scholarship, Hadlow . . . . has produced a perceptive, lively and wonderfully enjoyable book. The Sunday Times Engrossing . . . . Hadlow, an accomplished storyteller, assembles . . . a picture full of emotional colour and drama, which still resonates today. The Times Republicans and royalists alike will enjoy Janice Hadlow's authoritative debut, which looks at the strange world of the Hanoverian court . . . with wit and compassion . . . . A book that has all the flair and engaging storytelling as the documentaries that Hadlow was responsible for commissioning in her former roles in broadcasting [at the BBC]. The Observer A page turner . . . . [Hadlow has] handled the story with detailed scholarship and fun. There are intensely vivid insights . . . . [An] enthralling book. Country Life [One of the season's] biographies to watch out for. Vogue Fall 2014 Books Guide Janice Hadlow's A Royal Experiment is a masterpiece. Beautifully written, impeccably researched, this heartbreaking narrative of family dysfunction and royal sacrifice is an absolute page-turner. Amanda Foreman, author of Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire and A World on Fire Fascinating . . . . Hadlow paints subtle psychological portraits . . . . [She] has extensively researched this story, never rushing through the highlights' and giving a full picture of the family members in all their facets. She even dares to touch on the endless boredom of life at court . . . without ever becoming boring herself. The New York Times Book Review From the first pages of Janice Hadlow's enthralling A Royal Experiment you know you are in the hands of a master narrator as well as a profoundly perceptive historian. And like all great historical writing, the book transcends its immediate story--gripping and moving though that is--to be a timeless reflection on the human condition. Simon Schama, whose works include The Embarrassment of Riches and The Story of the Jews [A] fascinating, story-filled account. . . . In this densely detailed yet fast-paced book, as drama follows drama, the interest never flags. Each story is a revelation. . . . [George III and his family's] experience prefigures an enduring royal dilemma--how to live a private life in the glare of publicity. The Guardian Particularly incisive--and, it should be stressed, completely accessible. Booklist (Starred review) Hadlow debuts with a new take on England's King George III . . . . a better parent than his great-grandfather George I, who had his own son arrested, and a better husband than his flagrantly philandering grandfather George II . . . . [He] aimed to make the royal family a moral example to the nation . . . . Enjoyable for its vivid depiction of several varieties of royal lifestyles--and plenty of royal gossip. Kirkus Reviews Truly engrossing. George III and his relatives give us the ultimate family saga; it almost defies belief that these events really happened. A real-life period drama to lose yourself in. Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces In this engrossing and thorough portrait . . . . Hadlow provides a critical, yet compassionate and intimate account of George III's trials and tribulations in undertaking to create the ideal family. Publishers Weekly In readable prose, with a welter of detail, Hadlow succeeds in her considerable task . . . . enlivened by Hadlow's infectious enthusiasm. The Telegraph [A] colorful and brilliantly narrated royal chronicle . . . . Excellent both in her narrative skill and her scholarship, Hadlow . . . . has produced a perceptive, lively and wonderfully enjoyable book. The Sunday Times Engrossing . . . . Hadlow, an accomplished storyteller, assembles . . . a picture full of emotional colour and drama, which still resonates today. The Times Republicans and royalists alike will enjoy Janice Hadlow's authoritative debut, which looks at the strange world of the Hanoverian court . . . with wit and compassion . . . . A book that has all the flair and engaging storytelling as the documentaries that Hadlow was responsible for commissioning in her former roles in broadcasting [at the BBC]. The Observer A page turner . . . . [Hadlow has] handled the story with detailed scholarship and fun. There are intensely vivid insights . . . . [An] enthralling book. Country Life [One of the season's] biographies to watch out for. Vogue Fall 2014 Books Guide

In this engrossing and thorough portrait . . . . Hadlow provides a critical, yet compassionate and intimate account of George III's trials and tribulations in undertaking to create the ideal family.

Author Information

JANICE HADLOW has worked at the BBC for over two decades. During the last ten years she ran BBC Two and BBC Four, two of the broadcaster's major television channels. She was educated at Swanley School in Kent, and graduated with a first class degree in history from King's College, London. She currently lives in Bath. A Royal Experiment is her first book.

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