The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III

Exactly as described

Gift for my husband.

Loved it!

However, yes George III was a tyrant. Sorry, but no one elected him. At least Parliament had some type of election to get into power, but a king? No. I have a great affection for your Queen... however, I doubt I would feel that way if she had influence over my life. I am resentful of unelected bureaucrats in the US government, they have far too much power and are elected by no one, and can't be fired! That is tyranny! It's disgraceful!!!! Limits on power is essential. And that is probably why my ancestors found staying part of Britain impossible! Being a nice king, doesn't mean you aren't a tyrant. I also, have a bone to pick with your account of how innocent George III was on slavery. Americans inherited that terrible system from you! Washington, Jefferson, and almost all the founding fathers also expressed unhappiness with slavery... and did little other than write words to get rid of it. George was as guilty as anyone else because so much wealth came from the system for George III as well as George Washington. No one was willing to be poor to make the world more just. And we today gobble up cheap Chinese goods... made by slave labor, or next to it. They were human, we are human. It takes a whole lot to make your life less comfortable to make other people more happy. I don't think anyone is safe judging another generation's choices. Too often what you see in the mirror will not make you look good either. Right now our Olympic teams are in China helping them legitimize a terrible system of government that makes billions of people unhappy. Who are we to say we are better than those who put the world on a better path to more happiness in the long run?

This biography of George III seeks to reposition the monarch's position in world history, arguing that he was an effective, thoughtful king who has been unfairly maligned by history and America's founding fathers. Roberts, a highly skilled biographer, starts with the idea that George III has been portrayed, especially in America, as a prototype of Hitler, and I don't recall from my schooling, anything of the sort. It is as if Roberts has helped his case for George III by making his critics look ridiculous. Also, this is a huge book. I was interested in his interaction of the American colonies more than anything, and to be honest skipped quite a bit of the stuff unrelated to them, which helped me get through it. Ultimately, I think George III. despite his long reign on the British throne, is not worth this a book of this length and scope. He seems less actor than acted upon. The same author has written books about Churchill and Napoleon that retained my interest from start to finish.

"Well-meaning, hard-working, decent, dutiful, moral, cultured and kind, yet cursed to lose his mind no fewer than five times and also to preside over the loss of the American colonies, George III is one of the most tragic monarchs of British history, as well as being the most underestimated and misunderstood." This quote from this book beautifully sums up what I learned about King George III. I can't remember another biography that has been to meticulously researched. I highly recommend this book.