"History on a large canvas. . . . Carter writes incisively about
the overlapping events that led to the Great War and changed the
world. . . . Impressive. . . . Carter has clearly not bitten off
more than she can chew for she-as John Updike once wrote of Gunter
Grass-'chews it enthusiastically before our eyes.'"
-The New York Times
"Splendid. . . . This is history on a vast scale written on an
intimate level, and it is immensely rewarding. . . . [Carter's]
portraits of the men are razor-sharp. She places each monarch in
his unique context, providing a tapestry of the age and the
maneuvering that led to the outbreak of war. . . . The reader is
swept up in the pageantry, pathos and glory of an era that makes
our own seem remorselessly venial and vulgar."
-Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Engrossing and important. . . . While keeping her focus on the
three cousins and their extended families, [Carter] skillfully
interweaves and summarizes all important elements of how the war
came about. . . . An original book, highly recommended."
-The Dallas Morning News
"A fascinating biographical saga. . . . The personal, hidden
history of King George V, Tsar Nicholas II and Kaiser Wilhelm II's
relationship [is] incomparable, haunting and unforgettable."
-Providence Journal
"The parallel, interrelated lives of Kaiser Wilhelm II, George V,
and Nicholas II are . . . a prism though which to tell the march to
the first World War, the creation of the modern industrial world
and the follies of hereditary courts and the eccentricities of
their royal trans-European cousinhood. . . . An entertaining and
accessible study of power and personality."
-Simon Sebag Montefiore, Financial Times
"Some wars are inevitable. Others, such as World War I, could have
been avoided. . . . Relying on apt quotations and instructive
anecdotes, Carter, in this always readable history, persuasively
relates [the royal cousins'] role in beginning a war that was
supposed to end all wars."
-Richmond Times Dispatch
"Entertaining and well-researched, with acute pen portraits of the
major players."
-The Wall Street Journal
"I couldn't put this book down. The whole thing really lives and
breathes-and it's very funny. That these three absurd men could
ever have held the fate of Europe in their hands is a fact as
hilarious as it is terrifying."
-Zadie Smith
"History at its most entertaining, full of scathing and often witty
descriptions of the follies and tragedies of royalty, and the way
in which the three royal cousins' lives, despite the deep social
divide between the royals and ordinary people, became intertwined
with the changes and the dangers confronting the major European
powers in the early years of the 20th century. It is a splendid
picture, splendidly narrated."
-Michael Korda, The Daily Beast
"Fresh and enjoyable. . . . Carter's thoughtful reintroduction of
the vividly human to late 19th-century international politics is
timely and welcome."
-The Guardian (London)
"Carter deftly interpolates history with psychobiography to provide
a damning indictment of monarchy in all its forms."
-Will Self, New Statesman
"An attractively written, extensively illustrated work."
-The Washington Times
"Masterfully crafted. . . . Carter has presented one of the most
cohesive explorations of the dying days of European royalty and the
coming of political modernity. . . . [She] has delivered another
gem."
-BookPage
"An irresistibly entertaining and illuminating chronicle. . . .
Readers with fond memories of Robert Massie and Barbara Tuchman can
expect similar pleasures in this witty, shrewd examination of the
twilight of the great European monarchies."
-Publishers Weekly
"Carter draws masterful portraits of her subjects and tells the
complicated story of Europe's failing international relations well.
. . . A highly readable and well-documented account."
-The Spectator