Product Description

To his fellow Royalists, fighting for King Charles I, Prince Rupert of the Rhine was the archetypal 'cavalier'. Young, handsome, expert horseman, crack pistol shot, his swaggering style irritated the stuffier of the king's courtiers almost as much as the 'Roundheads' they were fighting. To the parliamentarians, above all Oliver Cromwell, he was the ultimate 'malignant', one of those Royalists who fought on even after Charles was executed in 1649. Rupert commanded the Royalist forces in exile, at one point reduced to little more than pirates before the triumphant restoration of the monarchy in 1660. In Charles Spencer's thoroughly researched account, Prince Rupert is revealed as more than just a great general and dashing cavalier. He was a scientist and classical scholar too: a true renaissance prince. From his dramatic childhood escape through the snows of Bohemia to respected older statesman, this is the first comprehensive biography of the greatest cavalier of them all.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #164372 in Books
• Published on: 2008-05-29
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Antonia Fraser, THE GUARDIAN
'I have read many lives of the prince... but I have not read one before... so richly and fully explored.'

Review
"Rupert of the Rhine proves a beguiling figure in this lively and detailed biography" (OBSERVER )

"an enjoyable life of one of the most alluring of Cavaliers" (CONTEMPORARY REVIEW )

"Well worth a read" (YORK PRESS )

GOOD BOOK GUIDE
'This is a fine book that portrays Rupert as a fascinating figure who was more than the ultimate cavalier, dashing but doomed.'

Customer Reviews

An Outstanding Life
Prince Rupert of the Rhine's was truly a noteworthy life. From his beginnings as the offspring of a dispossessed European Monarch in exile, through the Thirty Years War and his apogee as the outstanding soldier of the Royalist forces during the Civil War, to Admiral and master of Windsor Castle.
Charles Spencer writes with great fluency and his pen has produced a portrait of the epitome of what we today know as a Cavalier. The book is well paced and is a thoroughly enjoyable read.
If you enjoyed `Blenheim' by the same author then you are sure to enjoy this.
However, as Rupert was accused of being personally responsible for many atrocities during the Civil War, I was expecting more to be said in his defence than vague refutations based on hearsay and not based on quotable sources.
In summary I was delighted to have read this book, as I think anyone with an interest in 17th Century English history will be.

A good, old fashioned historical romp (but don't look too carefully at the detail)
Charles Spencer, Viscount Althorp, seems to be a slightly old fashioned figure. Or, at least, this is a slightly old fashioned book. It should have been written in the 1920s, when well-connected figures were always supplementing their income, and propping up the ancestral pile, by knocking off the odd quick life of a renowned ancestor (John Churchill) or romantic figure (Prince Rupert). OK, they might not have been completely up-to-date with the latest nuances in historical scholarship. But they were witty, fun, fluent and readable.

Charles Spencer shares a lot of these virtues and vices. On the downside, this is not a `scholarly' book. I don't just mean that he doesn't always appreciate the narrow grain of, say, 17th Century political or religious history. I mean sometimes he makes out and out blunders. He's particular (excuse the pun) all at sea when it comes to Prince Rupert's naval career: for example, in his description of the Battle of Lowestoft he's wrong about the date (it was 13th June 1665 not 3rd June) the name (he confuses it with the 1672 Battle of Solebay) and the result (claiming that 20 Dutch vessels were `sunk'; the correct figure seems to be 17, of which only 8 were sunk, the others being captured - anyone who knows anything about 17th and 18th Century naval warfare should be put on their guard by this claim, as vessels were much more commonly captured than sunk). With mistakes as basic as these, I was left wondering just what else he'd got wrong.

Lowestoft also illustrates another of Spencer's faults: he tells us that James Duke of York's failure to follow up the initial victory was caused by Lord Henry Brounker's decision to order James's captain to shorten sail during the night (possibly on the orders of James's mother). This is presented as fact, but actually is only a rumour - other explanations have been put forward. And, generally, Spencer has a tendency to report rumour as fact if it makes a good story. Although it would be wrong to suggest that he lacks discrimination - many of his judgements are undeniably fair, and he can see his hero's shortcomings as a commander - his world is one of goodies and baddies, bluff, irascible men of action and honour (Rupert and his brother Maurice) against scheming courtiers (Digby), meddlers (Queen Henrietta) and, later, pompous civil servants (Pepys).

This, in a way, is his virtue. The book reads very well. It barrels along like a cavalry charge. Incidental details are nicely chosen to illustrate points of Prince Rupert's character, and the book is filled with great stories. The action is nicely described and kept well to the foreground, so the book is never dull. There's also a lot about Prince Rupert's other activities - in art and science - which I hadn't previously appreciated. And he's benefited from access to the Royal archives to make use of personal letters from and to Charles I, which are extremely interesting in themselves.

The three star rating is a compromise. If you're looking for a way into 17th Century history, don't bother with this at all. Many people make a better fist of the political and religious background. Frank Kitson is better on the Prince's military career. If you're after a good, fun, engagingly written one-volume life, however, this is as good a place to start as any.

Prince Rupert - more than a soldier - a colorful picture of an extraordinary man
I had only read "Prince Rupert: Portrait of a Soldier" by Frank Kitson which has bored me to death as this was all about Rupert's boyhood study of fortifications, the early campaigns, his military studies and battle procedures. Properly my fault as it is a biography about a soldier and therefore the military things were the focus of attention. As my interest is not very much military - the result of a battle is quite enough for me to know and not every movement of the troops involved I was quite reluctant to buy this book as I expected very much the same. But I should not have worried.

Earl Spencer's talent to write about history in a most appealing way without being shallow is very much in evidence throughout this superb biography. Charles Spencer addresses all aspects of Rupert's life and personality, not just his skills as an extraordinary military commander. He puts him into perspective. The biography is written with sympathy and respect but not with blindness to Rupert's faults. One can form a view on the prince, the general and the man Rupert in a time of great challenges.

In short I share the enthusiastic views expressed by previous reviewers and without a show of doubt I can recommend this excellent biography.