Product Description

Before the unification of Italy in 1870, Naples was the capital of the largest of the separate Italian kingdoms. This book discusses the ruling European dynasty, the Bourbons of Naples, founded by Charles, son of King Philip V of Spain and grandson of Louis XIV of France, the Sun King.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #661084 in Books
• Published on: 1998-06-19
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 750 pages

Customer Reviews

good popular history, but very long-winded
Sir Harold Acton may be judged a popular history writer in the best English tradition, and his subject matter has all the potential for a book that provides at the same time an insight in development of Italy in the Napoleontic era, in England's mediterranean policies of that era and in life at the Bourbon court of Naples. Certainly the latter subject might have provided a lot of light touches, for King Ferdinand and Queen Carolina (the main subjects of this book) were - judging from all available sources - both total and utter nutcases, not to put too fine a point on it; the latter strongly reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland's Queen of Hearts and the former the prototype of the more feeble kind of village idiot.

It is a shame that this book was written in the fifties. Sir Harold Acton clearly felt in keeping with the spirit of that age that this WAS royalty after all, so instead of the "comedy of manners" promised on the sleeve of this book, he keeps the description of the goings-on of these two as neutral and between-the-lines as possible, and of the Queens scandalous private life there is hardly a hint, apart from the acknowledgement that there was some foundation in Napoleon's opinion of her as a latter-day Messalina. On the other hand, no detail of daily politics during their 40-year reign is too insignificant to describe in detail. This probably is caused by the fact that another Acton, his great-grandfather, was the Queens most powerful minister and confidant during most of that period. Apparently with an attic full of family papers, sir Harold decided to make the most of what he had available; which has led to a 750-page book describing what could probably have been told in perfect relevant detail in half the space. It is nevertheless a compliment to his narrative powers that only occasionaly one feels the urge to fast-forward through a couple of chapters.

Apparently deciding that the book was bulky enough as it was, the publishers decided not to include any illustrations at all, The cover strangely enough only shows a portrait of the first Bourbon king of Naples, who is hardly more than a footnote in this book. We are left guessing what Ferdinand and Carolina, the subjects of 90% of the story, looked like. Since the author is described on the cover as "the famous aesthete", one can only suspect that this is because they were as ugly as sin; there are passages in the book to substantiate this.

All in all, this is good storytelling for those who are prepared to enjoy (or endure) the pace in which it was written. But one keeps wondering what a popular historian of this day and age might have made of the subject matter. In the meantime, the publishers should throw caution to the winds and add another 10 pages of potraits and other relevant illustrations to the contents of the next edition.