George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I Audiobook

" Enjoyed this book very much. Like most biographies, and more than some, it was difficult to keep remembering the myriad people and relatives that kept popping up. This was especially difficult as they seemed all to Queen Victoria's grandchildren. It was an great insight into the royal houses that ruled Europe prior to WW1, and how they got us into WW1. Well wroth reading. "

" Pretty entertaining for a relatively scholarly history book. Goes deep into the stupidity and family bickering that lead to World War I, yet World War I's reasons were so complex (and stupid!) that it's still kind of hard to understand. Weird colonialist shit. Anyway, Wihlem II was a total dick, European ruling families are super weird, and this book is worth your time. "

" I read King Kaiser Tsar first.....(by a different author) because it was available at the library first. I'm glad fate intervened...that book gave a more indepth background on the families and was more centered on the 3 cousins as people. This book had more information on European politics. Having a basis in the familial relationships and some of the foibles of each and how they either did or didn't get along with other family members made this book much easier to read than if I had read it first, I think. Again, these books just show how much I DIDN'T know about European history. World War I was just a warm up to World War II....Regardless of what ruler did what, I still think both wars would have happened. "

" 4.5 stars. G,N,&W was a fantastic book about not just the lives of these three "leaders," but the political climate of Europe at the end of the 19th/beginning of the 20th and how their megalomania influenced it all. This is one of my favorite time periods, and I was so eager to learn more about Victoria's progeny. It slogged a bit after the Boer War and before Edward's death, but it was a wonderful read all around. A great book. "

" An engaging look at three royal cousins in the period leading up to World War I. My big quibble is that the George of the title--George V--seems to be a lesser figure compared to Kaiser Wilhelm and Nicholas II. George seems a bit shoe-horned into the narrative. Still, an engaging, very readable work of nonfiction! "

" Interesting book about the crowned heads of England, Russia and Germany (all cousins) and the actions that led to World War I. "

" Simply superb. On both the macro and micro levels it is perceptive, fluid and gripping history writing. A must read for anyone wanting to understand the 1WW. "

" Really enjoyed it. The first 1/3 was a bit slow at times, but it really picked up as you got to know the characters better. Loved this perspective of seeing WWI through personalities. Also learned a lot about the war. "

" very interesting and insightful. I like the idea of contrasting the 3 reigning monarchs and cousins. Very well researched "

" A long, somewhat difficult read, but well worth it. I think I actually learned some history for once! "

" While Carter focuses on the lives of the three cousins and their extended families, she also presents a clear and detailed account of foreign relations in Europe in the 50 years leading up to World War I. Compelling in every way. "

" Great insights into the way "royals" were raised and educated (not very well.)Fishing this book made me want to immediately begin Tuchman's Guns of August. "

" This was so fascinating I offer had trouble sleeping after Id read it. Shows the distruction of Europe through the actions and personalities of these deeply flawed monarchs and individuals "

" This book was borderline five stars. It was really in depth and it was obvious the author read as much as she could, letters, diaries, etc. I may rethink my rating after reading King, Kaiser, Tsar. "

" The author makes these men come alive. The tragedy of WWI is readily understood by the author's clear, and at times, humorous writing. "

" This book is about the highly disfunctional monarchy in the 1800s. The book is long and began to get tedious to me so I didn't finish it. "

" A very interesting read and highly entertaining too. But there are some errors in it, like saying that Empress Elizabeth of Austria was the sister of King Ludwig of Bavaria (they were cousins once removed), which makes you wonder about some of the other facts. "

" The best part of this book was the epilogue. There was far more detail on the lives of royals peripheral to the 3 monarchs than interested me and too many royals named "George" (you need a program). Nevertheless, the history of the period has always fascinated me. "

" They were uneducated, petty men who led their countries into WW I. Otherwise untalented they all shared an aristocrat's love of "sport" shooting animals and killed many thousands a year. Karma-wise this could explain the huge carnage of the war they couldn't prevent. "

" I liked Guns of August so much that I jumped into this one about these crazy royal monarchs. What an isolated bunch of weirdos entirely out of touch with the world! Between the two books, they have filled in everything I never knew about WW1 and what led up to it. "

" The author makes these men come alive. The tragedy of WWI is readily understood by the author's clear, and at times, humorous writing. "

" There was a little too much serious history in this book. I had previously read a more gossipy book about these three. "

" A very thorough look at a very tragic, ridiculous, stiff, outrageous set of family bonds, with the late 19th/early 20th centuries providing the most volatile of backdrops. This is history that deserves to be a biblical length. "

" Probably the smartest book I read in 2010. Not that I think it's really possible for me to comprehend why WW! started, but this helped me understand more of the personalities involved with the 40 years prior to the conflict. "

" I liked the first 2/3 a great deal, but the last 1/3 was too dry and dense with facts. "

" Excellent writing of the three cousins and the march to World War I. "

" Great insights into the way "royals" were raised and educated (not very well.)Fishing this book made me want to immediately begin Tuchman's Guns of August. "

" An excellent read. Very compelling. Lots of material I hadn't read before. It certainly makes you understand these Kings more and also feel a little sorry for them. "

" THis is taking me awhile as I have been reading several other books in between, But I love history, particularly this period and this is well written, tight and complicated but not impossible for a ordinary person to read and digest. extensively researched and insightful... "