Queen Victoria and the Bonapartes

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Queen Victoria and the Bonapartes
Theo Aronson
1972

The Summary
In his historical narrative, Theo Aronson illuminates the nuances of France and Great Britain's relationship during the nineteenth century and highlights the lengthy personal friendships between Queen Victoria and the Prince Consort, Albert, of Britain and Napoleon Bonaparte III and Empress Eugenie of France.

The Good
Aronson's narrative is wonderfully detailed and highly informative.  It provides an in-depth examination of the complicated political atmosphere of nineteenth century Europe and greatly simplifies the complex and often intricate relationships of European nations, during the age of Queen Victoria.

More importantly, however, Aronson's work does not appear nearly so dry or uninteresting as anticipated.  It reads more like a novel, presenting you with interesting facts, curious tidbits of detail, and drumming up interest in even the most mundane activities.

In short, Queen Victoria and the Bonapartes is both informative and manageable.

The Bad
By the same token, since Aronson provides a narrative that follows a similar mold to a "novel," his work can seem nearly too detailed.

Although the author substantiates his assertions with personal communications between the monarchs of England and France, journal entries from Queen Victoria, and verifiable historical details, he appears to offer personal insight into activities and motives which occurred more than a century beforehand.

While simultaneously informative and insightful, the book occasionally borders on being fictionalized.

The Ugly
It's a study sequestered to the aristocracy - a class of individuals who seem almost entirely unconcerned for the average human being - thus, if you prefer reading a novel of a grittier Charles Dickens-esque nature which brings social criticism of the Victorian Age to the forefront, I would definitely recommend a different book.

Additionally, I should mention that Aronson's work might prove difficult to locate.  Like many historical works, which run out of print, Queen Victoria and the Bonapartes may not be easy to find.  While available through select sources on the Internet, your best bet for finding this book may be at a rummage sale or a local library.