The Last Courts of Europe: A Family Album of Royalty at Home and Abroad,…

A really fascinating collection of photographs of European royalty, taken from the mid nineteenth century into the early twentieth. More than any other book, this gave an idea of how interconnected the families were: seeing the kings of Greece, Romania, English and Russian dukes, all seated around a breakfast table with their grandparents will do that to you. Photography was still in its early stages, so many of the children's faces are blurred from movement, and even those who stayed painstakingly still are often a bit fuzzy. But overall, this is a lovely collection, well-organized and researched. And even to those not interested in history, the men's mustaches and the women's ruffled dresses will provide hours of amusement.

On a purely superficial note, I must mention that some families bred much prettier rulers than others.
Most attractive: Russian royal family, Nassau family of Luxembourg

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Least attractive: Montenegro, the Netherlands

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This is a fascinating book, primarily photographic, that reveals the world of European royalty at the beginning of the twentieth century. These were the final, heady days of the bazillion descentants of Queen Victoria and Hapsburgs and others. Everyone was related to each other and all was glittering and beautiful. These pictures seem especially poignant or bitter knowing that World War I was just moments away. ( )