Reviews

A Gambling Man: Charles II's Restoration Game by Jenny Uglow

fourtriplezed's review against another edition

4.0

A very good read about the Restoration of Charles II to the throne of the 3 Kingdoms. After the austere and puritanical times of Cromwell the Restoration was a time of decadence in comparison. This book gives a good account of the changes with specific emphasis on the early part of Charles reign. Recommended.

tasmanian_bibliophile's review against another edition

4.0

‘For anyone interested in the relationship between the public and private self, there are few more intriguing characters than Charles II.’

On 25 May 1660, Charles II arrived at Dover, disembarking in front of cheering crowds. On his thirtieth birthday, 29 May 1660, he entered London. Charles had been invited home to England by parliament, thus beginning the ‘restoration’ of the monarchy after eleven years of republican rule. In this book, Jenny Uglow focuses on the first ten years of his reign, until the signing of the secret Treaty of Dover in 1670.

Initially, I found it disconcerting to consider only the first ten years of Charles II’s 25 year reign. Certainly, the first ten years saw a number of momentous events including the Plague in 1665 and the Great Fire of London in 1666 which led to the substantial rebuilding of the city of London. Charles was also a patron of science: the Royal Society was founded in November 1660. On the foreign policy front, England was at war with the Dutch (the Second Anglo-Dutch War) between 1665 and 1667. This war ended in a Dutch victory and also, some years later, in Charles’s secret treaty with Louis XIV of France. Charles undertook to support the French against the Dutch in return for which he received subsidies from France, thereby providing some room in his relationship with parliament. Charles also undertook to convert to Catholicism at a time of his choosing. More broadly, Charles’s reign saw the rise of colonisation and trade in India, the East Indies and America – New York was captured from the Dutch in 1664.

But was he a gambling man? Certainly the stakes were high, especially when his reign is compared with that of his father (Charles I was beheaded in 1649) and his brother (James II was overthrown in the Glorious Revolution in 1688). But Charles was not reckless. He calculated some risks, and was pragmatic in most situations. While much of his private life was public, his ability to play to an audience was unparalleled.

I enjoyed this book, and while I don’t fully accept the image of Charles II as a gambling man, I came to like the image of his first decade bracketed by his triumphal public entry into London, and his secret treaty with France. I see Charles as a pragmatic survivor, rather than as a gambler. Regardless of whether a reader accepts Ms Uglow’s ‘gambling man’ principle, this book is well worth reading.

‘There is all the reason in the world to join profit with honour, when it may be done honestly.’

Jennifer Cameron-Smith

collegecate's review against another edition

3.0

interesting read about a period I know little about. merged nicely with the least royal rebel

mblanton174's review against another edition

5.0

I have been wanting to read this for ages, and it did not disappoint. This may be cliché, but Uglow truly does drag the Restoration period back to life, and the ten years she describes of Charles II's reign feel just as vivid as any novel (or really any tabloid). It's an oddly timely book as well, even if was written over ten years ago. Division, corruption, decadence, authoritarian figures in power - it all feels a bit too familiar.

poirotketchup's review against another edition

4.0

An up-close look at all elements of Charles's first 10 years on the throne, from the political to the (very) personal.

I enjoyed the use of lines from Restoration poetry and plays, and illustrations from contemporary playing cards, all used to re-create the largely overlooked time period.

But, Uglow's writing was often difficult to follow in this book. Especially with the frequent name changes, it was tough to remember who was who, and Uglow didn't provide many hints to jog the reader's memory. For example, it can be tough to remember exactly which Duke Monmouth is when we haven't heard about him for 10 chapters. A small reminder that he was the king's son would have cleared up quite a bit of confusion for me.

jmeston's review against another edition

Wandered off and won't be back for now. I skipped through about the first third of this. The start was rocky because I don't remember much about the Charles I era and the names and places and events were flying at me. The author clearly thinks she has a handle on Charles II's personality. Some of that came through and it was very interesting contemplating the Restoration which was less bloody than you might expect. The new king's early morning tennis playing was new to me. I may need a more stripped down book examining one aspect of the period. English historians of this time are so spoiled for choice with the letter writing.

lnatal's review

3.0

After The Great Fire of London in 1666, rebuilding work began with a vengeance. But elsewhere, all is not well and Charles is about to take the biggest gamble of his life.

Written by Jenny Uglow
Read by Michael Maloney
Abridged by Libby Spurrier

Producer: Joanna Green
A Pier production for BBC Radio 4.