George, Nicholas and Wilhelm

Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I

By: Miranda Carter

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

In the years before the First World War, the great European powers were ruled by three first cousins: King George V of Britain, Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and Tsar Nicholas II of Russia. Together, they presided over the last years of dynastic Europe and the outbreak of the most destructive war the world had ever seen, a war that set twentieth-century Europe on course to be the most violent continent in the history of the world.

Miranda Carter uses the cousins’ correspondence and a host of historical sources to tell the tragicomic story of a tiny, glittering, solipsistic world that was often preposterously out of kilter with its times, struggling to stay in command of politics and world events as history overtook it. George, Nicholas and Wilhelm is a brilliant and sometimes darkly hilarious portrait of these men—damaged, egotistical Wilhelm; quiet, stubborn Nicholas; and anxious, dutiful George—and their lives, foibles and obsessions, from tantrums to uniforms to stamp collecting. It is also alive with fresh, subtle portraits of other familiar figures: Queen Victoria—grandmother to two of them, grandmother-in-law to the third—whose conservatism and bullying obsession with family left a dangerous legacy; and Edward VII, the playboy “arch-vulgarian” who turned out to have a remarkable gift for international relations and the theatrics of mass politics. At the same time, Carter weaves through their stories a riveting account of the events that led to World War I, showing how the personal and the political interacted, sometimes to devastating effect.

For all three men the war would be a disaster that destroyed forever the illusion of their close family relationships, with any sense of peace and harmony shattered in a final coda of murder, betrayal and abdication.

Critic reviews

Praise for Miranda Carter's George, Nicholas, and Wilhelm:


“Miranda Carter has written an engrossing and important book. While keeping her focus on the three cousins and their extended families, she skillfully interweaves and summarizes all important elements of how the war came about…Carter has given us an original book, highly recommended.” ---The Dallas Morning News


"Masterfully crafted. . . Carter has presented one of the most cohesive explorations of the dying days of European royalty and the coming of political modernity. . . Carter has delivered another gem." --Bookpage

"Ms. Carter writes incisively about the overlapping events that led to the Great War and changed the world. . . George, Nicholas, and Wilhelm is an impressive book. Ms. Carter has clearly not bitten off more than she can chew for she -- as John Updike once wrote of Gunter Grass -- 'chews it enthusiastically before our eyes.'" --The New York Times

"An irresistably entertaining and illuminating chronicle . . . Readers with fond memories of Robert Massie and Barbara Tuchman can expect similar pleasures in this witty, shrewd examination of the twilight of the great European monarchies." —Publishers Weekly

"A wonderfully fresh and beautifully choreographed work of history." —Craig Brown, Mail on Sunday

"A hauntingly tempting proposition for a book . . . The parallel, interrelated lives of Kaiser Wilhelm II, George V, and Nicholas II are . . . a prism though which to tell the march to the first World War, the creation of the modern industrial world and the follies of hereditary courts and the eccentricities of their royal trans-European cousinhood . . . An entertaining and accessible study of power and personality." —Simon Sebag Montefiore, Financial Times

"Carter draws masterful portraits of her subjects and tells the complicated story of Europe’s failing international relations well . . . A highly readable and well-documented account." —Margaret MacMillan, The Spectator

“I couldn’t put this book down. The whole thing really lives and breathes – and it’s very funny. That these three absurd men could ever have held the fate of Europe in their hands is a fact as hilarious as it is terrifying.” – Zadie Smith

"[An] enterprising history of imperial vicissitudes and royal reversals." --The New York Times Book Review

Educational Read!

Enlightening Book! Enjoyed learning how this Royal Family functioned. I think the author did a very good job! Thank You!

GREAT

Would you consider the audio edition of George, Nicholas and Wilhelm to be better than the print version?

This is one of the best books I have ever listened to. The story is great - telling how the alliances that led up to the Great War shaped up in the 50 years preceding the war - it is the very best book I have ever read on the beginnings of the war. The story of the three cousins and their respective countries and families is so interesting and without any national bias that I really want to own the book. The narration is also a very pleasant listen. 5 Stars!

Who was your favorite character and why?

Nicholas , because of his tragedy and the contrary traits in his own character.

Excellent

The details are informative. What might sound like gossip to the lay reader is actually a brutal expose of petty dynastic squabbles that led to millions being killed. One extended family probably killed more than the Roman Empire managed in a thousand years of war. Hats of to the author. The reader's voice and tone matched the written words perfectly.

Puts me right to sleep

This is my go to sleep book and I still enjoy every minute. Also narration has charming voices. Wilhelm especially with the miracle of mustache wax.

A Compelling Story that Inspires Further Research

Whilst this is a fascinating story, and one worth knowing, the author does tend to spend too much time on the backstory of the three rulers and not enough time on their direct actions. Perhaps this is an unfair criticism that stems from the title. Perhaps this should have included official recognition of Queen Victoria and King Edward VII. Well researched, it is worth a listen.