Bonnie Prince Charlie by Carolly Erickson
Book Review
Reviewed May 24, 2006
Another well-written Erickson biography, this one of the last of the Stuart Pretenders. Not having read much on ol’ Charlie before, I found this to be an excellent introduction, both to the man himself and to his situations and era. I’ve never been very interested in military strategy, but the sheer drama and frustration of the Scottish rebels’ sucesses and failures had me on the edge of my seat; when Charles decided to retreat instead of pushing on to London, I actually shrieked with frustration, and squeaked angrily for the rest of the doomed campaign. Watching the Young Pretender’s descent from regal wunderkind to pathetic, wife-beating drunkard was equally frustrating; at points, it was hard for me not to cringe as I turned each page, knowing that things were just going to get even worse for poor old Charlie and his allies. His story holds so many “if onlys” and Erickson does a fine job of balancing the glory of his youth with the follies of his old age— it’s not a forgiving portrait by any means, but it manages to be both honest and compassionate. A fascinating depiction of a would-be king and his troubled times, this is good reading for history fans in general and English/Scottish history buffs in particular.
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