George IV

"George IV was larger than life. A gambler and a drunkard, he married a widow older than himself, illegally and in secret, dabbled in the politics of opposition and amassed fantastic levels of debt. His legitimate union with Caroline of Brunswick ended in an acrimonious and lengthy divorce; all the while mistress followed mistress, each one seemingly fatter and greedier than the last. He was a gift to cartoonists, but had the misforturne to live during the golden age of their art. The merciless lampoons of Gillray and the Cruikshanks, drawn mainly from Kenneth Baker's unique collection, make many of today's cartoons seem almost respectful." "Kenneth Baker draws on a lifetime's experience of high politics to scrutinize the changing figure of George, setting his extraordinary life in the context of the French Revolution, the Napoleonic Wars and the Peterloo Massacre. Taking into acount all the major figures of the day - including Wellingtion, Pitt and Fox - Kenneth Baker provides an understanding of a colourful period of history and of its most colourful character."--BOOK JACKET.