I actually really enjoyed this book. It was very readable history, which can sometimes be hard to come by. Mr. Trease has done some excellent digging and research. He put it together in such a way that anyone with an interest in English or royal history would be able to pick it up. 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

**I received a copy from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review**

Like Trease’s previous history I read, Seven Kings of England is broken up into seven short, detailed biographies of the lives of some of Britain’s most captivating kings: the ‘Shepherd of the English’, Alfred the Great (871-899); the self-made, William the Conqueror (1066-1087); the crusader, Richard the Lionheart (1189-1199); the ‘Rose of Rouen’, Edward IV (1461-1483); the sad cavalier, Charles I (1625-1649); the restored, Charles II (1660-1685) and the Dutch general, William III (1689-1702). Before reading this, I knew about all these kings, however it was interesting to read more about them. Particularly about the events leading up to their reigns, as most of them had unconventional routes to kingship.

Again this is an expansive history, that spans the monarchy from Alfred the Great in the ninth century to the co-rule of Anne and William III in the seventeenth century. Covering many of the monarchy’s and the country’s ups and downs: from Viking attacks; the Norman invasion; the ‘War of the Roses’; to the English civil war; the execution of Charles I; the Reformation and the ‘Bloodless Revolution’. Phew! You could never say this history was boring! But while I still found this very interesting, I sadly didn’t quite find it as fascinating as my previous read, Seven Stages. And that is simply down to the fact that this didn’t teach me as many new things.

However I was still extremely impressed with the quality of Trease’s content, research, detail and clear layout. And, as before, I think Trease has got the balance just right between the academic detail and the easy readable style and language – again, if I hadn’t already known it was published back in 1955, I could have easily believed this was published only this year! On finishing this book, I realised it was written as a companion to Trease’s earlier history, Seven Queens of England. Sadly, I don’t have a copy of this but I do have his Seven Sovereign Queens lined up on my Kindle to read.

Overall, I thought Seven Kings of England was a really interesting history of the English monarchy, which I devoured in only a few sittings.

I really enjoyed this book. I love anything to do with the great Kings of England and this book did not disappoint. Very well researched and will definitely buy when it comes out on print.

This is a very readable book that is a wonderful introduction to some of England's great kings. This book will definitely appeal to my students, and will likely get some of my students more interested in learning more about England and its rulers.

This book was a solid beginners read on English history. Sadly I have been an avid reader of history for a while, so there was nothing new for me in this book and didn't hold my attention.

I do recommend it to anyone who is wanting a brief intro to seven of England's famous kings and want to find a favorite to do a deeper dive on.

Geoffrey Trease's seven kings gives the reader an informative insight into the life's and times seven of England's Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror, Richard I, Edward IV, Charles I, Charles II and William III. Myself found the book enjoyable and easy to follow recommend it to other readers and history lover
On a side note when reading Seven kings of England you have to take into account the book was originally released in 1955 and the authors style of writing maybe different what some people are used to.

Princess Fuzzypants here:
This book was published originally in 1955 but it is still interesting reading. It looks at the lives of seven kings of England starting with Alfred and ending with William III. Arguments can be made as to whether his choices represent the most important kings but there is no denying they were some of the most fascinating ones. Each one, in his own way, was there when England went through some major shifts, politically and socially. Some were at the forefront of change while others were impacted by the change and adapted.
Each story is told in an easy to follow narrative. It is not weighed down by tons of footnotes or long scholarly expositions. In fact, I would call this history for the masses. It can be read in one fell swoop or it could be done in bite sized chunks. What makes it even better, the stories are told without bias or agenda. It allows the characters to appear more human and natural.
I give this four purrs and two paws up.

would recommend very interesting and something I would purchase

History has always been a bit of a struggle for me. I have always found it very dry and difficult to follow. The same basic things are used for every historical event - a name, a date, a battle name. It's all so bland that it really ends up blurring together and I've always struggled to differentiate one thing from another. And this from a person who considers history to be very important to every culture and to the world. We have to know where we come from in order to build and grow and avoid the pitfalls those before us fell into.

What I really loved about Seven Kings of England is how approachable everything felt. The language was easy-flowing, much like a conversation. It never felt dry or forced, which I really appreciated. As soon as I finished this book, I actually started reading it again - aloud, to my children. My son especially loves it!

This book goes farther back and reminds you that there was life before the Tudor dynasty. The details were wonderful and kept me interested

A very readable account of seven English kings. I enjoyed it immensely and it was written in a way that flowed easily that was not too dry. It was interesting to read about their lives before they became kings and gave an interesting perspective on their motivations and reasoning. It was written in a witty and engaging way. I am going to read the Seven English Queens which I am sure will be just as engaging.

Seven Kings of England is a wonderful book because it gives you a glimpse of the lives of these 7 kings. Geoffrey Trease writes as if he is telling a story instead of real life events. I truly could not put the book down.
The only downside is that the book was written almost 30 years ago and now being republished so aspects are not up to date. Putting that aside, I throughly enjoyed the book.

I like non-fiction history books that are broken up into snippets that focus on different historical figures. I also like non-fiction that reads practically like a novel. I also like books with nice covers.

Well, two out of three isn't bad, and clearly it's the nice cover that Seven Kings of England lacks. I almost didn't download this from Netgally but then I saw that little "read now" button and for some reason the fact that I didn't need to wait was the final push I needed to commit to an impulse read.

I'm glad I did. His writing style was easy, enjoyable, and fun. Each section focuses on a different king, and they seemed to be chosen randomly based on the author's liking of them. The focus of each section was also random, though the flavor of each king's life was generally communicated with a linear narrative that highlighted selected facets of their lives. Nothing is super in depth, but it was all pleasant to read. There really wasn't a section I didn't enjoy.

I'm mentally adding Geoffrey Trease to my small but beloved group of historical non-fiction authors who I enjoy reading just as much as fiction (joining Thomas B. Costain, Robert Lacey, Carolyn Weber, and Dan Jones). He has a book about queens (or two books? It's not clear if it's a re-issue of the same book or two separate books) that I wish was available, though as of now I can't locate a copy.

Many people gain a lifetime love and appreciation of history from historians and authors that they first encountered in their formative school years. For me it was the works of E.P Thompson and A.J. P Taylor but others I'm sure would have been inspired to explore this subject through the prolific works of Geoffrey Trease (1909-1998) who was responsible for over a hundred published works. Mainly remembered as the author of children's historical fiction he also wrote factual works for which this book provides an accompaniment to his previous history, "The Seven Queens of England".

"The Seven kings of England" was first published in 1955 and his prose is readable and pacey avoiding modern idioms as he takes us elegantly through the great tales that shaped and defined our history. The seven kings we learn about are Alfred the Great, William the Conqueror, Richard I, (the Lion Heart), Edward IV, Charles I, Charles II and William III (William of Orange). Between each biography there is a concise brief history of the intervening years. Although not a trained historian (Trease left Oxford University after a year) he took great pains and prided himself on the historical accuracy that would be found in his historical fiction that ranged from Ancient Greece to his present time of writing.

Despite the concise nature of the biographies they are rich in content and may lead the reader to explore incidents and periods in more depth. For instance there is a newly published book concerning King Charles II's great escape following the Battle of Worcester in 1651 and his hiding in a tree in Boscobel Wood which Trease narrates here. One joy of the book is how close you feel to the action taking place.

This therefore is not only a wonderful introduction to a large slice of English history but a fascinating insight of how history was written sixty years ago and the differences we see today. If you like history I would strongly recommend this.