{"product_id":"9781848584747","title":"Absolute Power: The Real Lives of Europe's Most Infamous Rulers","description":"Here, 75 succinct essays cover European royalty from the last king of Rome to Tsar Nicholas II. There is an enduring public interest in royalty and dictatorial rulers: this book covers all of them comprehensively. Far more than just sensational accounts, the book makes a genuine attempt to understand what drove them to their excesses. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn informal, readable style produces a strong turn-page effect. In our time, when European monarchies seem little more than tourist curiosities and democracy is taken for granted, it is easy to forget how much power pre-democratic rulers could once wield. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe rulers and holders of political power in this book fall into four categories: those villainized by propaganda; those with serious mental disorders; those simultaneously revered and reviled; and those who truly were the epitome of evil. 'Absolute Power' shows how they were all carried away by their exalted status or even overwhelmed by it, while a few were driven over the edge into madness.","brand":"Arcturus Publishing","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47137400324336,"sku":"9781848584747","price":1.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781848584747_p0.jpg?v=1763753746","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781848584747","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}