Concentrating on his personal rather than political life, it’s a very intimate biography.
Digging into the man behind the crown.
He hero worshipped his older brother Henry, who died tragically young at the age of 18, and suddenly 12 year old Charles was left to lead the nation.
From that traumatic moment he had to take on the guise of his older brother and stifle his own personality.
This intimate portrait reveals a man of courage and charisma, who was very principled and dutiful, told through key events such as the start of the English Civil War which ultimately ended his beheading at the age of 24.
A very interesting read but a bit too scholarly for my personal tastes
Thanks @1642author, @penswordbooks & @netgalley for the eARC

Engaging, easy-to-read, and compassionate, this book offers a new look at the reign of Charles I. Often polarized as either martyr or tyrant, he emerges in this intimate biography as a complex man. Starting with his overlooked early years as a sickly second son, the book delves into Charles' character development, and challenges common myths about his supposed unwillingness to compromise. Drawing on fresh perspectives and unpublished letters, it portrays Charles as a principled yet politically flawed man whose lack of ruthlessness led to his downfall.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Okay, I’ll be honest. As much as I love reading about the kings and queens of Great Britain, I have a really hard time understanding everything that went down with during the Stuart reign. Which is why, when Netgalley and the publisher offered me this book, I thought I’d get a better handle on Charles I. I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I didn’t know much about Charles I’s early life, and this book has plenty about it. He was a sickly child and wasn’t well enough to step foot on English soil until he was 3. Eventually he got healthier but was always slight. He adored his big brother, the Prince of Wales, Henry, but sadly, Henry died at age 18, when Charles was 12, making him heir to the throne.

This book is chock full of information, but it’s delivered rather dryly, like a textbook, which made it hard to slog through. And maybe that’s the point: it’s a scholarly work, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would, although it was very detailed and exacting; too much information for someone like me who wanted Charles’ reign explained in a way that was digestible without having a history degree.

Do I have a better understanding of the events like the Great Remonstrance and the civil war? Yes. Do I have a better understanding of Charles and his French Catholic wife, Henrietta’s relationship and her influence on her husband, if any? Yes. Do I have an opinion on whether Charles was right or wrong? No. I’m not English, nor were my ancestors, so I’ve got no skin in the game, so to speak. I suppose that’s all I can ask for, although I do wish the book weren’t so scholarly and more conversational in nature.