John E. Morby Knihy

This new reference is a comprehensive guide to the major monarchies of the world from ancient Egypt to the present day. The main text consists of clearly designed chronological tables, in broad geographical groupings, setting out monarchs' names and years of rule, other titles, lineages, andauthentic sobriquets; the book also includes information on abdications, depositions, interregna, regencies, and co-regencies. Supporting notes discuss chronological problems and sources, calendars and dating systems, margins of error, sources and further reading. The result of copious research inmany languages and contributions from numerous scholars, this book is the most accurate, reliable, and up-to-date work of its kind available, invaluable for scholars, students, librarians, and interested general readers.

John E. Morby's book is a brief (254 pages) introduction to the royal dynasties of the world, past and present, presented geographically, in tabluar format. Not only does it include the major ruling houses (e.g., England), it also gives information on the minor ones (e.g. Wuerttemburg, Brunswick, etc.). While the non-European dynasties are covered less comprehensively (the individual Emirs of the United Arab Emirates, for example, are omitted), on the whole this is an excellent resource for historians, researchers, members of the media, or anyone who'd like a quick rundown of names, places, and dates. Even the Aztecs and Incas have coverage here! One hopes that this book will be available once again, or better still an even more comprehensive replacement! Mark A. Trauernicht