Bonnie Prince Charlie

Charles Edward Stewart, Charles III or just Bonnie Prince Charlie was the son James II King of Great Britain and Ireland who was deposed in the 1868 Revolution. Charles Edward was born in Italy where James was living in exile. The Stewarts were catholic rulers while the George II the Hanover king that replaced them were Protestants. George III was the Hanover king that lost the American colonies in 1776.After the 1868 Revolution there was still a great deal of support among the clans for the Stewart cause. Charles Edward raised the money for an expedition to Scotland and was able raise an army. The French were very long on promises and short on delivery. Still the army had great victories at first came very close to taking London. Charles made plans to flee back to the Electorate of Hanover.According to this book lack of discipline caused the army to turn back at London, the clan chiefs did not know they had enough numbers to take London and did not want to leave Scotland in the first place.Read on to find all of the things that turned the tide against Charles at the battle of Culloden.After Culloden Charles fled back to France and Italy where he lived out his life and was able to produce an heir to the Stewart throne.The English took a terrible toll on Scotland for the rebellion and much has been written about this period including Kidnapped and Rob Roy McGregor (the movie).The book gives a very good, complete understanding of all of the above events.

Mr. McLaren weaves a fine tale about the "Young Pretender" Charles Edward Stuart a.k.a. Bonnie Prince Charlie. This books starts with his coming of age in Rome and his father's (the "Old Pretender") early failure to regain the throne for the Stuart Dynasty and his settling into a comfortable court in exile. This biography gives good insight into his reasoning and struggles with the Scottish army through out the campaign of the "Forty-Five" Jacobite rebellion and subsequent defeat at Culloden. The story does not end there. We follow Prince Charles through his 3-month journey through Scotland and escape back to the continent. His trials to continue the Jacobite cause and eventual settling down into a court of exile like his father. A good story told from a more Jacobite view, but nice to see that some attention is paid to his life after Culloden.