It's a collection of twenty-five rules known as "great" or "terrible." Each thumbnail biography includes a watercolor artist's rendition, basic facts about when they lived and ruled, a few pieces of historical context about their reign and a quick overview of what made them memorable as a ruler. The descriptions are light-hearted and include lots of jokes, even when dealing with tragic subjects. Back matter includes a glossary, index, and brief list of some additional rulers.
I was pleased to see a large number of female and non-Western rulers included, as well as accomplishments and inventions from non-Western countries. On the other hand, there's little to no recognition of the devastating effects of Western exploration and colonization. Some leaders, especially Western ones, seem like odd choices to include - why Wenceslas (who wasn't actually a king) and not Mansa Musa? There's a very brief and confusing entry on Attila the Hun but nothing on Genghis Khan. Catherine de' Medici had little to no actual royal power - why not Isabella of Castile or Boudicca? Of course, one can always second-guess the choices in a compilation like this and overall I would say it's a good start but did not go far enough.
For a genuinely funny and information collection about royalty check out Beccia's Raucous Royals; for more accurate representation of historical figures that include women and non-Western figures look for Shirin Yim Bridges' The Thinking Girl's Treasure of Real Princesses. However, if you have kids who have read and enjoyed the previous titles, especially Beccia's work, this is a fun addition to your "weird historical facts and figures" collection with more diversity than is usually seen in these books.
Verdict: An additional purchase, but a fun one!
ISBN: 9780762496617; Published 2020 by Running Press; Borrowed from another library in my consortium; Purchased for the library
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