Royal Pains: A Rogues' Gallery of Brats, Brutes, and Bad Seeds

The author of Notorious Royal Marriages presents some of history's boldest, baddest, and bawdiest royals.

The bad seeds on the family trees of the most powerful royal houses of Europe often became the most rotten of apples: über-violent autocrats Vlad the Impaler and Ivan the Terrible literally reigned in blood. Lettice Knollys strove to mimic the appearance of her cousin Elizabeth I and even stole her man. And Pauline Bonaparte scandalized her brother Napoleon by having a golden goblet fashioned in the shape of her breast.

Chock-full of shocking scenes, titillating tales, and wildly wicked nobles, Royal Pains is a rollicking compendium of the most infamous, capricious, and insatiable bluebloods of Europe.

Author: Leslie Carroll
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 03/01/2011
Pages: 416
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.68lbs
Size: 8.00h x 5.31w x 0.91d
ISBN: 9780451232212

Review Citation(s):
Booklist 02/15/2011 pg. 47
Publishers Weekly 03/21/2011
Kirkus Reviews 01/15/2011

About the Author
Leslie Carroll is the author of several works of historical nonfiction, women's fiction, and, under the pen names Juliet Grey and Amanda Elyot, a multipublished author of historical fiction. Her nonfiction titles include Royal Romances, Royal Pains, Royal Affairs, Notorious Royal Marriages, and Inglorious Royal Marriages. She is also a classically trained professional actress with numerous portrayals of virgins, vixens, and villainesses to her credit, and is an award-winning audio book narrator.

A frequent commentator on royal romances and relationships, Leslie has been interviewed by numerous publications, including MSNBC.com, USA Today, the Australian Broadcasting Company, and NPR, and she was a featured royalty historian on CBS nightly news in London during the royal wedding coverage of Prince William and Catherine Middleton. She has also appeared as an expert on the love lives of Queen Victoria, Marie Antoinette, Catherine the Great, and Napoleon on the television series "The Secret Life of..." for Canada's History Channel. Leslie and her husband, Scott, divide their time between New York City and Denver, Colorado.