'Highly readable, with brilliantly rendered characters, and thrilling tales of deceit and espionage. Seward writes of the Jacobites from a sympathetic point of view. Yet he does not shy away from the fact that, the Jacobites were never seriously in with a chance of restoring their rule'
-- Calum Henderson * Military History Monthly *
''Those with an interest in such matters will be delighted to read historian Desmond Seward's new book. It sets theStuarts' story in context - chronologically, constitutionally, politically, religiously and regionally'
* Lancashire Post *
'Seward demonstrates that the Jacobites were a multi-faceted and multinational bunch, united by a common vision of an alternative future. Swift and cinematic, with neatly sketched character portraits'
* Financial Times *
'Seward's detailed descriptions of the Princes, Princesses, Kings and Queens create a sense of theatre and allow the reader to fully immerse themselves into the dramatic events of the period ... an engaging and easy read, perfect for emerging history buffs. 4.5/5 stars.'
* Scottish Field *
'An outstanding contribution to our understanding of a complex and extended passage of history. So much about the Jacobites has tended to focus on just one or two brief episodes taken from what was, in reality, a very long-running soap opera
Seward's style is approachable and eminently readable, leading you through the many twists and turns. Deserves to be widely read'
* Undiscovered Scotland *
'Seward offers a fresh look at the struggle to restore the Stuart monarch after the Glorious Revolution in 1688. A bracingly revisionist history'
* Telegraph *
'Seward's clear-sighted examination of the Jacobite movement shows how close it came to succeeding'
-- Allan Massie * Scotsman *
'Seward's best work, persuasive and consistently employing a briskness in pace, a clarity of style and a genius for capturing the character of those long dead, long-forgotten and, perhaps, never remembered ... a rollickingly, splendidly chronological history'
* Herald *
'A hugely detailed and complex history, woven into an engaging and revealing guide to what deserves to be told about the Jacobites'
* Edinburgh University Club of Toronto *
'Desmond Seward is a prolific author of an impressively broad range of popular histories. Since we are not overburdened by popular histories on Jacobitism, this lively book is a welcome addition'
* BBC History Magazine *
