Monarchy

Children's Literature

Among the oldest forms of human governance, monarchy remains in place in a wide variety of nations. One need only think of the royal family of Great Britain to conjure up a modern version of the rule of kings and queens. But in the past, monarchy was once the prevailing style of rule in most human societies. Divine rights kings and queens in Europe, Chinese emperors, and the czars of Russia all were examples of the power that monarchs once wielded. Here, in Jennifer Fandel's illustrated chapter in the "Forms of Government" series youngsters are afforded a chance to learn more about the way in which monarchy rose and persists as a form of government. Throughout the text Fandel takes the time necessary to measure the humanitarian and totalitarian elements that monarchy has presented in various lands. This approach provides readers with a balanced and interesting look at one of the oldest forms of government. Reviewer: Greg M. Romaneck