With an original retail price of 95p this 1974 paperback book is in marvellous condition for its age with no tears or pages missing. Pretty much an immaculate copy which has a back cover blurb that reads...
'The story of the end of the great European dynasties by John Elliot. Fall of Eagles ia a 13-part BBC television series about the delcining eyars and final collapse in 1918 of the three great ruling houses of Austria, Russia and Germany, and in particular of the three emperors who were the dominant rulers of Europe during that time - Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary, Nicholas II of Russia, and Wilhelm II of Germany.
This accompanying book is in itself an introduction to the history of Europe from the middle of the nineteenth century to the end of the First World War. The central characters are of course the three emperors, but many other figures are brought alive by John Elliot as he traces the tempestuous events that led to inevitable downfall; Queen Victoria, her eldest daughter Vicky and ehr husband Frederick of Prussia, Edward VII, Bismarck, the Empresses Elizabeth of Austria and Alexandra of Russia, Rasputin, Lenin, and many more.
John Elliot created the television series, Fall of Eagles. He is the author of many television plays and documentaries and also created several other television series, including War in the Air and The Troubleshooters. The book is fully illustrated, and there is a map, genealogical trees, a chronology and a bibliography.
The contents gives a chapter breakdown which goes as follows...
Preface 5
Map 7
1 Franz Josef 9
2 The English Marriage 27
3 Our Beautiful Providence 47
4 A Change of Empires 57
5 The Three Kaisers 71
6 Revolutionaries and Rudolf 87
7 Nicky and Alix 97
8 Fellow Travellers 113
9 The Years of Blood 125
10 Uncle Bertie and the Bear 137
11 The Great Conflict 151
12 'Tell the King the Sky is Falling' 163
13 Revolution 183
14 All Fall Down 199
Epilogue 210
Family Trees 214
Chronology 216
Notes 220
Bibliography 222
Obviously having only just discovered this title I've not had chance to read it but I'm sure that it will prove invaluable if further strengthening my enjoyment of this marvellous quality BBC 1974 series which has sadly never received a repeat broadcast since its initial transmission.
