Historical Characters, Including Frederick the Great, Discussion Post 45

[cahn]

Unfortunately, there was then at Berlin a King who pursued one policy only, who deceived his enemies, but not his servants, and who lied without scruple, but never without necessity.

(from The King's Secret - by Duke de Broglie, grand-nephew of the subject of the book, Comte de Broglie, and grandfather of the physicist) )

Comments

Re: Königsmark, by A E W Mason

[mildred_of_midgard]

given my osmosis from salon

Lol! Yay salon. (I also had never heard of these people before selenak told me about them.)

Bernstorff (who is in general portrayed as scheming and out for his own gain, and in secret correspondence with Hanover)

Just to clarify, this is not the Danish Bernstorff whom Stefan Hartmann fanboys as Fritz's only equal among statesmen. The Bernstorff clan was politically active in Hanover and Denmark, and contained several prominent members from at least the late seventeenth to the twentieth century. This would be Andreas Gottlob, who shows up in Whitworth's bio a lot (usually by making Whitworth's negotiations with FW more difficult).

The Bernstorff who worked alongside Moltke under Frederik V and Christian VII was this Bernstorff's grandson, Johann Hartwig Ernst.

We next see Philip in England, where he has a passionate and slashy friendship with a fellow student called Anthony Craston. Don't know if he's made-up.

Seems to be? I only get hits from this book when I do a quick search. But you never know!

There's a moment where I thought Philip was going to be bricked up alive behind a fireplace!

Wow, Cask of Amontillado-style!

I do find the portrayal of Clara a little misogynistic--there's a bit too much about how she's like an aging witch who has to use thick makeup.

Not surprising, in 1938. I wouldn't even be surprised to find that in a book written today.

Interesting write-up, thank you!