The King's Love – Frederick the Great his Gentle Dogs and Other Passions

An intimate insightful biography of Frederick the Great written by two members of the former ruling royal family, Sibylle Princess and Frederick William Prince of Prussia. Deemphasizing the King's political and military achievements while highlighting his personal relationships, interests, moods and even quirks, this book gives us Frederick II as full-blooded, highly sensitive and compassionate person rather than as Olympian monarch. His tortured relationship with his martinet father, the "Soldier King"; his extraordinary devotion to his dogs, his deep feelings for his elder sister Wilhelmine or for Count Rothenburg; his passion for reading and for the ideals of Enlightenment philosophy as guiding forces in government; the seemingly ceaseless tide of grief he had to endureover the rapid succession of deaths of those closest to him; even his less than fastidious table manners in cutting up bits of meat on the tablecloth for his nearby dogs - these and many other facets of a charismatic personality make this a volume that is for history buffs virtually "unputdownable".

With illustrations.

Excerpt from the book

"You'll find it odd that an old man like me could lose his heart to a little dog. Forfourteen years Thisbe was my constant companion; she was loyal to me like thatqueen of Babylon whose name I gave her. Perhaps she was enchanted! On manyan occasion I believed it! Whenever I couldn't sleep at night, she would lie next tome and look at me quite curiously – like a good soul!"

– Frederick the Great in the year 1783 on the death of his beloved Italian greyhound Thisbe

Further Information

Author Sibylle Prinzessin von Preußen, Friedrich Wilhelm Prinz von Preußen

Reading Sample

VLB-TIX

Royal Dog Letters - Elizabeth Jane Timms