George III is often portrayed as a foolish and mentally ill. In fact, he started off as a pretty proficient monarch. This book featured newly released items from the Windsor archives, which helped substantiate some of his actions throughout his life. He thwarted Charles James Fox, who viewed George III as an tyrant on the rise, and even supported the American colonists. George III was involved in several military conflicts, and his reasoning and actions that were outlined in the book were really quite interesting. I was most interested in his physical and mental health and how those things affected his decision making and communications with people. This book was really long, especially to listen to on Audible, but it was well worth it for the amount of information and a more in depth image of this utterly vilified individual.

As an American, I had a specific impression of George III. I learned when I got into college that the history I had learned in school was extremely white washed and really fit a specific narrative. I am not a United States history major, so I have been guilty of not reading and researching quite as much about this place as I probably should. I have, in recent years, attempted to get more interested in United States History and purchase more books about various topics. This was a good one to read. It really took away some misconceptions about the overall rule of George III. 

 This book is absolutely horrifying. As a history major who has a specialization in World War II, I have read a lot of books similar to this. There were so many survivors of these horrible acts that came forward in the post war years to tell their experiences. This man went through so many horrible things, I can hardly even wrap my mind around it. The brutality of the human race should not shock me at this point, but it does. These events happened many years ago, way before my parents were even born, yet these wounds still seem so fresh. In the news today, Jewish people are facing racial attacks. Russia is bombing Holocaust memorial site of Babi Yar. It's truly disgusting. This book took about three hours to listen to and is included with the Audible Plus membership. I would recommend giving it a read/listen. 

 The eleventh book in the series picks up right where we left off in Black Notice, thankfully. Black Notice ended in a way that left me disappointed, and I am glad we continued with some of the resolutions that were lacking in that book. In this installment, Scarpetta has to leave her home, which is now the crime scene in her attempted murder. She continues to investigate the Chandonne family, which were the main interests in the previous book. Kay is also being framed for murder and is attempting to clear her name, get to the bottom of the Chandonne mystery, and find out what the deal is behind the death of Benton, her secret lover (which was not so secret). We learn a lot about the secrets Kay has in her past. 

 This was a great book. Lacz played himself in the movie American Sniper, which I did not know until reading this book. It had some interesting stories in it about Chris Kyle and the other seals that Lacz served with. Ramadi was always in the news my senior year of high school, and then I had friends leave immediately after graduation to head into places just like this. It was a scary time, and I cannot imagine living through it in person. I was particularly moved by the members of his team that were injured and lost their lives. I appreciated this account, and would recommend. 

 This book was about Ron Previte, a corrupt cop turned into a brutal capo level gangster in the Philadelphia crime syndicate. He had his hand in many illicit activities, up to and including prostitution and gambling. He wound up turning informant for the federal government, giving them inside information about the Philadelphia crime syndicate. This was a good read, but I do enjoy most Mafia related material. 

 Alexandra Feodorovna, also known as Alix of Hesse, was the granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. She is most well known for being the wife of Czar Nicholas II, a mother (and carrier) of a child with hemophilia. Alexandra was very religious, though she did fall into the trap of mysticism that Rasputin offered. There has been a lot of debate about how much political sway that Rasputin had over Alexandra, and how much sway she had over her husband. This book really take a deep look into her childhood, which gives evidence of why her personality and behavior was what it was. It also examines her relationship with Rasputin and with Nicholas II. Of particular interest to me, the book discussed her dramatic decline in popularity and the reasons for that.

I have often though that Alexandra was misunderstood in several ways. I think that her stuffy personality did not do her any favors when she moved into a culture that was quite different than what she was raised in. I do not claim to be a religious expert, but I do believe that some of the information put forth about the Russian Orthodox religion was incorrect, or could have been expounded on. I think religious indoctrination played a large part in her life and how people viewed her. Overall, I thought this book was really valuable for the deeper look into her childhood and her correspondence. If you are interested in the Russian royals, this might be a good one to add to your collection. 

 Maximillian I was was an Austrian Archduke and the brother of Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria. Maximillian was convinced to go to Mexico and become Emperor to legitimize French intervention by Napoleon III. Maximillian was meant to create a pro-French monarchy. He reigned from April 10, 1864 to June 19, 1867. He was married to Empress Carlota, and they had no biological children. During his reign, French troops withdrew and American support caused more discontent in Mexican cities. In the wake of Mexican resistance and other political issues, Carlota returned to Europe in an attempt to get help. Unable to do so, she suffered what was essentially a nervous breakdown and never went back to Mexico. Maximillian was captured while attempting to escape and was convicted and sentenced to death.

I thought this book was great. It was well researched and very detailed. I was vaguely aware of Maximillian and Carlotta, mostly because there was an episode about them on Noble Blood. I really enjoyed learning more about this regime, because I wasn't really adept at French occupation of Mexico, only Spanish. This was a really educational book. 

 This book was absolutely heart breaking. The whole entire saga of the Romanovs is tragic, especially on the part of the children. Helen Rappaport is a wonderful historian about the Romanov family. She made sure this book told the true story about the last few weeks of the entire families lives. She really painted an accurate picture that made you make you feel like you were a fly on the wall. What a sad last few weeks of life. 

 This is the eighth book in the Crime Files collection, another compilation of her personal case files. I always look up the people that are mentioned in these books to see if there have been developments in any of the cases since the books are fairly old...I highly recommend doing that with any true crime book that you read. This was a pretty interesting set of cases. 

 I was fortunate enough to tour the Biltmore Estate not long after finishing this book. It was amazing to see the place that I had read about in such great detail. The grounds were beautiful! The house was breathtaking! I felt like I really knew the place thanks to this book. I highly recommend this for anyone who is planning to visit, or has visited. It was tremendous.