In one way, it is written in a similar manner. It describes the history of the aristocracy, as well as its ties to the monarchy – to present times. It doesn’t entirely start in Roman times, as Crown & Country does, and though it claims to start in 1066 – the detail from that time is minuscule. There is a bit more on the power struggle between the landed gentry and the monarchs. (Though, I strongly suspect that the assertion that the barons formed a coalition to save King John from himself by having him sign the Magna Carta… is worded slightly strangely. More power, less caring about the King, I would guess.)
The book has plenty of interesting tidbits, and is rather well researched (with footnotes, mind you). I found it rather easier to read than some of the reviewers at Amazon. However, it seems like there are so many facts in here, and the author keeps jumping from minor fact to other minor fact, and back and forth in the timeline – which can get a bit distracting while one is reading.
Overall, my thoughts after reading is that this is one of those books where the cover is more impressive than the way the content is presented. But the content is not bad, either – just very fact-filled.
