George III: A Life in Caricature

The misfortunes and missteps of the "last King of America" told through the cartoons of the day.

George III enjoyed one of the longest reigns in English history (1760-1820) at a time when both England and the world were undergoing drastic changes. Yet he remains a dim figure, remembered mainly for his failures (losing America) and his "madness" (which turns out to have been not mental but physical). He was highly unpopular for much of his reign, and this judgment is spectacularly endorsed by hundreds of contemporary caricatures, many reproduced here for the first time. Among George's enemies were some of the wittiest artists of any age, and few took the trouble to be fair. This was the way the English nation saw its king, adding a new dimension to what is ultimately a tragic story. 200 color illustrations.