Including the periods before and after when they were kings of Scotland/England, this is the 1,000-year saga of the remarkable family of stewards, who became Stewarts, then Royal Stewarts, then Stuarts. They were remarkable not only for the continuity of the male line, which went 26 generations without a break, but also for the 340 years they held onto sovereign power. Yet despite the longevity of the dynasty, the lives of many individuals were violent and short. Of the 14 Stewart monarchs, eight failed to reach the age of 50. Six of the 14 died violent deaths, two were murdered, two executed, and two killed in battle. Because of the tendency towards early death the average age of accession was only 23 and six came to the throne before the age of 10. Of the non-royals more than 100 were murdered and more than 200 executed. It's a remarkable tale of tenacity and adaptability that has seen the family survive for 1,000 years.

The Rises and the Falls of the Royal Stuarts tells this tale with great verve and narrative drama.