George IV (Penguin Monarchs)

George IV spent most of his life waiting to become king, first a pleasure-loving and rebellious Prince of Wales during the 60-year reign of his father, George III, and for 10 years as Prince Regent, when his father went mad. "The days are very long when you have nothing to do," he once wrote plaintively, but he did his best to fill them with pleasure—women, art, food, wine, fashion, architecture. He presided over the creation of the Regency style, which came to epitomize the era and was, with Charles I, the most artistically literate of all British kings.

George al IV-lea si-a petrecut cea mai mare parte a vietii asteptand sa devina rege, mai intai un print iubitor de placere si rebel in timpul domniei de 60 de ani a tatalui sau, George al III-lea, si timp de 10 ani ca print regent, cand tatal sau a innebunit. „Zilele sunt foarte lungi in care nu ai ce face”, a scris odata plangator, dar a facut tot posibilul sa le umple de placere - femei, arta, mancare, vin, moda, arhitectura.