Books on the Hesse Royals

[Martyn]

I might have dreeamt this but I seem to recollect that some years back there was some talk of a biography of Ernie in the pipeline......and I feel certain that someone mentioned Greg King....anyone know anything about this or did I really dream it?

[grandduchessella]

Yes, it was mentioned at least as far back as 2004. It seems that it hasn't gone much further as several other books took precedence. Greg once wrote about it--I can't remember whether it was permanently back-burnered or just awaiting more interest from a publisher before proceeding any further.

[Martyn]

That's a shame.  He would be the perfect person to tackle such a project and it is high time that we had a decent scholarly work about Ernie.

[Eric_Lowe]

I second that. Ernie was a great character to be written about. His involvement with Ducky & Anna Anderson made him a very interesting figure to find out the truth about. Who knows maybe one day I could do it...but we will be talking about years. :-)

[Martyn]

Seriously?

[Eric_Lowe]

Why not ? I did research work in Windsor & Darmstadt before...

[Martyn]

Well why not put your money where your mouth is and go for it then? 

[grandduchessella]

I couldn't find the messsage/post that stated why the book had gone by the wayside but I did find this post from Penny in regards to a comment I made:

I just wish the Grand Duke Ernst Ludwig one hadn't fallen away. One can always dream, I suppose. 

I wouldn't worry too much!   King and Wilson will ride again soon -- and Ernst Ludwig could well be part of things!!! 

[Eddie_uk]

Why not ? I did research work in Windsor & Darmstadt before...

Don't bother, we can do without another book full of mistakes.

[Ilana]

Think it would be fine to mention here, if people don't go over to the book section that my book about the 4 Hessian sisters, The Four Graces: Queen Victoria's Hessian Granddaughters is now available. Well, just thought I'd say....

[Helen]

That's a shame.  He would be the perfect person to tackle such a project and it is high time that we had a decent scholarly work about Ernie.

Actually, I think we do already have a decent scholarly work about Ernst Ludwig: Dr. Manfred Knodt's biography covers many aspects of his life in detail. Manfred Knodt also co-authored "The Romanovs - Love Power & Tragedy".

[Janet Ashton]

That's a shame.  He would be the perfect person to tackle such a project and it is high time that we had a decent scholarly work about Ernie.

Actually, I think we do already have a decent scholarly work about Ernst Ludwig: Dr. Manfred Knodt's biography covers many aspects of his life in detail.

It's a great book, but is in German, which many people on this forum probably don't read. An English bio would have to be written by someone who had the conflicting (?) abilities that they understand and can translate German, can afford - in whatever way - to spend years on such a project, and had the necessary level of interest.  

Manfred Knodt also co-authored "The Romanovs - Love Power & Tragedy".

Yes, but this isn't really a scholarly work. Scholarship is about much more than the ability to unearth obscure personal material and hash it together with some convenient propaganda - and that to me is all this book does.  Along with a bunch of other royal biographies.

[Janet Ashton]

Why not ? I did research work in Windsor & Darmstadt before...

The Royal Archive controls the use people make of sources quite tightly. If you plan to write some conspiracy theory about Anna Anderson I think you can bet that it wouldn't be published with their consent. There is more to Ernest Ludwig than the stuff you'll find in these archives; you'd need to be reading obscure published sources and also the material in various national archives which enlighten his political role in his sister Alix's reign and that of Wilhelm II, as well as the work he did as Grand Duke of Hesse. 

[Helen]

Manfred Knodt also co-authored "The Romanovs - Love Power & Tragedy".

Yes, but this isn't really a scholarly work. Scholarship is about much more than the ability to unearth obscure personal material and hash it together with some convenient propaganda - and that to me is all this book does.  Along with a bunch of other royal biographies.

I know. I mentioned this book just to point out that readers may have come across this author's name before. Whereas "Love, Power and tragedy" is not a scholarly work at all - not by long shot - Knodt's biography of Ernst Ludwig is several classes above, a well-researched work,  rich in details and free of unsubstantiated personal interpretations/convenient propaganda, and I find it a most useful book of reference, although he could have explored certain aspects of Ernst Ludwig´s private life in greater detail. But, yes, it's in German and, unfortunately, not yet translated into English or French, as far as I know.

[Helen]

An English bio would have to be written by someone who had the conflicting (?) abilities that they understand and can translate German, can afford - in whatever way - to spend years on such a project, and had the necessary level of interest.   

There is more to Ernest Ludwig than the stuff you'll find in these archives; you'd need to be reading obscure published sources and also the material in various national archives which enlighten his political role in his sister Alix's reign and that of Wilhelm II, as well as the work he did as Grand Duke of Hesse.  

Exactly. The funds required for such a project are such that a book publication will probably be uneconomic, unless the project is somehow subsidized - or paid for by the author himself - and the book is written at a level and in a style that appeals to a large reading public.

As regards published sources: It's not an obscure source, but readers who read German may find Egmont Zechlin's "Krieg und Kriegsrisiko" an interesting source; it's about German politics during WWI and also covers some of Ernst Ludwig's actions.