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Rating: 
Summary: Lord Minimus has a minimal role in his own biography
Review: The fact that Jeffery Hudson is a secondary character in his own story is rather disappointing although it is understandable considering the lack of information or documentation on Hudson. Most of the writing the author did do on the "Queen's Dwarf" is inferential at best.
Rating: 
Summary: The Big Picture
Review: This is an extraordinary book. Ostensibly a biography of Jeffrey Hudson, "Britain's Smallest Man," this fascinating work contains hidden depths. Along the way, we get mini-biographies (pun intended) of Charles I, Charles's wife Henrietta Maria, Charles II, and the artist Anthony Van Dyck. We also learn quite a bit about the English Civil War and the Barbary pirates. Even though the book is only 234 pages long, not counting appendices, and even though Mr. Page is providing so much other material, we never feel as though the author is getting sidetracked. "Lord Minimus" remains the center of attention and, considering the paucity of historical data available to the author, we come to know Jeffrey (his actions, thoughts, and feelings) probably as well as is possible. The book is filled with memorable scenes: Charles I, after asking his 11 year old son why he has been crying, receives the following reply- "My grandfather left you four kingdoms, and I am afraid your Majesty will leave me never one."; Charles I asking "The English Methuselah," Thomas Parr (purportedly 151 years old at the time) how he got to live so long received the reply that the old fellow was "doing penance" for having fathered a child out of wedlock when Parr was over 100 years old. (Parr's actual remark was a bit cruder than what I can write in this review. Charles didn't appreciate the wisecrack, by the way, as he was a bit on the puritanical side. Pretty ironic, actually, considering what happened to Charles under the "Roundheads.") I don't want to give too much away, but suffice it to say that Jeffrey led a full life- which included a duel and a 25 year stint as a slave in North Africa (courtesy of the aforementioned Barbary pirates). Oh, I forgot to mention one other area Mr. Page goes into some detail about: the world of 17th century theater. We go behind the scenes with Ben Jonson and Inigo Jones, and learn about some bizarre "tricks of the trade," such as hiring people to shout "Fire!" so the audience will be distracted and not notice scene changes being made! As the author writes, "It was a great idea with only one tiny flaw: there were panics and the whole theater emptied in the stampede for safety." With a minimum of fuss, we are given a maximum amount of very interesting material. Great book!
Rating: 
Summary: Brought this time period alive & was easy to read
Review: While the story of Geoffrey Hudson, Lord Minimum, is an interesting one and worth reading, the author really succeeds in making Hudson's entire world real and accessible to the reader. I love it when a good book generates an interest in me to learn more about the subject and times, and I'm now interested in reading more about the court of Henrietta and Charles I and his trial and subsequent execution. Nick Page occasionally is a little tedious with his constant foreshadowing of upcoming events, but it was easy to forgive him this because his writing is easy and engaging.
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