Crown of Thorns

Rating:
Summary: the story of the reign of boris III of bulgaria (1918-1943)
Review: The author of this book is the son of an official of the government of royalist Bulgaria. Even though he states his story as unbiased, his defense of the Boris III leaves the reader wondering. Boris suceeded his father Ferdinand after the first World War. Boris was very inexperienced when he suceeded, and the government went from far left to far right. In the 1930s, a royal dictatorship was established by the King, and the government went to the far right. Throughout this story the author defends the King and lambasts the politicians. Eventually the country drifted into an alliance with Nazi Germany due to the economic and political situation in Europe. With the outbreak of World War II, the King chose to back Nazi Germany, and enlarge the territory of the country. This brought the country into conflict with the Allies, and the enslavement of the country by Soviet Russia. Boris III was not the evil ruler like Stalin and Hitler. His choice brought disaster to Bulgaria. The author's defense of the King is obvious. The book could have been more objective.