In the twentieth century, many European monarchies collapsed, but others are still going strong today—including the British Royal Family, who have weathered their fair share of scandals.
When he was deposed in Egypt in 1952, King Farouk predicted that there would be five monarchs left at the end of the century: the kings of hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades, and England. To date, his prediction has proved wrong, and while the twentieth century saw the collapse of monarchies across Europe, many democratic societies have retained them.
God Save the Queen is the first book to look at constitutional monarchies globally. Is monarchy merely a feudal relic that should be abolished, or does the division between ceremonial and actual power act as a brake on authoritarian politicians? Is a President Boris Johnson potentially more dangerous than a Prime Minister Boris Johnson? And what is the role of monarchy in the independent countries of the Commonwealth that have retained the Queen as head of state?
Monarchy deserves neither the adulation of the right nor the dismissal of the left. In an era of autocratic populism, does constitutional monarchy provide some safeguards against the megalomania of political leaders? A fascinating read through the unexpected durability and potential benefits of constitutional monarchies.
Praise for Unrequited Love:
'Dennis Altman’s peripatetic book Unrequited Love moves from Australia to the United States, across Europe and parts of Asia. Filled with intellectual luminaries such as James Baldwin, Dorothy Porter, Susan Sontag, and Christos Tsiolkas, Altman’s life and career has been intense and wide-ranging… Unrequited Love — a memoir in diaries — is the work of a hugely influential Australian writer and commentator.'
Sebastian Sharp, Australian Book Review
Praise for Unrequited Love:
'From Lyndon Johnson to Trump, Altman's diary takes us from the early days of AIDS to gay liberation against a backdrop of Australia's strange love for America.’
Gillian Triggs
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Praise for Unrequited Love:
‘An ingenious combining of memoir and analysis, personal reflection and social science.’
Frank Bongiorno
Praise for Queer Wars:
‘The global struggle for sexual and gender minority rights is one of the most critical and contested human rights movements of our time. As queer communities mobilise, and the coming generation of young people worldwide express greater tolerance, acceptance and calls for freedom, the pushback has been intense. Altman and Symons have done us all an invaluable service in unpacking the complex politics around LGBT rights, demands, cultures and contexts. Queer Wars is essential reading for all engaged in pressing for more just, open and diverse societies.’
Chris Beyrer, Johns Hopkins University, and president of the International AIDS Society
Praise for Queer Wars:
‘Dennis Altmans and Jonathan Symons work Queer Wars is a timely and accessible intervention on the global state of play for queer rights.’
Australian Institute of International Affairs
Praise for Queer Wars:
‘Queer Wars is broad in its scope, engaging in its material, thorough in its conception, and passionate in its argument on how advocacy should build a consensus that protects sexual minorities globally from violence and discrimination. A book for strategists, activists, academics and international workers alike.’
Edwin Cameron, constitutional court of South Africa
