"Far From a Tyrant"

"Had British statesmen possessed the diplomatic acumen of Franklin and Washington, Mr. Roberts argues, a way through the impasse in North America might have been found. Many colonists had hoped that George III would take their side against Parliament. The king himself spoke of 'fighting the battle of the legislature.' Instead, the British establishment—the king included—determined to crush what they viewed as a conspiracy of the colonial elite. The result was a conflict that, while not unwinnable, stretched Britain's resources to the limit."

At The Wall Street Journal, William Anthony Hay reviews Andrew Roberts's The Last King of America: The Misunderstood Reign of George III.