The King's Artists

offers an energising alternative perspective on the shaping of the national culture and the wider role of the creative arts in public life at this period. * Shelley King, Time Higher Education Supplement *
...the standard account of the early years of the Academy * John Bonehill, Oxford Art Journal *
Dr Hoock's book ... is beautifully produced, and the illustrations ... are well-chosen and plentiful. * John Cannon, English Historical Review *
...He makes excellent use of the Royal Academy archives to illuminate that institution's bumpy ride. * John Cannon, EHR *
With great skill and intelligence, Hoock employs rich, previously mostly untapped, archival material, as well as an impressive range of secondary resources. * Journal of British Studies *
This book is a refreshing evaluation of a powerful - and vibrant - arts organization. * Journal of British Studies *
Hoock succeeds in repositioning the Royal Academy as an active site of political exchange in British culture. This book is an intelligent, and necessary, critical addition to the study of British culture. * Journal of British Studies *
The importance of the Royal Academy in the cultural life of England has long been recognised, but Hoock's exemplary volume is the first survey of this in the widest political and institutional context. * Apollo Magazine *
Hoock's detailed examination of the archives at Burlington House, of the papers of individual artists and of official records gives this study an impressive authority. * Apollo Magazine *
The King's Artists will, as the convention has it, be a valuable addition to any library. Apart from supplying the best account that we have of the institutional history of the RA, and of its impact and consequences, it raises hosts of compelling issues, and cannot but stimulate a desire to develop and expand some of those strands. * Michael Rosenthal, Reviews in History *
This is a densely argued, well-referenced book that brings together a mass of archival material, some familiar, much freshly mined. It adds substantially to the literature on what it convincingly presents as a central and vital component in the composition of the British imperial establishment. * Andrew Wilton, The Art Newspaper *
Underpinned by extensive research, Hoock's important study will become indispensable for all scholars interested in the early history of the Royal Academy. [It] also stimulates new thinking about the broader relationships between art, politics and bureaucracy, both in the particular historical period it covers, and during the many years since. * Mark Hallett, The Royal Academy Magazine *
... learned, lucidly-written book ... fascinating chapters and case studies really bring Hoock's argument to life. * Mark Hallett, The Royal Academy Magazine *
The King's Artists allows us to move behind the scenes, and to find out far more about the early Academy itself, and its wider role within late-Georgian culture. * Mark Hallett, The Royal Academy Magazine *
Holger Hoock's book...really is the synoptic analysis that British art history has been waiting for, and for that reason alone its appearance is an important event. * Alex Kidson *