John Van der Kiste
John Van der Kiste is a British author.
His first book, Frederick III, appeared in 1981, and since then has become an author of royal and historical biographies, as well as books on local history, true crime, rock music, fiction and drama. He is also a contributor to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography and Guinness Rockopaedia, and has produced articles on historical, musical and art subjects in national and local journals, including Illustrated London News, BBC History Magazine, Record Collector, This England, The Independent and Gibbons Stamp Monthly. He has reviewed books and records for the press, written CD booklet notes, and between 1991 and 1996 edited and published the 1970s rock fanzine Keep on Rockin.
In 2002, he was a consultant for the BBC TV documentary The King, the Kaiser and the Tsar, first broadcast in January 2003. He has contributed articles to the BBC History Extra website, and a chapter on William IV to Kings and Queens by Iain Dale.
In 2015, "I'll Never Walk Away", a song which he co-wrote with Miles Tredinnick under his music business alias Riff Regan, and Steve Voice, appeared on Regan's solo album Milestones. He also played harmonica on 'Cling to Black Leather', a track on The Hell For Leather Mob, released in 2020 by Regan and Voice's band London.
Between 1978 and 2017 he was an assistant in the Library and Learning Resources Centre at City College Plymouth, formerly the College of Further Education, where he was commissioned to write a history of the college for internal circulation.
Books
Historical and royal biography
Frederick III, German Emperor 1888 Queen Victoria's Family: A Select Bibliography Dearest Affie: Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, Queen Victoria's Second Son, 1844-1900 Queen Victoria's Children Windsor and Habsburg: The British and Austrian Reigning Houses 1848-1922 Edward VII's Children Princess Victoria Melita, Grand Duchess Cyril of Russia, 1876-1936 George V's Children George III's Children Crowns in a Changing World: The British and European Monarchies 1901-36 Kings of the Hellenes: The Greek Kings 1863-1974 Childhood at court 1819-1914 Northern Crowns: The Kings of Modern Scandinavia King George II and Queen Caroline The Romanovs 1818-1959: Alexander II of Russia and his Family Kaiser Wilhelm II: Germany's Last Emperor The Georgian Princesses Dearest Vicky, Darling Fritz: Queen Victoria's Eldest Daughter and the German Emperor Royal Visits in Devon and Cornwall Once a Grand Duchess: Xenia, Sister of Nicholas II William and Mary Emperor Francis Joseph: Life, Death and the Fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire Sons, Servants and Statesmen: The Men in Queen Victoria’s Life A Divided Kingdom: The Spanish Monarchy from Isabel to Juan Carlos Jonathan Wild: Conman and Cutpurse William John Wills: Pioneer of the Australian Outback Alfred, revised version of Dearest AffieThe Prussian Princesses Prince Henry of Prussia Princess Helena: Queen Victoria's Third Daughter The Last German Empress: A Life of Empress Augusta Victoria, Consort of Emperor William II Charlotte and Feodora Dictionary of Royal Biographers The First German Empress: Empress Augusta, Consort of Emperor William I Queen Victoria and the European Empires Daughter of Prussia: Louise, Grand Duchess of Baden, and her Family Of Royalty and Drink The End of the German Monarchy The Dukes of Clarence Sarah Forbes Bonetta The Dukes of Cumberland The Heroine of Gaeta Hugh Shortland The End of the Habsburg Monarchy George FitzClarence James II and the First Modern Revolution Ena and Bee: Queen Victoria's Spanish granddaughters William IV: The Last Hanoverian King of Britain Queen Victoria's Daughters-in-law- ''The Children of Charles II: The Merry Monarch's Fourteen Bastards''
Music
Roxeventies: Popular Music in Britain 1970-79 The Roy Wood Story Beyond the Summertime: The Mungo Jerry Story Gilbert & Sullivan's Christmas - anthologyRoy Wood: The Move, Wizzard and Beyond Jeff Lynne: The Electric Light Orchestra, Before and After Pop Pickers and Music Vendors A Beatles Miscellany We Can Swing Together: The Story of Lindisfarne Electric Light Orchestra: Song by Song While You See a Chance: The Steve Winwood Story Led Zeppelin: Song by Song All Around My Hat: The Steeleye Span Story Kate Bush: Song by Song 1970: A Year in Rock: The Year Rock Became Mainstream Decades: Mott the Hoople and Ian Hunter in the 1970s Decades: Free and Bad Company in the 1970s Decades: Manfred Mann's Earth Band in the 1970s Eagles On Track: Every Song, Every Album Classic Rock: The Rolling Stones, Let it Bleed Everyone's a Winner: The Story of a Punk Band Called London Gerry Rafferty On Track: Every Song, Every Album- ''Mungo Jerry Song-by-Song''
Local history
Devon Murders Devonshire's Own Cornish Murders Somerset Murders A Grim Almanac of Devon Cornwall's Own Plymouth: History and Guide West Country Murders Surrey Murders A Grim Almanac of Cornwall Durham Murders and Misdemeanours Berkshire Murders Ivybridge and South Brent Through Time More Cornish Murders Dartmoor from Old Photographs More Somerset Murders A Grim Almanac of Hampshire Plymouth Book of Days More Devon Murders The Little Book of Devon The Little Book of Cornwall Plymouth: A City at War- ''Hugh Shortland''
Fiction
The Man on the Moor Olga and David Elmore Sounds- ''Always There''