Book excerpt: Melville Henry de Massue (styled the Marquis of Ruvigny and Raineval) produced, in this work, one of the great achievements on royal and noble genealogy. In it he traces all the living descendants of King Edward III as of the date of original publication, some 50,000 individuals with over 300,000 lines of descent between them. Included in the Roll are the names of all the crowned heads of Europe; of the majority of hereditary peers; of all the royal and princely houses of Europe; of many of the higher nobility of France, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Bohemia, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Russia, and Belgium; and of the old aristocracy of the Southern States of America, together with baronets and county gentry. The five volumes together comprise some 3,550 pages, illustrated with portraits, photographs, and line drawings, and each volume is completely indexed . Originally published in a very limited edition, The Blood Royal has never before been reprinted.--Amazon.com.