Confessions Of Marie Antoinette

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Confessions of Marie Antoinette

Author : Juliet Grey
Publisher : Ballantine Books
ISBN 13 : 0345523903
Total Pages : 466 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (455 download)

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Book Synopsis Confessions of Marie Antoinette by : Juliet Grey

Download or read book Confessions of Marie Antoinette written by Juliet Grey and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2013-09-24 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A novel for fans of Philippa Gregory and Michelle Moran, Confessions of Marie Antoinette blends rich historical detail with searing drama, bringing to life the first years of the French Revolution and the final days of the legendary French queen. Versailles, 1789. As the burgeoning rebellion reaches the palace gates, Marie Antoinette finds her privileged and peaceful life swiftly upended by violence. Once her loyal subjects, the people of France now seek to overthrow the crown, placing the heirs of the Bourbon dynasty in mortal peril. Displaced to the Tuileries Palace in Paris, the royal family is propelled into the heart of the Revolution. There, despite a few staunch allies, they are surrounded by cunning spies and vicious enemies. Yet despite the political and personal threats against her, Marie Antoinette remains, above all, a devoted wife and mother, standing steadfastly by her husband, Louis XVI, and protecting their young son and daughter. And though the queen secretly attempts to arrange her family’s rescue from the clutches of the rebels, she finds that they can neither outrun the dangers encircling them nor escape their shocking fate. Advance praise for Confessions of Marie Antoinette “Juliet Grey brings her trilogy on Marie Antoinette’s life to a triumphant finale, depicting with sensitivity and compelling vividness the collapse of a bygone glamorous world and the courageous transformation of its ill-fated queen.”—C. W. Gortner, author of The Queen’s Vow “A heartfelt journey with Marie Antoinette in her wrenching last days . . . We see the end looming that is still veiled from her eyes, and knowing her hopes are in vain makes it all the more poignant. Far from the ‘let them eat cake’ woman of legend, Juliet Grey’s Marie Antoinette reveals herself to be a person we can admire for her courage, her loyalty, and her love of her family and her adopted country, France.”—Margaret George Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow

Author : Juliet Grey
Publisher : Ballantine Books
ISBN 13 : 034552389X
Total Pages : 464 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (455 download)

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Book Synopsis Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow by : Juliet Grey

Download or read book Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow written by Juliet Grey and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2012-05-15 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A captivating novel of rich spectacle and royal scandal, Days of Splendor, Days of Sorrow spans fifteen years in the fateful reign of Marie Antoinette, France’s most legendary and notorious queen. Paris, 1774. At the tender age of eighteen, Marie Antoinette ascends to the French throne alongside her husband, Louis XVI. But behind the extravagance of the young queen’s elaborate silk gowns and dizzyingly high coiffures, she harbors deeper fears for her future and that of the Bourbon dynasty. From the early growing pains of marriage to the joy of conceiving a child, from her passion for Swedish military attaché Axel von Fersen to the devastating Affair of the Diamond Necklace, Marie Antoinette tries to rise above the gossip and rivalries that encircle her. But as revolution blossoms in America, a much larger threat looms beyond the gilded gates of Versailles—one that could sweep away the French monarchy forever.

Becoming Marie Antoinette

Author : Juliet Grey
Publisher : National Geographic Books
ISBN 13 : 0345523865
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (455 download)

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Book Synopsis Becoming Marie Antoinette by : Juliet Grey

Download or read book Becoming Marie Antoinette written by Juliet Grey and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2011-08-09 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This enthralling confection of a novel, the first in a new trilogy, follows the transformation of a coddled Austrian archduchess into the reckless, powerful, beautiful queen Marie Antoinette. Why must it be me? I wondered. When I am so clearly inadequate to my destiny? Raised alongside her numerous brothers and sisters by the formidable empress of Austria, ten-year-old Maria Antonia knew that her idyllic existence would one day be sacrificed to her mother’s political ambitions. What she never anticipated was that the day in question would come so soon. Before she can journey from sunlit picnics with her sisters in Vienna to the glitter, glamour, and gossip of Versailles, Antonia must change everything about herself in order to be accepted as dauphine of France and the wife of the awkward teenage boy who will one day be Louis XVI. Yet nothing can prepare her for the ingenuity and influence it will take to become queen. Filled with smart history, treacherous rivalries, lavish clothes, and sparkling jewels, Becoming Marie Antoinette will utterly captivate fiction and history lovers alike. Praise for Becoming Marie Antoinette “A thoroughly enjoyable novel, brimming with delightful details. Grey writes eloquently and with charming humor, bringing ‘Toinette’ vividly to life as she is schooled and groomed—molded, quite literally—for a future as Queen of France, an innocent pawn in a deadly political game.”—Sandra Gulland, bestselling author of Mistress of the Sun and the Josephine Bonaparte trilogy “In her richly imagined novel, Juliet Grey meticulously recreates the sumptuous court of France's most tragic queen. Beautifully written, with attention paid to even the smallest detail, Becoming Marie Antoinette will leave readers wanting more!"—Michelle Moran, bestselling author of Madame Tussaud “A lively and sensitive portrait of a young princess in a hostile court, and one of the most sympathetic portrayals of the doomed queen.”—Lauren Willig, bestselling author of the Pink Carnation series “Wonderfully delectable and lusciously rich, an elegant novel to truly savor. Juliet Grey’s Marie Antoinette is completely absorbing.”—Diane Haeger, author of The Queen’s Rival “[A] sympathetic take on the fascinating and doomed Marie Antoinette.”—Publishers Weekly

The Story of Marie-Antoinette

Author : Anna L. Bicknell
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 412 pages
Book Rating : 4.X/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis The Story of Marie-Antoinette by : Anna L. Bicknell

Download or read book The Story of Marie-Antoinette written by Anna L. Bicknell and published by . This book was released on 1897 with total page 412 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Waiting For Snow In Havana

Author : Carlos Eire
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 147110835X
Total Pages : 320 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (711 download)

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Book Synopsis Waiting For Snow In Havana by : Carlos Eire

Download or read book Waiting For Snow In Havana written by Carlos Eire and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-12-11 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A childhood in a privileged household in 1950s Havana was joyous and cruel, like any other-but with certain differences. The neighbour's monkey was liable to escape and run across your roof. Surfing was conducted by driving cars across the breakwater. Lizards and firecrackers made frequent contact. Carlos Eire's childhood was a little different from most. His father was convinced he had been Louis XVI in a past life. At school, classmates with fathers in the Batista government were attended by chauffeurs and bodyguards. At a home crammed with artifacts and paintings, portraits of Jesus spoke to him in dreams and nightmares. Then, in January 1959, the world changes: Batista is suddenly gone, a cigar-smoking guerrilla has taken his place, and Christmas is cancelled. The echo of firing squads is everywhere. And, one by one, the author's schoolmates begin to disappear-spirited away to the United States. Carlos will end up there himself, without his parents, never to see his father again. Narrated with the urgency of a confession, WAITING FOR SNOW IN HAVANA is both an ode to a paradise lost and an exorcism. More than that, it captures the terrible beauty of those times in our lives when we are certain we have died-and then are somehow, miraculously, reborn.

The Queen's Confession

Author : Victoria Holt
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (124 download)

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Book Synopsis The Queen's Confession by : Victoria Holt

Download or read book The Queen's Confession written by Victoria Holt and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Queen's Lover

Author : Francine du Plessix Gray
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 0143123564
Total Pages : 305 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (431 download)

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Book Synopsis The Queen's Lover by : Francine du Plessix Gray

Download or read book The Queen's Lover written by Francine du Plessix Gray and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2013-05-28 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The Queen's Lover" reveals the untold love affair between Swedish aristocrat Count Axel von Fersen and Marie Antoinette.

Louis XVI and the French Revolution

Author : Alison Johnson
Publisher : McFarland
ISBN 13 : 1476602433
Total Pages : 231 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (766 download)

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Book Synopsis Louis XVI and the French Revolution by : Alison Johnson

Download or read book Louis XVI and the French Revolution written by Alison Johnson and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2013-05-21 with total page 231 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Louis XVI was a gentle and unassuming man who did not want to be king but attempted to work for the welfare of his people--until his government was engulfed by the violent upheavals of the French Revolution. Facing the rapidly changing desires of his subjects, he gave way to the policies they demanded. Few rulers have acquiesced to such startling changes of government within such a brief span of time. Louis XVI lacked the charisma of Marie Antoinette, but he is remarkable for the courage he exhibited when facing violent armed men only a few feet away. The quiet dignity with which he approached his execution has been praised by countless people, including Albert Camus and Victor Hugo. This biography traces the painfully exciting events involving Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette and their two children. The royal family was first taken by a violent mob from Versailles to Paris. They attempted an escape but it failed when they had almost reached safety. A year later the king and queen were guillotined.

Marie-Antoinette and Count Fersen

Author : Evelyn Farr
Publisher : Peter Owen Publishers
ISBN 13 : 9780720610017
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis Marie-Antoinette and Count Fersen by : Evelyn Farr

Download or read book Marie-Antoinette and Count Fersen written by Evelyn Farr and published by Peter Owen Publishers. This book was released on 2013 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this definitive new edition of her acclaimed study Evelyn Farr draws on fresh evidence from archive sources - including decoded secret correspondence - to peel back the layers of misinformation obscuring the Queen's great love affair and to reveal its impact on the destiny of the French Royal Family.--Publisher.

The Queen's Vow

Author : C. W. Gortner
Publisher : Random House Digital, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 0345523962
Total Pages : 401 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (455 download)

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Book Synopsis The Queen's Vow by : C. W. Gortner

Download or read book The Queen's Vow written by C. W. Gortner and published by Random House Digital, Inc.. This book was released on 2012 with total page 401 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is an evocative, vividly imagined novel about one of history's most famous and controversial queens--the warrior who united a fractured country, the champion of the faith whose reign gave rise to the Inquisition, and the visionary who sent Columbus to discover a New World.

Where the Light Falls

Author : Allison Pataki
Publisher : Dial Press Trade Paperback
ISBN 13 : 0399591702
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (995 download)

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Book Synopsis Where the Light Falls by : Allison Pataki

Download or read book Where the Light Falls written by Allison Pataki and published by Dial Press Trade Paperback. This book was released on 2018-04-03 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A rich and sweeping novel of courage, duty, sacrifice, and love set during the French Revolution from New York Times bestselling author Allison Pataki and her brother Owen Pataki Three years after the storming of the Bastille, the streets of Paris are roiling with revolution. The citizens of France are enlivened by the ideals of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The monarchy of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette has been dismantled—with the help of the guillotine—and a new nation is rising in its place. Jean-Luc, an idealistic young lawyer, moves his wife and their infant son from a comfortable life in Marseille to Paris, in the hopes of joining the cause. André, the son of a denounced nobleman, has evaded execution by joining the new French army. Sophie, a young aristocratic widow, embarks on her own fight for independence against her powerful, vindictive uncle. As chaos threatens to undo the progress of the Revolution and the demand for justice breeds instability and paranoia, the lives of these compatriots become inextricably linked. Jean-Luc, André, and Sophie find themselves in a world where survival seems increasingly less likely—for themselves and, indeed, for the nation. Featuring cameos from legendary figures such as Robespierre, Louis XVI, and Thomas-Alexandre Dumas, Where the Light Falls is an epic and engrossing novel, moving from the streets and courtrooms of Paris to Napoleon’s epic march across the burning sands of Egypt. With vivid detail and imagery, the Patakis capture the hearts and minds of the citizens of France fighting for truth above all, and for their belief in a cause greater than themselves. Praise for Where the Light Falls “Compulsively readable . . . a compelling tale of love, betrayal, sacrifice, and bravery . . . a sweeping romantic novel that takes readers to the heart of Paris and to the center of all the action of the French Revolution.”—Bustle “Succeeds in forcefully illustrating the lessons of the French Revolution for today’s democratic movements.”—Kirkus Reviews “Devotees of Alexandre Dumas and Victor Hugo will devour this tale of heroism, treachery, and adventure.”—Library Journal “This is a story of the French Revolution that begins with your head in the slot watching how fast the blade of the guillotine is heading for your neck—and that’s nothing compared to the pace and the drama of what follows.”—Tom Wolfe

The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette

Author : Carolly Erickson
Publisher : St. Martin's Press
ISBN 13 : 1429904062
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

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Book Synopsis The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by : Carolly Erickson

Download or read book The Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette written by Carolly Erickson and published by St. Martin's Press. This book was released on 2007-04-01 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Imagine that, on the night before she is to die under the blade of the guillotine, Marie Antoinette leaves behind in her prison cell a diary telling the story of her life—from her privileged childhood as Austrian Archduchess to her years as glamorous mistress of Versailles to the heartbreak of imprisonment and humiliation during the French Revolution. Carolly Erickson takes the reader deep into the psyche of France's doomed queen: her love affair with handsome Swedish diplomat Count Axel Fersen, who risked his life to save her; her fears on the terrifying night the Parisian mob broke into her palace bedroom intent on murdering her and her family; her harrowing attempted flight from France in disguise; her recapture and the grim months of harsh captivity; her agony when her beloved husband was guillotined and her young son was torn from her arms, never to be seen again. Erickson brilliantly captures the queen's voice, her hopes, her dreads, and her suffering. We follow, mesmerized, as she reveals every detail of her remarkable, eventful life—from her teenage years when she began keeping a diary to her final days when she awaited her own bloody appointment with the guillotine.

The Boleyn King

Author : Laura Andersen
Publisher : Ballantine Books
ISBN 13 : 0345534093
Total Pages : 370 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (455 download)

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Book Synopsis The Boleyn King by : Laura Andersen

Download or read book The Boleyn King written by Laura Andersen and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2013-05-14 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY RT BOOK REVIEWS Perfect for fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, and Showtime’s The Tudors, The Boleyn King is the first book in an enthralling trilogy that dares to imagine: What if Anne Boleyn had actually given Henry VIII a son who grew up to be king? Just seventeen years old, Henry IX, known as William, is a king bound by the restraints of the regency yet anxious to prove himself. With the French threatening battle and the Catholics sowing the seeds of rebellion at home, William trusts only three people: his older sister Elizabeth; his best friend and loyal counselor, Dominic; and Minuette, a young orphan raised as a royal ward by William’s mother, Anne Boleyn. Against a tide of secrets, betrayal, and murder, William finds himself fighting for the very soul of his kingdom. Then, when he and Dominic both fall in love with Minuette, romantic obsession looms over a new generation of Tudors. One among them will pay the price for a king’s desire, as a shocking twist of fate changes England’s fortunes forever. Includes a preview of Laura Andersen’s The Boleyn Deceit Praise for The Boleyn King “Imaginative . . . Andersen focuses on creating an exciting, action-driven plot containing strong doses of both intrigue and romance. Tudor-era historical fiction fans who are willing to accept the unusual premise will be rewarded with an original and entertaining read that’s reminiscent of the best of Philippa Gregory.”—Library Journal (starred review) “Gripping . . . Andersen delves into an alternative Tudor England geared to rivet period fans and newcomers alike. . . . Perfect for Philippa Gregory fans.”—Booklist (starred review) “A surprising gem and a thoroughly enjoyable read.”—Historical Novels Review “Andersen’s novel, alive with historical flair and drama, satisfies both curious and imaginative Tudor aficionados. . . . Her multidimensional characters are so real that readers will wish it was history and eagerly await the next in the trilogy.”—RT Book Reviews (Top Pick) “A wonderfully imaginative and well-written tale of intrigue, high court politics and desperate love.”—Deseret News “ ‘What if . . .’ With these tantalizing words, Laura Andersen creates a fresh and vividly realized alternative world where Anne Boleyn not only lives, but also gives birth to a healthy son who will become King. With the introduction of Minuette, Princess Elizabeth’s lady-in-waiting, we meet an extraordinary young woman who embodies love and loyalty, and who fights to find the humanity at the heart of the most glamorous—and dangerous—court in Europe.”—Susan Elia MacNeal, author of Mr. Churchill’s Secretary “Full of intrigue, conspiracies, and the accurate details so essential to good historical fiction . . . Anyone who has even the slightest fascination with the Tudors will want to devour this delectable novel in a single sitting.”—Tasha Alexander, New York Times bestselling author of Death in the Floating City Look for special features inside. Join the Random House Reader’s Circle for author chats and more.

The Ruin of a Princess

Author : Marie-Thérèse Charlotte Angoulême (duchesse d')
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 384 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis The Ruin of a Princess by : Marie-Thérèse Charlotte Angoulême (duchesse d')

Download or read book The Ruin of a Princess written by Marie-Thérèse Charlotte Angoulême (duchesse d') and published by . This book was released on 1912 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Why Kings Confess

Author : C. S. Harris
Publisher : Penguin
ISBN 13 : 1101609788
Total Pages : 352 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (16 download)

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Book Synopsis Why Kings Confess by : C. S. Harris

Download or read book Why Kings Confess written by C. S. Harris and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2014-03-04 with total page 352 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The gruesome murder of a young French physician draws aristocratic investigator Sebastian St. Cyr and his pregnant wife, Hero, into a dangerous, decades-old mystery as a wrenching piece of Sebastian’s past puts him to the ultimate test. Regency England, January 1813: When a badly injured Frenchwoman is found beside the mutilated body of Dr. Damion Pelletan in one of London’s worst slums, Sebastian finds himself caught in a high-stakes tangle of murder and revenge. Although the woman, Alexi Sauvage, has no memory of the attack, Sebastian knows her all too well from an incident in his past—an act of wartime brutality and betrayal that nearly destroyed him. As the search for the killer leads Sebastian into a treacherous web of duplicity, he discovers that Pelletan was part of a secret delegation sent by Napoleon to investigate the possibility of peace with Britain. Despite his powerful father-in-law’s warnings, Sebastian plunges deep into the mystery of the “Lost Dauphin,” the boy prince who disappeared in the darkest days of the French Revolution, and soon finds himself at lethal odds with the Dauphin’s sister—the imperious, ruthless daughter of Marie Antoinette—who is determined to retake the French crown at any cost. With the murderer striking ever closer, Sebastian must battle new fears about Hero’s health and that of their soon-to-be born child. When he realizes the key to their survival may lie in the hands of an old enemy, he must finally face the truth about his own guilt in a past he has found too terrible to consider....

The Secret Wife of Louis XIV

Author : Veronica Buckley
Publisher : Macmillan
ISBN 13 : 0374158304
Total Pages : 557 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (741 download)

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Book Synopsis The Secret Wife of Louis XIV by : Veronica Buckley

Download or read book The Secret Wife of Louis XIV written by Veronica Buckley and published by Macmillan. This book was released on 2009-09 with total page 557 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Françoise d’Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon and secret wife of the Sun King, Louis XIV, was born in a bleak French prison in 1635, her father a condemned traitor and murderer, her mother the warden’s seduced daughter. A timely pardon and a hopeful Caribbean colonial venture failed to mend the family’s fortunes, and Françoise was reduced to begging in the streets. Yet, armed with beauty, intellect, and shrewd judgment, she was to make her way to the center of power at Versailles, the most opulent and ambitious court in all Europe. At fifteen, she was married off to the forty-two-year-old satirical poet Paul Scarron, a former roué now grievously deformed by rheumatism—“a sort of human Z,” as he described himself. Despite his ailments, Scarron presided over the liveliest and most scandalous literary salon in Paris, and Françoise quickly became its most prized ornament. After Scarron’s death, she enjoyed a merry widowhood in the fashionable Marais district, in the company of the courtesan Ninon de Lenclos and the King’s splendid mistress, Athénaïs de Montespan, who made the young widow governess to her brood of illegitimate children. The appointment transformed Françoise’s life, but was fatal to the temperamental Athénaïs herself, with the King soon turning his attentions to the graceful governess. Françoise was raised to the nobility as Madame de Maintenon—and, unofficially, “Madame de Maintenant,” the lady of the moment. The acclaimed biographer Veronica Buckley traces the extraordinary story of Françoise’s progress from pauper child to salonnière to the compromised position of Louis’s secret wife and uncrowned Queen. An absolute ruler, Louis turned away his many other mistresses to live with Françoise only, trusting her as his closest confidante and remaining in love with her for forty years. Sparkling with the irresistible wit of contemporary chroniclers such as Madame de Sévigné, this exactingly researched biography is a pinnacle of the form. In vibrant colors, The Secret Wife of Louis XIV paints a portrait of Europe in an age of violent change, and the Sun King’s France in the process of becoming its modern self.

Royal Babylon

Author : Karl Shaw
Publisher : Crown
ISBN 13 : 0767909399
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (679 download)

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Book Synopsis Royal Babylon by : Karl Shaw

Download or read book Royal Babylon written by Karl Shaw and published by Crown. This book was released on 2002-05-07 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An uproarious, eye-opening history of Europe's notorious royal houses that leaves no throne unturned and will make you glad you live in a democracy. Do you want to know which queen has the unique distinction of being the only known royal kleptomaniac? Or which empress kept her dirty underwear under lock and key? Or which czar, upon discovering his wife's infidelity, had her lover decapitated and the head, pickled in a jar, placed at her bedside? Royally dishing on hundreds of years of dubious behavior, Royal Babylon chronicles the manifold appalling antics of Europe's famous families, behavior that rivals the characters in an Aaron Spelling television series. Here, then, are the insane kings of Spain, one of whom liked to wear sixteen pairs of gloves at one time; the psychopathic Prussian soverigns who included Frederick William and his 102-inch waist; sex-fixated French rulers such as Philip Duke D'Oreleans cavorting with more than a hundred mistresses; and, of course, the delightfully drunken and debauched Russian czars - Czar Paul, for example, who to make his soldiers goose-step without bending their legs had steel plates strapped to their knees. But whether Romanov or Windsor, Habsburg or Hanover, these extravagant lifestyles, financed as they were by the royals' badgered subjects, bred the most wonderfully offbeat and disturbingly unbelievable tales - and Karl Shaw has collected them all in this hysterically funny and compulsively readable book. Royal Babylon is history, but not as they teach it in school, and it underlines in side-splitting fashion Queen Victoria's famous warning that it is unwise to look too deeply into the royal houses of Europe.