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Paperback
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
ISBN13: 9781596910584
Condition: NEW
Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
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“Gripping…providing new insights into a misunderstood and tragic figure.”—Washington Times After the execution of L ouis XVI and Marie Antoinette, their young daughter, Marie-Thérèse, remained imprisoned. Released on her seventeenth birthday, she faced an uncertain future. Rumor spread that the traumatized princess had switched places with an illegitimate half sister, to live out her days as the mysterious “Dark Countess.” Now, two hundred years later, Susan Nagel finally solves this mystery, creating a brilliant new biography of a remarkable woman who both defined and shaped an era.
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| A biography of a survivor |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This excellent, easy-reading biography of the only surviving child of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI starts with the marriage of that couple. One may reflect, yet again, on the fate of royal girls, given young in marriage to spouses whom they have not met, according to supposed political advantage. Those advantages seem to be achieved rarely, so it is surprising that the practice persevered so long. Marie Antoinette's court is described, and, as most of the recent biographies attest, its size and cost was not her choice, and was not extravagant in comparison to earlier and later courts. Indeed, many of these large entourages during the monarch's reigns and during the wanderings of uncrowned kings and royal personages in exile grew out of adherents need for room and board, in other words, jobs programs. I was fascinated by the machinations of the very wealthy Louis Philippe, descendant of the younger brother of Louis XIV, who wanted the throne for himself and who was a clever propagandist in the lead-up to the revolution. He spread disparaging rumors about the King and Queen and make them look cheap, while he himself made a great show of philanthropy, which was more a show than a reality, for he gave the poor much less than the King gave. It serves as a reminder of the power of public relations: it's not what you do, but what the public thinks you do, and that can be manipulated. The storm of violence caught up with Louis Philippe only a few months after the King and Queen, but his son survived to become a King of France. The remarkable, strong-willed Marie-Therese wrapped herself in piety and restraint. She held firmly to what she presumed was her parents' wish, to marry her cousin the Duc D'Augouleme, whom she did not meet until her wedding. They had no children. After fleeing revolutionary France, Marie-Therese, her husband, uncle (Charles X), cousin (Louis XVIII)and families lived in a succession of countries, according to the tolerance of various ruling families. That tolerance often rested on the success or failure of Napoleon, who could be a threat to sheltering countries. At all times, the exiles were struggling to find financial resources, more or less able to pay for all those hangers-on. Money had been stashed abroad, but often was difficult to retrieve. The author quotes expenses to help us see that the court of Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, so often cited for extravagance, was less costly than those of his predecessors and of Charles X during the latter's brief restoration. Popular opinion and popular history are often poor judges of the truth.
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| Enlightening |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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The book brings Marie-Therese to life. She is a person after all ...
- born of a family, she has her childhood memories; she has a personality, a life-story; her own perceptions of the world from her unique experiences, and how she dealt with them.
The most admirable aspect is her COMMITMENT TO A CAUSE.
Her life was dedicated to France.
After the savage way she and her family was treated ... her life was still dedicated to France!
Love forgives.
Her family and her parents taught her very well.
And she, herself was blessed with a good heart.
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| Poorly researched |
| Customer Rating: 2 out of 5 |
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I recently re-read this book and remembered that I did not like it after my first reading. I read many historical biographies and when you compare this to the work of phenomenal writers such as carolly erickson, antonia fraser, and alison weir (my favorite! I'll read any non-ficition she prints) this book certainly disappoints. Nagel spends unnecessary time on the "Dark Countess" which pretty much has nothing to do with Marie Therese. In fact, if you read this after Antonia Fraser's excellent "Marie Antoinette: A Journey" you will realize that Nagel makes many baseless claims. In the hands of a better researcher Marie Therese's story would have been well worth reading.
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| Superb biography of a neglected member of the French Royal Family |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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This fascinating biography of the only child of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette to survive till adulthood is well researched and beautifully written. The part about her parents during the French Revolution is fair and informative, showing them to be loving and concerned. You will look at them in a different light. A must for history buffs, especially because it gives a new slant on French history in the 18th and first half of the 19th centuries.
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| Flat |
| Customer Rating: 3 out of 5 |
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I found this biography only moderately interesting, despite its many sensational (and largely unsubstantiated) claims. It's written in stodgy prose riddled with repetitions and irritating Americanisms. (Non-American readers may find it quite trying.) The narrative clunks along, never quite coming alive, although there are some decent passages. I also wondered as I ploughed through it whether a good storyteller would have been able to make Marie Therese seem more real and more interesting. She remained a distant figure for me.
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