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The Rebellious Life of Eugénie de Montijo
by Petie Kladstrup
The dramatic, untold story of Eugénie de Montijo, the woman who created haute couture, fought for women's rights, opened France's schools to girls and ruled the country as its last empress, yet today remains almost unknown.
Although a nineteenth-century woman, her almost twenty-first century outlook was key to the creation of modern France. Viewed frequently as a mere "ornament of the throne" of her husband, Emperor Napoléon III, this Spanish-born aristocrat proved to be almost as fiery as her red hair, fighting against institutional limitations, establishing innovations in childcare and women's health, scientific research and education, battling anti-Semitism and "sex prejudice," all the while displaying a political acumen so sharp that her husband gave her sole control of the government during his absences and consulted her daily when he was home. But the triumphs and glamour of her life were coupled with heartbreak and tragedy.
This first definitive American biography of Eugénie restores her far-reaching legacy to history.
"The Last Empress of France delights from the very first sentence. Thoroughly researched and gracefully written, this untold story will keep you up reading late into the night." —Martin Dugard, New York Times #1 bestselling author of Taking Midway
"Before reading this wonderful biography I knew Empress Eugenie only as a rosy face emerging from the sumptuous gowns of Winterhalter portraits. Kladstrup and Resnick have done a marvellous job presenting the full, real life of a remarkable woman, who was so bold and so busy it's incredible she could sit still long enough to have her portrait painted at all. Whether exploring travel, architecture, fashion, finance, education, perfume or power, The Last Empress of France is energetic, intelligent and immensely readable - as smart and vigorous as the Empress herself." —Lucy Adlington, New York Times bestselling author of The Dressmakers of Auschwitz
This information about The Last Empress of France was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Petie Kladstrup is a freelance writer who has written widely about France & French life. Contributor to Wine Spectator, she divides her time between Paris & Normandy.
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