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In the Shadow of the Empress: The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters
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57
/100
I Index Overall Rating
Readers
69/100Critics
44/100Scholars
Author:
Nancy Goldstone
Publisher:
Little, Brown and Company
Date:
September 21, 2021
The saga of Empress Maria Theresaâone of the most renowned women rulers in historyâand three of her extraordinary daughters, including Marie Antoinette, the doomed queen of France.
What The Reviewers Say
Goldstone understands that, underneath the silk breeches, face powder and lofty pompadours, these monarchs were real people. They laughed, loved, argued, grieved and fornicated — often rather clumsily. The way they lived their lives at home shaped how they behaved on the world stage.
... her new subjects have much to offer. Regrettably, her book does not. The problem starts with the 'selected genealogy' that opens the book.
... a dizzying and dazzling foray into the intricacies of 18th-century European history as experienced by the extended family of Maria Theresa (1717–80), the only woman ever to inherit and rule the Hapsburg Empire in her own name. After a lengthy description and assessment of the reign of the empress herself, Goldstone focuses on three of her 16 children and their interwoven lives.
... expert.
