The thrilling chronicle of two of the most influential and glamorous women in nineteenth-century Europe.
When they married Emperors Franz Joseph and Napoleon III, respectively, Elisabeth of Austria and Eugenie of France became two of the most famous women on the planet. Young and beautiful, both represented a new type of empress: one who rebelled against tradition and embraced modern values. Yet they also endured hardship, playing a pivotal role in ruling their realms during a tempestuous era of revolutions, assassinations and wars.
In this vivid account, Nancy Goldstone brings to life these two remarkable women, and their efforts to rule amid the scandal, intrigue, tragedy, and violence of their era.
Read MoreA richly detailed, entertaining dual biography...Both women, in Goldstone's vibrant, wryly witty portraits, emerge as glamorous, strong-willed, and independent...In a brisk, lively narrative, Goldstone seamlessly interweaves the women's trials, challenges, and betrayals with the world events that swirled incessantly around them. - KirkusIn this witty and astute account, historian Goldstone presents the turbulent and politically entwined lives of Elisabeth of Austria and Eugenie of France . . . It's an illuminating and thoroughly enjoyable view of the highborn milieu at the center of a period of rapid modernization - Publishers WeeklyPersonal catastrophe and imperial history are deftly interlaced in these parallel lives . . . a bold portrait of two bold women caught in the tempests of history - Wall Street Journal