The Rebel Empresses: Elisabeth of Austria and Eugnie of France, Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe
By (Author) Nancy Goldstone
Orion Publishing Co
Weidenfeld & Nicolson
24th June 2025
20th March 2025
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Social and cultural history
Hardback
640
Width 158mm, Height 236mm, Spine 48mm
960g
From the acclaimed author of In the Shadow of the Empress comes the thrilling chronicle of two of the most influential and glamorous women in nineteenth-century Europe-Elisabeth, empress of Austria, and Eugenie, empress of France-and their efforts to rule amid the scandal, intrigue, tragedy, and violence of their era.
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. Not only were they both young and beautiful-becoming cultural and fashion icons of their time-but they played a pivotal role in ruling their realms during a tempestuous era characterized by unprecedented political and technological change.Fearless, adventurous, and independent, Elisabeth and Eugenie represented a new kind of empress-one who rebelled against tradition and anticipated and embraced modern values. Yet both women endured hardship in their private and public lives. Elisabeth was plagued by a mother-in-law who snatched her infant children away and undermined her authority at court. Eugenie's husband was an infamous philanderer who could not match the military prowess of his namesake. Between them, Elisabeth and Eugenie were personally involved in every major international confrontation in their turbulent century, which witnessed thrilling technological advances, as well as revolutions, assassinations, and wars.With her characteristic in-depth research and jump-off-the-page writing, Nancy Goldstone brings to life these two remarkable women, as Europe goes through the convulsions that led up to the international landscape we recognize today.Nancy Goldstone is the author of numerous works of history. She lives in California. Visit her website for more information: http://www.nancygoldstone.com.