Twilight of Empire: The Tragedy at Mayerling and the End of the Habsburgs

(Hardback)

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On a snowy January morning in 1889, a worried servant hacked open a locked door at the remote hunting lodge deep in the Vienna Woods. Inside, he found two bodies sprawled on an ornate bed, blood oozing from their mouths. Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria-Hungary appeared to have shot his seventeen-year-old mistress Baroness Mary Vetsera as she slept, sat with the corpse for hours and, when dawn broke, turned the pistol on himself. A century has transformed this bloody scene into romantic tragedy: star-crossed lovers who preferred death together than to be parted by a cold, unfeeling Viennese Court. But Mayerling is also the story of family secrets: incestuous relationships and mental instability; blackmail, venereal disease, and political treason; and a disillusioned, morphine-addicted Crown Prince and a nave schoolgirl caught up in a dangerous and deadly waltz inside a decaying empire. What happened in that locked room remains one of history's most evocative mysteries: What led Rudolf and mistress to this desperate act Was it really a suicide pact Or did something far more disturbing take place at that remote hunting lodge and result in murder Drawing interviews with members of the Habsburg family and archival sources in Vienna, Greg King and Penny Wilson reconstruct this historical mystery, laying out evidence and information long ignored that conclusively refutes the romantic myth and the conspiracy stories.

Reviews

"It is Greg King and Penny Wilson's aim, in"Twilight of Empire," to provide a satisfying explanation for the incident at Mayerling. In this they have succeeded marvelously, offering up a lucid and entertaining historical portrait along the way." --The Wall Street Journal

"[A] fascinating reconstruction of the complex historical, political, and personal framework that preceded the tragedy...This fine example of historical detective work by the always-entertaining and-enlightening King-and-Wilson duo is all the more compelling because this unfortunate event had a resounding ripple effect that contributed to both the demise of the Habsburg Empire and the onset of WWI." - Booklist

"[T]he authors lay out a variety of theories for readers to ponder. Recommended for fans of imperial histories, royal scandals, or tragic romances." - Kirkus

"[A] lurid tale of lust and death in the waning days of the Habsburg Empire...Royal historians King and Wilson use archival research to effectively debunk the rumors that still swirl around Mayerling, revealing the tragic personal histories of its key figures while providing an evocative look at Viennese high society." - Publisher's Weekly

Author Bio

Greg King is the author of eleven internationally published works of history, most recently The Assassination of the Archduke. He serves as Editor-in-Chief of the European Royal History Journal, and his work has appeared in Majesty Magazine, Royalty Magazine, Royalty Digest, and Atlantis Magazine. Penny Wilson is the author of three internationally published works of history on late Imperial Russia. Her historical work has appeared in Majesty Magazine, Atlantis Magazine, and Royalty Digest.