Marie-Antoinette and Count Fersen: The Untold Love Story
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Book Overview
A new edition draws on fresh evidence from archive sources--including decoded secret correspondence--to peel back the layers of misinformation obscuring the Queen's great love affair and to reveal its impact on the destiny of the French Royal Family The tragic life of Marie-Antoinette, last Queen of France, has assumed almost mythical proportions. A victim of political intrigue, she was known as the "Austrian whore" and accused of every imaginable sexual and political crime. Yet after the French Revolution she was reinvented as a martyr, and the image of the woman behind the propaganda grew even more distorted. Daughter of the Austrian Empress Maria Theresa, Marie-Antoinette was married at the age of 15 to the heir to the French throne. The vivacious Archduchess had charm and intelligence, while the Dauphin, crowned Louis XVI in 1774, was boorish, gauche, and unable to consummate their marriage. Rebuffed by him, the young girl engaged in a hectic social life and looked elsewhere for love. This book charts her transformation from reckless teenager to dignified yet misunderstood Queen and maps out in detail her enduring relationship with Axel von Fersen. Their liaison, based on deep affection and mutual passion, began long before revolutionary storm clouds gathered over France. Although known to insiders at court, her love for the chivalrous and handsome Swedish Count was suppressed in the many attempts to manipulate the Queen's image.
Format:Paperback
Language:English
ISBN:072061001X
ISBN13:9780720610017
Release Date:October 2013
Publisher:Peter Owen Publishers
Length:312 Pages
Weight:0.82 lbs.
Dimensions:1.0" x 5.3" x 8.4"
Customer Reviews
2 ratings
One of the French Revolution's most passionate stories.
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
It's about time an author focuses on the relationship between Marie Antoinette and Count Fersen. Their relationship is as important and historic as that between Marie and the King, yet most biographies leave it to footnotes. Farr's story moves with exciting and horrifying pace. The emotional (and mortal!) costs born by those closest to Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI are conveyed to a point of agony. Count Fersen's character is most romantic, almost as good as Sidney Carton, but better because it's true. But it's the nature of this story to be passionate. I was looking for more substantiation of their romance. I felt some of the connections were lost in Farr's story and some of the character names were confusing. Thank you for the biography in the back - indispensible. I was also disappointed by some of the assuptions made. Lost documents and correspondance incryption muddle the facts and Farr does not fully convince me that the assumptions made are true.Even with these limitations I completely enjoyed this book (from the library) and am upset that it is not available to purchase for my library.
marie antoinette history book
Published by Thriftbooks.com User , 25 years ago
Dose it have pictuers? does the book speeks about her death? is the book intersting? if you read this book well you feel that you live the events? do you think when i read the book i will fell that i'm living with marie antoinette? Do you think i will like this book? please answer me back soon I'm waiting for your answer.
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