9780008521714_

A Spectator Best Book of the Year

Trawling through a vast family archive and arcane sources in half a dozen languages, Adam Zamoyski has revealed the dramatic life of his great-great-great grandmother, an uneducated, vulnerable girl cast into a mans world.

Her aristocratic position enmeshed her in high politics and close encounters with Frederick the Great, Benjamin Franklin, Rousseau, Joseph II, Marie-Antoinette and Tsar Alexander I, and earned her the enmity of Catherine the Great. She lived through revolution and no less than five wars, in which her cherished homes were devastated, her possessions looted and her children scattered. Caught up in tempestuous love affairs which led her to nervous breakdown and the brink of suicide, exploited by her lovers, she remained undaunted and liberated herself through education. And, unusually for her time, she became a caring mother devoted to her children.

She learned much by travelling extensively around Europe at a time of political and ideological change, and her observations, particularly on Georgian Britain, are remarkable. She gradually won the admiration of learned men and intellectual honours. She pioneered schooling for children of the poor and developed her own educational methods. Fascinated by the power of objects to kindle memories and arouse emotions, she was an avid collector of anything with a sensuous association and built two unique museums to act as teaching aids.

This is a story of triumph over adversity and betrayal. It was not achieved by her looks: I have never been beautiful, but I have sometimes been pretty, she wrote. It was achieved by force of character and resilience.

Zamoyskis Izabela the Valiant is a compelling historical biography that takes the reader on a journey through the life of a woman who was as revolutionary as she was royal. Her story, set against the backdrop of Polands history, is a captivating read for anyone interested in non-fiction.

For fans of Christopher Clark (Kaiser Wilhelm II), Tom Holland (Athelstan), Simon Sebag Montefiore (Catherine the Great and Potemkin), Andrew Roberts (Churchill), and Anne Applebaum (Gulag Voices).

HarperCollins 2024

...(*_*)9780008521714_

A Spectator Best Book of the Year

For fans of Christopher Clark (Kaiser Wilhelm II), Tom Holland (Athelstan), Norman Davies (George II), Simon Sebag Montefiore (Jerusalem), and Serhii Plokhy (The Last Empire).

HarperCollins 2024

...(*_*)9780008521714_

A Spectator Best Book of the Year

In IZABELA THE VALIANT, Adam Zamoyski delves into the historical biography of a woman who stood her ground amidst rebellions, revolutions, and uprisings. Her life, a testament to resilience, is a captivating tale that transcends the boundaries of royalty and aristocracy, making it a must-read for history and non-fiction enthusiasts.

For fans of Christopher Clark (Kaiser Wilhelm II), Martyn C. Rady (The Habsburgs), Norman Davies (George II), Tom Holland (Athelstan), and Simon Sebag Montefiore (Jerusalem).

HarperCollins 2024

...(*_*)9780008521714_

A Spectator Best Book of the Year

This non-fiction biography of Izabela the Valiant, a woman of character and resilience, takes the reader on a journey through the rebellions and revolutions of her time. Her story, deeply intertwined with the history of Poland, is a captivating exploration of royalty, politics, and personal strength.

For fans of Christopher Clark (Kaiser Wilhelm II), Martyn C. Rady (The Habsburgs), Norman Davies (George II), Tom Holland (Athelstan), and Simon Sebag Montefiore (Jerusalem).

HarperCollins 2024

...

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