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A review by katemc
In the Shadow of the Empress: The Defiant Lives of Maria Theresa, Mother of Marie Antoinette, and Her Daughters by Nancy Goldstone
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
5.0
Loved this and immediately got the rest of her books out from the library. Compulsively readable, funny, chock full of anecdotes. She writes history how my friends and I studied for AP Euro.
I learned so much! I especially loved how many excerpts from letters she included - those aristos were funny as hell. Really great primary sources but also did so much to humanize the people writing. It didn’t just feel like reading about abstract actors but could actually get in their heads and witness their relationships and thoughts.
A bunch of negative reviews focus on her interpretations of Marie Antoinette and I do not know enough about the Count Fersen lore to weigh in but it’s always fascinating to see how hard people ride for stuff like that!!
I learned so much! I especially loved how many excerpts from letters she included - those aristos were funny as hell. Really great primary sources but also did so much to humanize the people writing. It didn’t just feel like reading about abstract actors but could actually get in their heads and witness their relationships and thoughts.
A bunch of negative reviews focus on her interpretations of Marie Antoinette and I do not know enough about the Count Fersen lore to weigh in but it’s always fascinating to see how hard people ride for stuff like that!!