MADAME DE POMPADOUR: Mistress of France - Softcover

Pevitt Algrant, Christine

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0007166095 ISBN 13: 9780007166091

Publisher: William The Fourth, 2011

Synopsis

A compelling new biography of the legendary mistress of King Louis XV of France with dramatic insights into the life of one of the most enchanting, powerful and feared women to grace the world’s stage.

From her modest beginnings in early 18th-century Paris to her reign as the undisputed mistress of Versailles, this is the story of a truly remarkable woman whose astonishing rise confounded the most experienced and the most sophisticated of her contemporaries.

Algrant weaves her richly textured narrative with tremendous authority, detailing the transformations that marked the life of Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson from her early grooming to assume the role of a rich man’s wife, her half-hearted marriage to a Parisian tax collector, her involvement with the financial elite of France and her eventual role as the mistress of the king.

Although accustomed to the king’s extra-marital liaisons, the court was shocked at the sudden ascension of the low-born Madame Poisson. The newcomer, however, wasted no time in establishing herself as the king’s sole confidante and, ultimately, his indispensable partner in affairs of state.

Algrant takes the reader into the farthest and most exclusive chambers at Versailles, allowing us to glimpse the resourcefulness and the determination with which Madame de Pompadour deftly manipulated the factions at the court. She also illuminates her influence across the artistic and political spectrum of the day, including her relationships with the leaders of the French Enlightenment: Voltaire, Rousseau and Diderot. Evocative and insightful, this is a seductive portrait of one of the most fascinating and influential women of the age.

About this title

Review:

‘More than just a fine portrait, Algrant’s “Madame de Pompadour” makes you hear the rattle of the tumbrels, just thirty years down the road.’ Alistair Horne

‘Historical drama related with great flair and knowing affection for the colourful characters’ all-too-human foibles.’ Kirkus Review

‘[A] riveting new biography.’ Antonia Fraser, Mail on Sunday

‘Mordantly witty.’ Emily Eakin, New York Times Book Review

Synopsis:

This biography of the legendary mistress of King Louis XV of France offers insights into the life of one of the most enchanting, powerful and feared women to grace the world's stage. From her modest beginnings in early 18th-century Paris to her reign as the undisputed mistress of Versailles, this is the story of a remarkable woman whose astonishing rise confounded the most experienced and the most sophisticated of her contemporaries. The author weaves her narrative with authority, detailing the transformations that marked the life of Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, from her early grooming to assume the role of a rich man's wife, her half-hearted marriage to a Parisian tax collector, her involvement with the financial elite of France and her eventual role as the mistress of the king. Although accustomed to the king's extra-marital liaisons, the court was shocked at the sudden ascension of the low-born Madame Poisson. The newcomer, however, wasted no time in establishing herself as the king's sole confidante and, ultimately, his indispensable partner in the affairs of state.

Algrant takes the reader into the farthest and most exclusive chambers at Versailles, allowing us to glimpse the resourcefulness and the determination with which Madame de Pompadour deftly manipulated the factions at the court. She also illuminates her influence across the artistic and political spectrum of the day, including her relationships with the leaders of the French Enlightenment: Voltaire, Rousseau and Diderot.

About this edition

• Publisher: William The Fourth
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0007166095
• ISBN 13: 9780007166091
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 360