Mistress of the Elgin Marbles: A Biography of Mary Nisbet, Countess of Elgin - Hardcover

Nagel, Susan

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0060545542 ISBN 13: 9780060545543

Publisher: William Morrow & Co, 2004

Synopsis

An exploration of the British aristocracy during the Romantic era as reflected by the life of Mary Nisbet, the Countess of Elgin, discusses her history-making work as the Ambassador Extraordinaire to the Ottoman Empire, from her efforts to bring the smallpox vaccine to the Middle East to her safe removal of classical marbles from the Parthenon.

About this title

Review:

"A sympathetic and emotionally charged portrait of Mary...[written] with insight and compassion yet without sentimentality."--Publishers Weekly

"A lively and welcome account of a charismatic woman."--People

A lively and welcome account of a charismatic woman. --People"

A sympathetic and emotionally charged portrait of Mary [written] with insight and compassion yet without sentimentality. --Publishers Weekly"

Absorbing...required reading for anyone interested in cultural history as well as the art of biography. --Kirkus Reviews"

"Absorbing...required reading for anyone interested in cultural history as well as the art of biography."--Kirkus Reviews

From the Back Cover:

Filled with romance, danger, and scandal, Mistress of the Elgin Marbles is the intriguing story of Mary Nisbet, the Countess of Elgin one of the most influential women of the Romantic era whose exploits enriched world culture immeasurably. The richest heiress in Scotland and the wife of accomplished diplomat Thomas Bruce, the 7th Earl of Elgin, she traveled to Turkey when Elgin was appointed the Ambassador Extraordinaire to the Ottoman Empire a journey that would change history. Interweaving extensive details gleaned from primary sources and excerpts from the countess s own letters, Susan Nagel draws a vivid portrait of this formidable woman who helped bring the smallpox vaccine to the Middle East, financed the removal and safe passage to England of classical marbles from the Parthenon, and struck a deal with Napoleon that no politician could have accomplished. Yet, as Nagel shows, those achievements were overshadowed by scandal when Mary s passionate affair with her husband s best friend flamed into the most lurid and salacious divorce trial in London s history. Lively and informative, this is an engrossing story of an astonishing woman who both defined and shaped an era.

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow & Co
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0060545542
• ISBN 13: 9780060545543
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 320