Kirjahaku

Dorothea de Benckendorff was born December 28, 1785. Bright, vivacious and personable, she was destined to become an influential player in international diplomacy. Spending three of her most formative years in exile with her mother, Dorothea was not only the recipient of an excellent education, she was also the beneficiary of years of her mother's careful social training. She was adopted by an intimate friend of her mother, Empress Maria of Russia, after her mother's death. Dorothea's close connections to the Russian imperial family positioned her for the life role she wished to play. Marriage to Count Christopher Lieven at the age of 14 (a custom typical of the place and time) furthered Dorothea's desire to play a part in the fascinating world of politics. Beginning with her husband's appointment by Tsar Alexander I as ambassador to Great Britain, Dorothea used her intellect, charisma and social skills to become a political force in European diplomacy during the first half of the nineteenth century. This biography provides a detailed look at the life and times of Dorothea Lieven, a woman who achieved the status of an independent stateswoman in her own right in the diplomatic communities of Russia, France and England. It examines the way in which Dorothea, entrusted with a secret diplomatic overture to England by Tsar Alexander I, participated in events which culminated in the birth of modern Greece. Using Princess Lieven's memoirs and other unpublished correspondence, the work provides a perspective on four Romanov rulers--Empress Catherine, Tsar Paul I, Tsar Alexander I and Tsar Nicholas I. The extent of Dorothea's political and diplomatic influence, through her friendships with King George IV, the Duke of Wellington and Talleyrand as well as her liaisons with Clement Metternich and Francois Guizot, is also discussed. An appendix contains medical testimonial regarding the Princess' declining health as well as some of Princess Lieven's letters. A reference list of key events in her life is provided.

This is the first, full-length biography of Florence Nightingale told from a post-feminist perspective. Born into Victorian Britain's elite, a brilliant, magnetic teenager decided to devote her life to the indigent sick by becoming a nurse. Florence's family, especially her mother, opposed the decision, yet Nightingale insisted. Catapulted into the Crimean War, she brought order to the chaos of British military hospitals, but she could never forget her patients. Despite debilitating illness, she focused on preventing another Crimean calamity: the death of thousands due to avoidable causes. Hygienic army installations, sanitation for India, and creation of modern nursing owe much to Florence Nightingale. To Victorians, she personified their ideal of nurturing female. Hindsight provides a wider perspective. By creating a career for women that empowered them with economic independence, Florence Nightingale stands among the founders of modern feminism.

Queen Anne (1665-1714) was not charismatic, brilliant or beautiful, but under her rule, England rose from the chaos of regicide, civil war and revolution to the cusp of global supremacy. She fought a successful overseas war against Europe's superpower and her moderation kept the crown independent of party warfare at home. This biography reveals Anne Stuart as resolute, kind and practical--a woman who surmounted personal tragedy and poor health to become a popular and effective ruler.

This biography follows the remarkable life of Louise-Elisabeth Vigee Le Brun, whose portraits of European royalty and nobility hang in many of the world's most important galleries. As a young woman in the male-dominated society of late 18th century France, she was denied an artistic education and forced to nurture her passion outside the restrictions of conventional schooling. Vigee Le Brun's vibrant art, in addition to her charm and beauty, caught the attention of Queen Marie-Antoinette, who honored her as her chosen painter. At the pinnacle of her fame and fortune, however, the Revolution forced Vigee Le Brun to flee Old Regime France, leaving everything behind except her only child. Drawn from her memoirs, archival research, and reexamination of the judgment of her contemporaries, this book paints a fascinating picture of a single working mother who survived because of her cachet, charisma, and artistic talent. Cast on a storm-tossed continent, solely reliant on her palette, she produced some of her major works during her twelve-year exile, returning to France to continue her work after Napoleon had restored stability. Her story is one of triumph, adversity, perseverance, and ultimately peace.