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OverviewA new look which fundamentally overturns our understanding of this famously out of touch queen Who was the real Marie-Antoinette? She was mistrusted and reviled in her own time, and today she is portrayed as a lightweight incapable of understanding the events that engulfed her. In this new account, John Hardman redresses the balance and sheds fresh light on Marie-Antoinette's story. Hardman shows how Marie-Antoinette played a significant but misunderstood role in the crisis of the monarchy. Drawing on new sources, he describes how, from the outset, Marie-Antoinette refused to prioritize the aggressive foreign policy of her mother, Maria-Theresa, bravely took over the helm from Louis XVI after the collapse of his morale, and, when revolution broke out, listened to the Third Estate and worked closely with repentant radicals to give the constitutional monarchy a fighting chance. For the first time, Hardman demonstrates exactly what influence Marie-Antoinette had and when and how she exerted it.]]> Full Product DetailsAuthor: John HardmanPublisher: Yale University Press Imprint: Yale University Press Dimensions: Width: 16.30cm , Height: 3.80cm , Length: 23.80cm Weight: 0.836kg ISBN: 9780300243086ISBN 10: 0300243081 Pages: 376 Publication Date: 10 September 2019 Audience: General/trade , General Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: In Print ![]() This item will be ordered in for you from one of our suppliers. Upon receipt, we will promptly dispatch it out to you. For in store availability, please contact us. Table of ContentsReviews[A] splendid biography [. . .] It sheds genuine new light on a celebrated and tragic figure whose faults did not merit the appalling fate she suffered -Munro Price, Literary Review Hardman is far more than a biographer, his works are key to understanding the politics of the reign of Louis XVI. Steeped in the original sources and well able to decode the plots and schemes of the factions, this is both an entertaining and convincing new interpretation of the tragic Queen - Peter Campbell, author of Power and Politics in Old Regime France Superb. Hardman draws upon his vast knowledge of the period to present a new, deeply researched and compelling portrait of a much-maligned queen'-Julian Swann, author of Exile, Imprisonment, or Death Gripping and beautifully-written. Hardman centres on the queen's political role, long a subject of myth and controversy. He cuts through both with forensic skill, and reveals a much more intelligent and impressive figure than the frivolous spendthrift of legend. -Munro Price, author of The Fall of the French Monarchy A fresh perspective grounded in robust scholarship, Marie-Antoinette offers readers new insight into the political role of the last Queen of France. -Will Bashor, author of Marie Antoinette's Darkest Days Splendid . . . masterly . . . a wonderfully gripping biography. -Allan Massie, Wall Street Journal [A] splendid biography [. . .] It sheds genuine new light on a celebrated and tragic figure whose faults did not merit the appalling fate she suffered -Munro Price, Literary Review The impressive depth of Hardman's knowledge of the old regime's factional court politics makes it essential reading for anyone who wants to know more about the decision-making that led France into revolution - decisions in which the queen played an active part -Marisa Linton, BBC History Magazine In his new biography of the queen, John Hardman goes beyond the cliches of Marie- Antoinette's life - the enormous wigs, her extravagant spending and 'let them eat cake' - to reveal her as a political mover and shaker with real influence, particularly during the last months of the French monarchy -Laura O'Brien, History Today [I]t is worth making time for John Hardman's Marie-Antoinette...[This] is a well written and sympathetic life of a woman out of her depth in the world of politics, and a good companion piece to the same author's life of her husband Louis XVI. -Jonathan Sumption, Spectator [Books of the Year] Hardman is far more than a biographer, his works are key to understanding the politics of the reign of Louis XVI. Steeped in the original sources and well able to decode the plots and schemes of the factions, this is both an entertaining and convincing new interpretation of the tragic Queen -Peter Campbell, author of Power and Politics in Old Regime France Superb. Hardman draws upon his vast knowledge of the period to present a new, deeply researched and compelling portrait of a much-maligned queen'-Julian Swann, author of Exile, Imprisonment, or Death Gripping and beautifully-written. Hardman centres on the queen's political role, long a subject of myth and controversy. He cuts through both with forensic skill, and reveals a much more intelligent and impressive figure than the frivolous spendthrift of legend. -Munro Price, author of The Fall of the French Monarchy A fresh perspective grounded in robust scholarship, Marie-Antoinette offers readers new insight into the political role of the last Queen of France. -Will Bashor, author of Marie Antoinette's Darkest Days Author InformationJohn Hardman is one of the world's leading experts on the French Revolution and the author of several well-regarded books on the subject. He was formerly lecturer in modern history at the University of Edinburgh. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |