England's Mistress

The Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton

Emma Hamilton was England's first superstar. She fought her way out of dire poverty to become a fashion icon, an Ambassador's wife, a confidante of both Marie Antoinette and the Queen of Naples, and the mistress of Lord Nelson, England's greatest military hero.

Emma set out to make herself a star, and she succeeded beyond her wildest dreams. By her early 20s, she was the most painted woman of her day. Her "Attitudes" — classical postures in diaphanous outfits — thrilled aristocrats and intellectuals, while her innovations in fashion and dress changed the way women looked forever. Shrewdly manipulating the media's fascination with her, Emma made herself into the most famous woman in England, desired by every man she met, adored by thousands, and, for a time, very rich. Yet, she was willing to throw it all away for the man she loved.

Drawing on hundreds of previously undiscovered letters, England's Mistress, told with a novelist's flair, follows Emma's dramatic journey from the slums to the Royal Court of Naples, and from the brothels of St. James' to the tragedy and glory of the Napoleonic wars. Muse and mother, wife and mistress, celebrity and villain, victim and survivor: Emma Hamilton was one of the most remarkable women in British history.

©2006 Kate Williams; (P)2006 Tantor Media, Inc.

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Absorbing, well-crafted....Williams' biography is well paced and pitch perfect, as competent in its storytelling as it is in its authoritative analysis of 18th-century class distinctions." (Publishers Weekly)

Highly enjoyable and stylish

Well researched, and beautifully written. Great intro to the period of late Georgian history and the napoleonic wars.

Documentary Biography

The description of this book gives the reader the impression that you will be listening to a novel when, in fact, you are read a documentary biography about the life of Emma Hamilton. The book is written as a collection of facts with suppositions and the supporting reasoning. I enjoyed learning about this lady but I felt like I was listening to the Discovery Channel. At times, the author was confusing in the manner in which details were related because the reference to time was left out and it was often not clear as to whom the author was talking about. Anyway, the book is not a complete waste of money but you should know it is definitely not a novel and isn't narrated like one either.

Good Entertainment

I find the author fills in details that are probably assumed. Yet overall it's entertaining to look back in time at this famous women. Emma is an intertesting character who climbed the social ladder. She was one brave lady.

Most entertaining bio ever

Well researched fascinating context- wonderful to hear about a female in history who fulfilled a female role rather than a female in a traditionally male roll (I.e. ruling monarch) expanded my understanding of the period. Helped me understand the desperation of survival for both men and women in the period.

Really enjoyed this one

I didn't know much about Lady Emma Hamilton, but I found her life quite fascinating. She must have been quite a woman to have worked her way up the social ladder as she did.