England's Mistress

The Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton

By: Kate Williams

Narrated by: Josephine Bailey

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.

Critic reviews

"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.

Glad I live now...not then!

This was an extremely interesting book in many ways. The story of Emma herself is captivating, but as her tale unwinds you are given a vivid picture of life in her era. I'm so glad to live now and not then! Things were really tough if you were born into the wrong social strata. The descriptions of clothing and hair fashion were also intriguing. Overall, a well-read interesting listen.

A story of celebrity

Ms Williams gives a lot of details that help understand the way people lived in the 18th century and what was going on in England at the time America was beginning. Some people may think there’s too much detail, but it’s necessary to understand the times. People were just as fascinated by celebrities as they are today. There were no photographs but they used cartoons and paintings in the same way.
I bought this because I enjoyed Becoming Victoria and I was not disappointed.

Amazing life wonderfully told

One of the most fascinating life stories I have ever heard- reads more like fiction but all true