Beloved Emma: The life of Emma Lady Hamilton

Biographies & Memoirs

FRASER, Flora

Community & Culture

Weidenfeld and Nicolson

An introduction by the author of The Duchess explores why Wells's classic tale of one woman's fight against the stifling conventions of Edwardian England is as relevant today as in 1909 Stong-willed, reckless, and fiercely independent, Ann Veronica Stanley is determined to be a "Person," to work, love, and, above all, to live. Walking away from her stifling father and the social conventions of her time, she leaves drab suburbia for Edwardian London and encounters an unknown world of suffragettes, Fabians, and free love. But it is only when she meets the charismatic Capes that she truly confronts the meaning of her new found freedom. Exploring the conflict between female empowerment and the sacrifices people make for love, this novel caused a sensation—damned in the press and preached against from the pulpits—when it was first published in 1909, due to Wells' groundbreaking treatment of female sexuality.

Ann Veronica

Literature & Fiction

Wells., H.G

Humor & Satire

Orion Publishing

From acclaimed biographer Flora Fraser, the brilliant life of Napoleon’s favorite sister. Celebrated for her looks, notorious for her passions, immortalized by Antonio Canova’s statue, and always deeply loyal to her brother, Pauline Bonaparte Borghese is a fascinating figure in her own right. At the turn of the nineteenth century, she was considered by many to be the most beautiful woman in Europe. She shocked the continent with the boldness of her love affairs, her opulent wardrobe and jewels, and, most famously, her decision to pose nearly nude for Canova’s sculpture, which has been replicated in countless ways through the years. But just as remarkable as Pauline’s private life was her fidelity to the emperor (if not to her husbands). She was present for Napoleon’s great victories in Italy, and she was often at Malmaison with her brother and her rival for his loyalty, the empress Josephine. When he was exiled to Elba, Pauline was the only sibling to follow him there, and after the final defeat at Waterloo she begged to be allowed to join him at Saint Helena. No biographer has gone so deeply into the sources or so closely examined one of the seminal relationships of the man who shaped modern Europe. In Pauline Bonaparte: Venus of Empire, Flora Fraser has cast new light on the Napoleonic era while crafting a dynamic, vivid portrait of a mesmerizing woman.

Pauline Bonaparte: Venus of Empire

Historical

KNOPF

A full-scale portrait of the marriage of the father and mother of our country—and of the struggle for independence that he led The Washingtons’ long union begins in colonial Virginia in 1759, when George Washington woos and weds Martha Dandridge Parke Custis, a pretty, charming, and very rich young widow. The calm early years of their marriage as plantation owners at Mount Vernon and as parents to Martha’s two children, Jacky and Patsy—both of whom present difficult challenges—yield to harsher times. Washington has been prominent among Virginians in opposing British government measures, and at the outbreak of fighting in 1775 he is elected commander-in-chief of the Continental army. The war sees Martha resolutely supporting her husband, sharing in the hardships at Valley Forge and other wretched winter headquarters. Essential to George’s personal well-being, she is known as “Lady Washington”—a redoubtable and vastly admired figure in her own right. Flora Fraser provides us with a brilliant account of the public Washington and of the war he waged, and gives us, as well, the domestic Washingtons, whether at Mount Vernon before and during the war or in New York and Philadelphia during his presidency. Even in wartime, Martha manages to scour Philadelphia to find a doll for her newest granddaughter and keeps careful control of her Virginia inheritance. George grapples with a formidable enemy, without proper troops and often without basic supplies—his soldiers frequently lack rations, blankets, even shoes—while always fearful for his wife’s welfare and safety, given the constant worry that the British might descend on Mount Vernon. Even so, a true Virginian, he manages to dance for more than three hours with Alexander Hamilton’s pretty young wife at a makeshift ball. With victory and the arrival of peace in 1783, the Washingtons hope to remain at home, a hope dashed when, in 1789, George is elected our first president and Martha becomes a faultless first First Lady. During the presidency, they together negotiate the many pitfalls of establishing republican entertainment—the weekly “Congress dinner,” levées, and drawing rooms—before, finally free of official responsibilities after Washington’s second term, they are at last able to retreat to their beloved Mount Vernon. This is a remarkable story of a remarkable pair as well as a gripping narrative of the birth of a nation—a major, and vastly appealing, contribution to the literature of our founding fathers . . . and founding mother.

The Washingtons: George and Martha, "Join'd by Friendship, Crown'd by Love"

From acclaimed biographer Flora Fraser, the brilliant life of Napoleon's favorite sister, with color photos, paintings, and illustrations. Considered by many in Europe to be the most beautiful woman at the turn of the nineteenth century, Pauline Bonaparte Borghese shocked the continent with the boldness of her love affairs, her opulent wardrobe and jewels, her decision to pose nearly nude for Canova's sculpture, and her rumored incestuous relationship with her brother, the Emperor Napoleon—the only man to whom she was loyal. When Napoleon was exiled to Elba, Pauline was the only sibling to follow him there, and after the final defeat at Waterloo she begged to join him at Saint Helena. In Pauline Bonaparte: Venus of Empire, Flora Fraser casts new light on the Napoleonic era and crafts a dynamic, vivid portrait of a mesmerizing woman.

Anchor

When the Prince Regent (who would later become King George IV) separated privately from Princess Caroline in 1796, they had been together for less than a year. Their disastrous marriage, ridiculed by the satirists of the day, led to profound political consequences and the eventual trial of Queen Caroline for adultery. After her exile, Caroline traveled through Europe with her own court, with catastrophic results, eventually returning to England but still lacking the dignity of her station. With careful research and an eye to the parallels in the modern era, acclaimed biographer Flora Fraser crafts in The Unruly Queen a riveting portrait of a woman who, despite her persecution, refused to be victimized.

The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline

In these pages, acclaimed historian Flora Fraser unfurls the story of George and Martha, brilliantly narrating the lives of an extraordinarily dedicated, accomplished, and historic couple. When they married in colonial Virginia in 1759, he was an awkward but ambitious young officer, she, a graceful, wealthy young widow. They were devoted to one another, and George was as a father to Martha’s children by her first husband. She endowed Washington with the confidence—and resources—that would aid him when elected commander-in-chief of the Continental army. During the war, Martha resolutely supported her husband, ‘the General,’ joining him every winter in headquarters; she was essential to his well-being and was a redoubtable, vastly admired figure. After the American victory, George was elected our first president and Martha became an impeccable first First Lady. During his presidency, the two established the tenets and traditions of our highest office. This is the story of a pioneering partnership—and an enthralling narrative of our nation’s emergence onto the world stage.

The Washingtons: George and Martha: Partners in Friendship and Love

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Physical description; xxi, 537 pages, [16] unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some colour), facsimiles, portraits ; 25 cm. Notes; Maps on endpapers. Portrait of the author on dust jacket. Includes bibliographical references (p. 509-518) and index. Subject; Caroline Queen, consort of George IV, King of Great Britain 1768-1821.

Leaders & Notable People

MACMILLAN PUB. LTD.

This detailed biography examines the extraordinary woman who became famous as the lover of Lord Nelson, from her ordinary beginnings in England to her last years in and out of debtor's prison

Emma, Lady Hamilton

History

Europe

With 16 pages of Full-color photographs.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by FRASER, Flora. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by FRASER, Flora

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by FRASER, Flora. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Beloved Emma: The life of Emma Lady Hamilton

Ann Veronica

Pauline Bonaparte: Venus of Empire

The Washingtons: George and Martha, "Join'd by Friendship, Crown'd by Love"

Pauline Bonaparte: Venus of Empire

The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline

The Washingtons: George and Martha: Partners in Friendship and Love

The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline

Emma, Lady Hamilton

The Unruly Queen: The Life of Queen Caroline