by Susan Griffin
|
The Courtesan's Revenge: The Life of Harriette Wilson, the Woman Who Blackmailed the King by Frances Wilson |
by Virginia Rounding
|
by Amanda Foreman
|
Daughters of Britannia: The Lives and Times of Diplomatic Wives by Katie Hickman |
See buying choices for this item to see if it's one of the millions that are eligible for Amazon Prime.
|
Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought
Product details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
Review
Katie Hickman has done it again. The author of the bestselling Daughters of Britannia has produced another fascinating read in this biography of five stars of the demi-monde. Her period is 'the long nineteenth century', the 150 years which lie between her first courtesan, Sophia Baddeley, who died in 1786, and her last, Catherine Walters, who died in 1920. All were Englishwomen, but Cora Pearl, Hickman's fourth subject, also cut a swathe through masculine French society. Hickman gives several definitions of the word 'courtesan', the most interesting of which is that of 'the ultimate luxury good'. She maintains that the lives of these women were their art, and what masterpieces they were: high living, high society and reckless extravagance. (Sophia Baddeley once spent 700 pounds in an afternoon, the equivalent of #45,000 today, and that was just a beginning.) The courtesans' jewels, wardrobes, houses and stables were all legendary; they were the slightly shady celebrities of their era. People flocked to see them at the theatre or in Rotten Row, despite the fact that their way of life meant that they were forever excluded from 'respectable' circles. Courtesans were complex and courageous individuals. In their desire for autonomy they were very prepared to flout convention, and were gamblers at heart, for such freedom usually lasted only as long as their looks and youth did. There are some sad stories here, but also one very moving one, that of Charles James Fox, the Whig grandee, who formed a lasting and reciprocated attachment to the beautiful Elizabeth Armistead. That courtesans were pursued because of their expertise in the bedroom is a simplistic view: they were also valued for their intelligence, wit, charm, grace and style. We shall not see their like again. (Kirkus UK)
Sunday Times
'Good at conjuring up the sexual allure of the courtesan'
See all Product Description
Katie Hickman has done it again. The author of the bestselling Daughters of Britannia has produced another fascinating read in this biography of five stars of the demi-monde. Her period is 'the long nineteenth century', the 150 years which lie between her first courtesan, Sophia Baddeley, who died in 1786, and her last, Catherine Walters, who died in 1920. All were Englishwomen, but Cora Pearl, Hickman's fourth subject, also cut a swathe through masculine French society. Hickman gives several definitions of the word 'courtesan', the most interesting of which is that of 'the ultimate luxury good'. She maintains that the lives of these women were their art, and what masterpieces they were: high living, high society and reckless extravagance. (Sophia Baddeley once spent 700 pounds in an afternoon, the equivalent of #45,000 today, and that was just a beginning.) The courtesans' jewels, wardrobes, houses and stables were all legendary; they were the slightly shady celebrities of their era. People flocked to see them at the theatre or in Rotten Row, despite the fact that their way of life meant that they were forever excluded from 'respectable' circles. Courtesans were complex and courageous individuals. In their desire for autonomy they were very prepared to flout convention, and were gamblers at heart, for such freedom usually lasted only as long as their looks and youth did. There are some sad stories here, but also one very moving one, that of Charles James Fox, the Whig grandee, who formed a lasting and reciprocated attachment to the beautiful Elizabeth Armistead. That courtesans were pursued because of their expertise in the bedroom is a simplistic view: they were also valued for their intelligence, wit, charm, grace and style. We shall not see their like again. (Kirkus UK)
Sunday Times
'Good at conjuring up the sexual allure of the courtesan'
See all Product Description
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?
 |
32% buy The Aviary Gate £4.18 |
 |
25% buy Book of the Courtesans: A Catalogue of Their Virtues £5.99 |
 |
17% buy Daughters of Britannia: The Lives and Times of Diplomatic Wives £8.39 |
 |
15% buy Lascivious Bodies: A Sexual History of the Eighteenth Century £7.49 |
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Customer Discussions
Beta (What's this?)|
This product's forum
(0 discussions)
Ask questions, Share opinions, Gain insight
Active discussions in related forums
|
Related forums
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Biography > Historical > 1701-1900
- Books > Biography > Historical > Britain > Georgian to Victorian: 1701-1900
- Books > Biography > Historical > Countries & Regions > Europe
- Books > History > Britain & Ireland > Queen Anne, Georgian, Victorian 1701-1901
- Books > History > World History > 1751-1900
- Books > Poetry, Drama & Criticism > History & Criticism > Literary Studies
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
Fun for Everyone |
More From Katie Hickman
The Aviary Gate by Katie Hickman 'Forbidden love, sailors and secrets - fasten your seat belts for...
Read more
|
Treat Someone
With an Amazon.co.uk Gift Certificate, you can get them what they want (even if you don't know what that is). |
||||||||
| |||||
Your Recent History
(What's this?)|
You have no recently viewed items or searches.
After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in. Look to the right column to find helpful suggestions for your shopping session. |
Continue Shopping: Top Sellers
| ||||
Amazon Home | |
| International Sites: United States | Germany | France | Japan | Canada | China | |
| Business Programs: Sell on Amazon | Fulfilment by Amazon | Join Associates | Join Advantage | |
| Customer Service | Help | View Basket | Your Account | |
| About Amazon.co.uk | Careers at Amazon | |
| Conditions of Use & Sale | Privacy Notice © 1996-2009, Amazon.com, Inc. and its affiliates |