Madame Dubarry

by Joan Haslip

Book Overview

Born the illegitimate daughter of a monk and a seamstress, Madame du Barry rose from poverty to become one of the most powerful and wealthy women of France. A courtesan, she became Louis XV's official... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0802112560
• ISBN13: 9780802112569
• Release Date: January 1992
• Publisher: Grove Press
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 1.04 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Beautifully written!

Personally I found this book a wonderful biography of Jeanne. It gives a very understandable account of her life, with the use of fine wording! I prefer to see Madame du Barry as described in this book. It is true, being human, that she was sour with Marie Antoinette. One must keep in mind that Antoinette, still very young, had a great amount of power which du Barry couldn't overcome alone. 18th century France was a completely different era. One has to remember that to be a peasantwoman whose beauty alone led to a life of luxury is a temptation very few people do not give in to!!!! I suggest one purchases this biography for any sort of research, personal or academic!

Portrait of a Kind-Hearted Woman

This book, especially when taken together with biographies of Marie Antoinette, Louis XV, and other of the king's favorites, creates a picture of a kind, generous woman, overwhelmed by a rapid cultural change she had no way of sensing. It was well-written; well researched and did not contain the annoying and outrageous "conclusions" reached by lesser historians.

Brings you back in time

This is a stunningly told story of the most beautiful Madame du Barry, the last mistress of the notoriously desolute Louis XV. The author really brings you back to those times so much so that one can picture the scenario in all its splendor. Its the little known facts and nuances regarding the grandeur of the court and its crippling etiquette that opened up this this slice of history never to be repeated again. I was surprised by the simple sweet nature of the incandescent Madame du Barry given her humble but sexually active young life prior to coming to the court. For those who want a great story, with exquisite detail, and an eye for history, Ms. Haslip's book fits the bill. Ms. Haslip and Nancy Mitford (who wrote about Madame du Pompadour, Louis XV's other grand mistress of 20 years) have raised the bar on biographies of women whose spicy tale would otherwise be lost in a maze of dull facts.