This list presents my top six biographies of women in early modern, and modern, Europe.
Fraser's biography of Marie Antoinette has been very successful, and almost universally praised. The text presents an important revisionist examination of the French queen, which aims to dispel many myths and tackles both her political roles and personal life. Readers of Fraser's other books have said this is her most assured work, and her excellent style remains intact.
One of the most powerful women ever, Catherine has a reputation that veers from reforming genius to depraved despot. Alexander's biography is a fair and balanced examination of politics and culture, covering a life whose events exceeded most fiction.
A key figure in French history, Catherine De'Medici has been heavily discussed, although she still carries a reputation for scheming. This work presents a balanced and empathetic study based, in part, on her actual letters.
As the eldest daughter of Britain's Queen Victoria, an Empress of Germany and the mother of Kaiser Wilhelm II, you might have expected the subject of this biography to be better known, but the Empress Frederick isn't. Pakula's book should change that, as well as offering compelling insights into the royal and political worlds of Britain and Germany/Prussia.
This book has received warm praise, helped partly by the intriguing subject matter: Princess Elizabeth of Austria. One anonymous amazon user has written a perfect summary: "Haslip's writing is a joy to read. Her narrative skill, combined with the power of the tragic but romantic life she describes, makes the book hard to put down."
You may see a theme in these top picks, for Bellonci's work is another biography that takes a humanising and myth-shattering look at a woman often portrayed as scheming and murderous, in this case Lucrezia Borgia. The text is nearly fifty years old, and thus on the fringes of modern historiography, but its still an interesting read, for aficionado's of women's and Italian history alike.
