A captivating biography of the remarkable young Scotswoman whose bold decision to help “Bonnie” Prince Charlie—the Stuart claimant to the British throne—evade capture and flee the country has become the stuff of legend.After his decisive defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, Prince Charles Edward Stuart was a man on the run. Seeking refuge in the Outer Hebrides, hoping to escape to France, he found an unlikely ally in Flora MacDonald, a young woman in her early...

A full-scale portrait of the marriage of the father and mother of our country—and of the struggle for independence that he ledThe 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...

An enthralling, revealing portrait of the marriage of George and Martha Washington, from bestselling biographer Flora Fraser'George and Martha tells the story of a couple, a family and country with sympathy and huge skill' Sunday TelegraphGeorge and Martha Washington, of Mount Vernon, Virginia, were America's original first couple. From the 1750s, when young soldier George wooed and wedded Martha Dandridge...

A SPECTATOR AND SCOTSMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR'So well researched, pacily written and sympathetic to the Auld Cause that it almost makes one a Jacobite' Andrew Roberts, Spectator'Enthralling . . . Throws us straight into the fresh air, heather, rain and midges of the Hebrides, followed by the swamps and creeks of North America . . . Full of unforgettable glimpses' The TimesThe ...

'Remarkably intimate... Full and revealing... Princesses opens an invaluable new window into the often troubled private world of these royal women' LA Times'Riveting and wonderfully detailed....Thanks to Flora Fraser's new book, George III's daughters can step out of the shadows of history and take their rightful places with the rest of the House of Hanover' Washington TimesDrawing on their extraordinary private c...

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 N...

'Fraser cleverly contrasts Pauline's callous offloading of successive lovers ... The success of a biography of an un-improving subject like this is whether or not we miss them at its close ... Pauline was clearly irresistible company' Literary ReviewCelebrated for her looks, notorious for her passions, immortalised by Antonio Canova's statue and always deeply loyal to her brother, Pauline Bonaparte Borghese is a fascinating figure.At the turn of th...

'Splendid … her book does justice to a fascinating woman who was tragic, brave, likable, humorous, and indeed, unruly' Spectator'Written with elegance, wit and a narrative zest that novelists might envy' EconomistAt the heart of the extravagant Regency period – nine scandalous, politically fascinating years from 1811 to 1820 – lies the bitter mismatch between the Prince and Princess of Wales.The Prince Regent, late...

'Bewitchingly readable, authoritative' The Times'At last, in Flora Fraser, Lady Hamilton has a biographer able to capture both the woman and her times' Amanda ForemanBorn in the eighteenth century, Emma Hamilton was a woman ahead of her time.Her rise to fame and fortune seemed unstoppable – until she began her infamous love affair with Admiral Lord Nelson. Beloved Emma follows Emma Hamilton's journey from Li...

Bloomsbury presents Pretty Young Rebel by Flora Fraser, read by Cathleen McCarron.A SPECTATOR AND SCOTSMAN BOOK OF THE YEAR'So well researched, pacily written and sympathetic to the Auld Cause that it almost makes one a Jacobite' Andrew Roberts, Spectator‘Enthralling . . . Throws us straight into the fresh air, heather, rain and midges of the Hebrides, followed by the swamps and creeks of North America . . . Full of unforgettable glimpses’ The TimesThe year ...

Sophia, Electress of Hanover (1630 1714), grand-daughter of James I and mother of George I, is best remembered as the link between the Houses of Stuart and Hanover. But, above all, she was a gifted and prolific chronicler and her detailed memoirs and letters give us an insider s view of life for the top echelons of society in the 16th century. A true European, Sophia spoke English, French, German, Dutch and Italian fluently, she was open minded and intellectually curious. Her writings cove...

This is the story of the doomed romance between Charlotte, heir to the English throne, and Leopold, uncle of Queen Victoria and first King of the Belgians. Charlotte was the only legitimate royal child of her generation, and her death in childbirth was followed by an unseemly scramble to produce a substitute heir. Queen Victoria was the product. Chambers brilliantly demonstrates how the personal and the political collide in scheming post-Napoleonic Europe, offering a vivid and sympathetic ...