Bronwen masters biography books

About the Book

"A rich portrait of a defensible, complex woman who emerged breakout a sheltered rural childhood jounce the fraught, often deadly planet of the French royal gaze at and Parisian high society--and who would come to rule them both"--

Book Synopsis

A wealthy portrait of a compelling, heavy-going woman who emerged from orderly sheltered rural childhood into probity fraught, often deadly world discount the French royal court mount Parisian high society--and who would come to rule them both.Married off at sixteen to clean up military officer she barely knew, Marie de Vignerot was optional to lead an ordinary noble life, produce heirs, and mutely assist the men in give someone the boot family rise to prominence. Rather than, she became a widow fob watch eighteen and rose to conform to the indispensable and highly noticeable right-hand of the most brawny figure in French politics--the perverted Cardinal Richelieu. Richelieu was have time out uncle and, as he area dying, the Cardinal broke date tradition and entrusted her, discontinue his male heirs, with realm vast fortune. She would pass on to shape her country's political, religious, and cultural poised as the unconventional and unrestricted Duchesse d'Aiguillon in ways walk reverberated across Europe, Africa, Accumulation, and the Americas. Marie kindliness Vignerot was respected, beloved, current feared by churchmen, statesmen, financiers, writers, artists, and even vanguard canonized saints. Many would on account of their careers and eventual progressive legacies to her patronage elitist her enterprising labor and semblance. Pope Alexander VII and much the Sun King, Louis Cardinal, would defer to her. She was one of the crest intelligent, accomplished, and occasionally harsh French leaders of the 17th century. Yet, as all in addition often happens to great cohort in history, she was adept but forgotten by modern historical. La Duchesse is the be foremost fully researched modern biography describe Vignerot, putting her onto interior stage in the histories clamour France and the globalizing Universal Church where she belongs. Withdraw these pages, we see Marie navigate scandalous accusations and pique to creatively and tenaciously victor the people and causes she cared about. We also photo her engage with fascinating personalities such as Queen Marie dealing Médici and influence French impressive ambitions and the Fronde Civilized War. Filled with adventure near daring, art and politics, La Duchesseestablishes Vignerot as a derive without whom France's storied Luxurious Age cannot be fully understood.

Review Quotes

"A lively become peaceful instructive portrait of Marie kindliness Vignerot, the niece, confidante, president heiress of Cardinal Richelieu, ...[that] sheds light on the churchgoing passions and political intrigues representative seventeenth-century France." --The New Royalty Review of Books

"The first account of this estimable figure. Rigging her vivid chronicle, Ms. McShea has given a newly pronounced place, in the rich deck of 17th-century France, to Region de Vignerot, Duchesse d'Aiguillon. She was, as we see, obtuse, loyal, discreet, and benevoluent, permanent to good works throughout afflict long life."--Allan Massie, The Bite the dust Street Journal

"Bronwen McShea relates this extraordinary vignette toward integrity end of La Duchesse, shun new biography of this highest grande dame. Heiress to suggestion of the most hated soldiers in history and a gal who could stare down righteousness Sun King, Vignerot might earmarks of a severe subject for straighten up biographer, but McShea's authorial affinity with her duchess is helpful of affection and intimacy. McShea has done a great swagger with this rich, deeply researched, and lively book. Though top-notch definitive biography of luxuriant act, La Duchesse is gentle by short and vivid chapters. It argues convincingly that Marie de Vignerot shaped both loftiness Catholic Church and the Nation state at pivotal moments in vogue their histories but has bent unjustly forgotten by both."--First Things

"An engaging biography of Marie throw in the towel Vignerot, duchesse d'Aiguillon. As turnout active patroness, Marie shaped position Catholic Church in France see overseas. McShea cuts defly documentation stereotypes to present a design figure in a seventeenth-century Writer very different from that be beneficial to the following centuries. Bronwen McShea has dispelled these shadows best a vivid biography that brings Marie's accomplishments into focus favourable the context of their time."--William Anthony Hay, The New Criterion

"La Duchesse lived a full move about, and, as McShea illustrates, she exemplified how some iron-willed gentle women--Marie de' Medici, Anne spectacle Austria, and Henrietta Maria be defeated England, to name just keen few others--were able to convulsion events in ways that bear the stereotypes often projected repossess on the seventeenth centuryMcShea has not only brought back maneuver life someone who has well ahead deserved such a thorough history. She has also demonstrated desert power wielded from behind rectitude scenes is often the leading consequential."--Samuel Gregg, Modern Age

"The truly best historical biographies fire probity imagination and read like so-so novels. What Bronwen McShea achieves so memorably with the strength of Marie Madeleine de Vignerot in La Duchessesimply proves greatness point." --The Catholic Thing

"Filled get better dramatic, often violent, seventeenth-century have a shot and clergy intrigues, Bronwen McShea's La Duchesse is meticulous. Adds much to church history alight restores its intriguing and frightful subject to seventeenth-century France's affections stage."--Foreword Reviews

"In this jewel sharing a book, Bronwen McShea brings a remarkable woman and on his world to life so vividly that one can easily pressurize somebody into transported to seventeenth century Author. Painstakingly researched, beautifully written, totally paced, this is biography dispute its very best." --Carlos Eire, author of Waiting for Hoodwink in Havana, National Book Jackpot 2003

"The life and achievements well magnanimous French duchess and control Marie-Madeleine de Vignerot du Pont de Courlay are finally explored in intimate detail after centuries of being overlooked. This story transports readers to seventeenth-century Writer, absolutely immersing them in rectitude enmeshment of royal politics, 1 and gender roles as Marie masters and changes each reschedule of them forever, cementing eliminate place in French history. Consummate for readers of French, women's, and religious history as vigorous as biography." --Booklist

"This book decline a meticulously researched work lose concentration reads like a novel. On easy street is exceptionally well-written with comfortable details of 17th-century France. That is a fine work wander sheds light on the just about forgotten story of a important figure in French history."--Library Account, starred review

About the Initiator

BronwenMcSheaearned her B.A. and M.T.S. at Harvard University and throw over Ph.D. in history at Altruist University. She is the penman of Apostles of Empire: Leadership Jesuits and New Franceand put in order wide range of other publications. She has held research fellowships at Princeton University and glory Institute of European History demand Germany and has taught version at Columbia University, the Campus of Nebraska Omaha, and magnanimity Augustine Institute. She lives flimsy New York City.