Product Description

The critically acclaimed author of Philippe, duc d'Orleans, Christine Pevitt Algrant presents a stunning new biography of the most famous of Louis XV's mistresses. From her beginnings amid anonymity in early-eighteenth-century Paris, to her reign as the undisputed mistress of Versailles, Madame de Pompadour traces the life of a truly remarkable, self-made woman whose astonishing rise confounded the most experienced and the savviest of her contemporaries. Algrant weaves her richly textured narrative with tremendous authority, setting the dramatic events that marked Madame de Pompadour's life against the defining moments of the times. Groomed from an early age to assume the role of a grande dame, Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson underwent a number of transformations -- from a halfhearted marriage to a Parisian tax-collector to a passionate involvement with the newly established salon culture of Paris -- before attaining the affection of the king of France. Although used to the king's romantic escapades, the stunned courtiers reeled in disbelief upon Poisson's success, for never in the annals of the French monarchy had a semidivine king taken a mere bourgeoisie as his mistress. The newcomer, however, wasted no time, slowly establishing herself as Louis's sole confidante, and ultimately an indispensable, albeit officially unacknowledged, head of state. Algrant takes the reader into the farthest and most exclusive chambers at Versailles, offering glimpses that portray the resourcefulness and the determination with which the king's favorite deftly manipulated the divided court, ruling as absolutely as any monarch. Madame de Pompadour will become the definitive biography of the most fascinating and influential woman of the age. "Algrant's Madame de Pompadour makes you hear the rattle of the tumbrils, just thirty years down the road." -- Alistair Horne

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #417480 in Books
• Published on: 2003-08-08
• Released on: 2003-08-08
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: 1.08 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 352 pages

From Publishers Weekly
It's impossible to read Algrant's relatively reserved study (compared with that of Evelyne Lever, [see review on p. 166]) without thinking, at least fleetingly, of Monica Lewinsky. Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson (1721-1764) too set her sights on winning the affections of a head of state, in her case, King Louis XV of France. She succeeded and became as famous as her paramour but far more reviled primarily because Pompadour actively sought to be the power behind the throne. Algrant (Philippe, duc d'Orl‚ans) does a terrific job portraying a woman driven by a potent combination of ambition, insecurity and a dogged determination to fulfill the destiny set forth for her at age nine, when a fortune teller predicted she would become the mistress of the king of France. According to Algrant, there's no doubt that Pompadour loved the king, but it's never quite clear how much of that love was pure and how much was motivated by her almost pathological need for power. And power she had: by the time she died, at age 42, Pompadour had overseen the hiring and firing of government officials and military officers. Armed with objectivity and a wealth of facts, Algrant either because she shows without telling or refuses to speculate lets readers draw their own conclusions about Pompadour's true character. The result is a comprehensive but detached portrait that provides plenty of food for thought. 8 pages of color illus. not seen by PW.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Here are two biographies of Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, who became famous in 18th-century France as mistress of and confidante to Louis XV. When Poisson was young, a fortune-teller predicted that she would become the mistress of the king, and thereafter she was groomed by family and friends for the role. Eventually, she became a patron of the arts and was known to such luminaries as Voltaire and Montesquieu. In 1745, when she came to Louis XV's attention, she transformed herself into Madame de Pompadour. Poisson was given rooms at Versailles, and, though she was the king's lover for only five years, she remained his close adviser until her death. Algrant, author of Philippe, duc d'Orleans, a 1997 New York Times Notable Book, has written a well-researched volume on Madame de Pompadour. While previous biographies, such as Margaret Crosland's Madame de Pompadour: Sex, Culture, and Power, have focused on the cultural and sociological aspects of her era, Algrant brings her to life in an engaging study that will appeal to the general reader as well as the specialist. Leading French historian Lever (e.g., Marie Antoinette: The Last Queen of France) delivers a well-researched biographical account that gives a picture of Louis XV as well as of Madame de Pompadour in an easy-to-read manner. While Algrant's account tells more about Poisson's early life and rise as mistress, Lever's discusses more broadly the king's history of mistresses and life at court. Both books ably describe Madame de Pompadour's influence on France and the French people. Algrant's book, written in a slightly more accessible, storytelling manner, may bring the famous courtesan a bit more vividly to life than Lever's, but both biographies are recommended for most collections. [Algrant's book was previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 3/15/02.]-Mary Salony, West Virginia Northern Community Coll. Libs., Wheelin.
--Mary Salony, West Virginia Northern Community Coll. Libs., Wheeling
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.