Hannah Pakula

A truly masterful book. Pakula pulls together everything from social theory to medical history to thousands of letters to create a portrait of the Empress Dowager Frederick. The first born and cleverest child of Queen Victoria, Vicky married the Prussian Crown Prince Frederick. Theirs was a truly loving marriage and a meeting of two idealistic, thoughtful minds. Unfortunately, Prussia (led by Frederick's conservative father Wilhelm I and the EVIL EVIL EVIL Chancellor Bismarck) was highly show more conservative and Anglophobic. Frederick was a talented soldier (papers released decades later made it clear he was a main reason Prussia won the Austro-Prussian War) and dedicated son. Unfortunately, by the time he took the throne he was dying of throat cancer, and only ruled a few months. His crazed son, Kaiser Wilhelm II, took the throne immediately.

Here's what I learned from this book: Vicky was super awesome. She dedicated herself to understanding world politics until the last weeks of her long, drawn out death by cancer (German doctors wouldn't give her more than tiny doses of morphine, so she died in incredible agony). Thanks to the state-owned press, which released constant propaganda against her and her husband, she never got to do the good she dreamt of. But even without official support or money, she spent her life nursing, spreading hygiene plans, and collecting for charities. She was shamefully treated by the Prussian court, most especially by her sociopathic eldest son, Wilhelm II. Wilhelm II was totes crazy. Bismark was an evil manipulative genius who was directly responsible for WWI and indirectly for WWII. His anti-semitic war mongering propaganda ruined the mindset of the German people for a generation.

If I could rewrite history, I would kill off Wilhelm I so Frederick could rule, and kill off Bismarck and WIlhelm II so they wouldn't frustrate Frederick and Vicky's liberal plans.
Of course, if I could *really* rewrite history, I would make Vicky the ruler. I loved her. show less

Incredibly well researched and documented, the story of Mai-ling Soong's life journey; as a young girl born into Chinese aristocracy; sent to America for education and her return to China. Her marriage to Chiang Kai-shek, helping him with the revolution to oust the Manchu government and establish republican rule, fighting the Chinese communists and attempting to unify China under one government. Then the war with Japan to regain occupied territories continuing through WWII and ultimately show more Chiang's move of the government to Taiwan, and the ultimate stagnation,decay and fall of the Chinese Republic.

Now it may seem to be more about China and her history (the book covers 1866-2005- a period of 139 years!)but it is truly impossible to separate her life story from that of China. She is instrumental in bringing China from third world status to one of the most powerful and important nations on the planet.

Traditionally, the role of women in Chinese culture was one of quiet subservience and obedience. Mai-ling helped bridge the gap between this ancient lifestyle to a much more cosmopolitan one in which she was as important (if not more so) than her husband Chiang Kai-shek. She became a worldwide advocate for China,speaking and personally representing the Chinese Republican government to the world.

But this is no propaganda piece. She had her faults as well, mostly her love of fine living, fine clothes and jewelry and her use of esoteric language that seemed over the head of her audience, as if trying to prove her own importance.

Madame Chiang comes across as a flesh and blood person. I found the book interesting but dense. It is not meant for easy reading. But I could not put it down. I'm glad I didn't. I highly recommend it! show less

For lovers of history, this is an exceptional biography. Readable, thorough and very well researched and documented. The Empress was certainly a woman ahead of her time: educated, thoughtful, and, despite the expected role of women at her time, deeply involved in the world of international politics.

In Pakula's biography, we learn about the:
• Deep lifelong influence of Princess Victoria's (Vicky) connection with her father, Prince Albert, since both were so very much alike in show more intelligence, character and outlook.
• More challenging relationship between Princess Victoria and her domineering, self-absorbed mother, Queen Victoria.
• Loving and romantic relationship with her husband, Germany's Crown Prince Friedrich
• Her evolving relationships with all her children, including the very interesting and troubled one with the future Kaiser Wilhelm II, who is quite a character.
• Deeply suspicious court of Prussia where anti-English feelings ran deep and often centered on Vicky.
• Lifelong battle she fought with her husband to move Bismarck's Prussia toward a more constitutional monarchy and away from the oppressive, warlike stance that was so deeply ingrained in the country's identity.

The most enjoyable part of this book for me was reading the excerpts from the hundreds of letters between Vicky and her mother about everything from politics, to childrearing, to arranging royal matches throughout Europe.

This is a biography that does an excellent job documenting both the public and personal sides of Vicky's life and her influence in Germany during a 40 year period during the 1800s. It's also a fascinating look at the origins of many of the events and alliances in Europe that would eventually culminate in World War I. show less

For lovers of history, this is an exceptional biography. Readable, thorough and very well researched and documented. The Empress was certainly a woman ahead of her time: educated, thoughtful, and, despite the expected role of women at her time, deeply involved in the world of international politics.

In Pakula's biography, we learn about the:
• Deep lifelong influence of Princess Victoria's (Vicky) connection with her father, Prince Albert, since both were so very much alike in show more intelligence, character and outlook.
• More challenging relationship between Princess Victoria and her domineering, self-absorbed mother, Queen Victoria.
• Loving and romantic relationship with her husband, Germany's Crown Prince Friedrich
• Her evolving relationships with all her children, including the very interesting and troubled one with the future Kaiser Wilhelm II, who is quite a character.
• Deeply suspicious court of Prussia where anti-English feelings ran deep and often centered on Vicky.
• Lifelong battle she fought with her husband to move Bismarck's Prussia toward a more constitutional monarchy and away from the oppressive, warlike stance that was so deeply ingrained in the country's identity.

The most enjoyable part of this book for me was reading the excerpts from the hundreds of letters between Vicky and her mother about everything from politics, to childrearing, to arranging royal matches throughout Europe.

This is a biography that does an excellent job documenting both the public and personal sides of Vicky's life and her influence in Germany during a 40 year period during the 1800s. It's also a fascinating look at the origins of many of the events and alliances in Europe that would eventually culminate in World War I. show less