248 pages ; 19 cm

"One of the great literary forces of her age or any age, Germaine de Stael was born into the political and intellectual aristocracy of her time. The daughter of Jacques Necker, Louis XVI's finance minister; she married Sweden's ambassador to the French court and for two decades held the limelight as a political figure and prolific writer. Admittedly not a beauty, she was nonetheless notoriously seductive and enjoyed whirlwind affairs with some of the most influential men of her time. She was demonized by Napoleon for her forthrightness, her powerful intellect, and her prestigious salon, a hothouse of subversive ideas and sexual intrigue. The Emperor exiled her, on and off, for the last two decades of her life." "Madame de Stael - force of nature, exuberant idealist, and ultimate enthusiast - waged a lifelong struggle against all that was tyrannical, cynical, or passionless in her time; and left a legacy of enlightened liberalism that radiated throughout Europe during the nineteenth century."--Jacket

Includes bibliographical references (pages 244-246)

Part I -- Growing up -- Listening -- Loving -- Conversing -- Romancing -- Surviving -- Lobbying -- Safeguarding -- Part II -- Benjamin Constant -- Napoleon Bonaparte -- "I shall break her, I shall crush her" -- L'Allemagne -- Corinne -- The emperor of matter and the mistress of mind -- The last salons -- Epilogue

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