Manchmal gibt es einfach Bücher, die kann man nicht nicht kaufen und wenn eine deiner Lieblingssachbuchautorinnen noch ein Buch über die Habsburger schreibt - und dann auch noch über Sisi ausgerechnet^^ - dann ist das ein must-buy. Damit könnte man es jetzt bewenden lassen, aber da die Popkultur ja nicht müde wird mir jedes Jahr 3 neue (gefühlt) Sisi Serien und Filme vorzuschlagen, habe ich dazu ... Gedanken. ;-)
Bevor wir aber dazu kommen, worum geht es in The Rebel Empresses: Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe geschrieben von Nancy Goldstone, gesprochen von Tamsin Kennard?

From the acclaimed author of In the Shadow of the Empress
comes the thrilling chronicle of two of the most influential and
glamorous women in nineteenth-century Europe—Elisabeth, empress of
Austria, and Eugénie, empress of France—and their efforts to rule amid
the scandal, intrigue, tragedy, and violence of their era.
When
they married Emperors Franz Joseph and Napoleon III, respectively,
Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France became two of the most famous
women on the planet. Not only were they both young and
beautiful—becoming cultural and fashion icons of their time—but they
played a pivotal role in ruling their realms during a tempestuous era
characterized by unprecedented political and technological change.
Fearless,
adventurous, and independent, Elisabeth and Eugénie represented a new
kind of empress—one who rebelled against tradition and anticipated and
embraced modern values. Yet both women endured hardship in their private
and public lives. Elisabeth was plagued by a mother-in-law who snatched
her infant children away and undermined her authority at court.
Eugénie’s husband was an infamous philanderer who could not match the
military prowess of his namesake. Between them, Elisabeth and Eugénie
were personally involved in every major international confrontation in
their turbulent century, which witnessed thrilling technological
advances, as well as revolutions, assassinations, and wars.
With
her characteristic in-depth research and vivid writing, Nancy Goldstone
brings to life these two remarkable women, as Europe goes through the
convulsions that led up to the international landscape we recognize
today.