The Duchess of Dino: Chatelaine of Europe (Phoenix Press)

The unique and fascinating life of Talleyrand’s niece, Dorothea Courland, Duchess of Dino, will grab readers’ attention and hold it fast. This first English-language biography of the Duchess paints a portrait of an intelligent, strikingly beautiful, proud, and ferociously loyal woman. She served as Talleyrand’s constant companion, taking on some of his social and political burdens when he grew too old to bear them alone. Talleyrand was even assumed to have been the father of her last child. This is a gripping character study of one of the most influential women of the 19th century.