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Memoirs (1630–1680)

Sean Ward author Sophia Of Hanov author Sophia Of Hanover author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:University of Toronto Press

Published:1st Nov '13

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Memoirs (1630–1680) cover

Granddaughter of James I of England, Sophia (1630–1714) began life a penniless princess in exile. She ended it as electress dowager of Hanover, an emerging European power. Had she lived two months longer, she would have succeeded to the British crown before her son, George I. In keeping with Sophia’s reputation as the era’s “most entertaining woman,” her memoirs, which she wrote in French, paint a captivating and often humorous portrait of her life as one of Europe’s preeminent noblewomen and celebrities. They also recall, with insight and verve, her interactions with leading men and ladies (Charles II, Louis XIV, Queen Christina of Sweden) and long-forgotten bit players (cavaliers, concubines, clerics, and quacks). The memoirs, which recount the first fifty years of Sophia’s life, appear here in English for the first time in their entirety. Their publication in this series is particularly timely, as it coincides with the three hundredth anniversary of the Hanoverian succession (2014).

"This lively historical memoir was written by a fascinating, intelligent, and strong figure who was related to most of the royal houses of Europe. Ward has succeeded marvelously in bringing Sophia of Hanover to life for a modern audience. Readers will be delighted to discover the wit, critical spirit, and storytelling skill of this woman who inhabited and visited many seventeenth-century courts and knew how to write a compelling narrative of her world." * -Elizabeth Goldsmith, Boston University *

ISBN: 9780772721488

Dimensions: 243mm x 157mm x 13mm

Weight: 324g

206 pages