Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

In many books, readability is sacrificed for comprehension. In this book, the right balance is struck. It is easy to read but you still get to understand the combination of the complex politics of Austria, France, and Mexico, and the hubris and motivations of the main characters.

I had of the Mexican Emperor Maximillian before but knew little about him expect him being part of the Hapsburg family.
It was an intriguing book to read finding out how an Austrian Archduke became Emperor of a central American country and how it involved Napoleon III and the British Government seeking to stop the influence of the USA on other countries in that part of the world.
Overall it is a story of a tragic Hapsburg prince duped into a thone and ultimately paid the price with his life.

I must confess that I knew very little of the history of Mexico before starting this account, but this book was absolutely riveting. Detailed and well- written, it was a really great read. The account of Maximilian's last few days and his relationship with Carlota, his loyal wife were especially moving. I really enjoyed it. Thanks to the author, the publisher and to Netgalley for the opportunity to access an ARC, one of the best history books I have read in a long time.

Another, yes another biography (albeit a terrific one) of one of the unlukiest archidukes ever produced by the Imperial House of Austria (if you decide of course to discard his really unfortunate great-uncle Alexander Leopold who managed to blow himself up while manipulating some fireworks in 1795 at the tender age of 22), but Yes, another sad biography centred around the eventful but pitiful life of an Imperial moron dumb enough to fall prey to one of the most cynical and utterly sickening machiavellian schemes ever concocted by an evil Napoleon III and doomed to fail from the start: the ridiculous French invasion of Mexico during the American Civil War.

Second son of an idiot and an overbearing Bavarian harridan, younger brother of a weak and selfish emperor who lacked self-confidence, married to a poisonous nutcase hailing from Belgium, the life of Maximilian of Austria is a long descent into hell from his privileged birth among the gilded splendor of Schobrunn Palace in 1832 to the dusty harshness of a Mexican firing squad in 1867.
A ruthless tale of madness, missed opportunities and unflinching megalomania that took place in the early 1860s.

This is a story that never fails to fascinate me no matter how many times I read about it, the pathetic failure of an educated man unable to rein in his huge ambition, blindingly following his deranged wife and totally
unable to realize when he is being manipulated by the nefarious sycophants and unprincipled troublemakers hovering around his wobbly throne...

A riveting chronicle of a failed adventure, brilliantly and rather passionately brought to life by Edward Shawcross with lots of fascinating historical details.

A must read if you want to learn more about one of the greatest political follies of the long and tumultuous 19th century!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Faber & Faber for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful biography.

Excellent account of the disastrous meddling of European powers in Mexican politics in the 1860s. Take one Habsburg archduke who was sadly (for him) a younger son, a French emperor with grandiose plans for world domination, an emerging United States determined to stop European influence across Americas and point them all in the direction of Mexico, a still young independent state with competing political and ideological interests. It was always going to end in tragedy with huge loss of life, not least of the Habsburg archduke.

At times, you couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for Maximilian, younger brother of the long reigning Austro-Hungarian emperor Franz Joseph who ill-advisedly took the newly created throne of Mexico to become its emperor. But then you remember his arrogance, ignorance and entitlement… on his way to Mexico, having accepted the throne after much toing and froing, he spent his time writing a lengthy tome on the etiquette of his court. On arrival, he built palaces and throughout his short reign hosted extravagant banquets, ignoring the perilous financial state of his ‘empire’ and the enormous debt to France – one of the main reasons Napoleon III, the French emperor persuaded him to go to Mexico in the first place. He took pride in his liberal social policies but had no interest in the economy. He was interested in meeting with indigenous peoples of Mexico but made no serious attempts to reconcile the warring liberal (republican) and conservative political factions.

Napoleon III deserves most of the blame here though. He manipulated Maximilian to serve his own interests, namely bolstering France (and himself) as major power player. He seized the opportunity of the American civil war (when the US would be unable to intervene internationally) to send troops to Mexico to bring about Maximilian’s empire but he couldn’t afford to send enough men to pacify the country and he picked wrong commanding officers. He talked Maximilian into paying for the French occupation in a ruinous debt repayment contract and as mentioned above, Maximilian only ever spent money. Both men seem to have been imbued with an almost messianic spirit – Maximilian more so, believing that he was following in the footsteps of his Spanish Habsburg ancestor Phillip II back in 16th century while Napoleon III’s more recent legacy of his uncle must have influenced his foreign policy.

The Last Emperor of Mexico is a fantastic read, Shawcross looks at all the international and domestic players – the exiled Mexican patriots, for example who petitioned European courts and then gloried in the creation of Mexican empire but never, themselves stepped a foot into it or the ultra-conservative Catholic clergy. I would have liked to have heard from ordinary Mexicans, what did they actually think of Maximilian and whether they thought anything at all of him and the empire but other than that, an excellent read.

Highly recommended.

My thanks to Faber & Faber and Netgalley for the opportunity to read The Last Emperor of Mexico.

I am grateful to NetGalley for providing an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The subtitle of this book is “The Dramatic Story of the Habsburg Archduke Who Created a Kingdom in the New World”.

Having worked in and travelled to the region many times in recent years, it is remiss of me not to know more about the history of Mexico. This book goes a long way towards addressing my knowledge, at least regarding the mid 19th century events covered and the circumstances that made these events possible. This book provides a fascinating insight into a little known, or perhaps little understood period of Mexican history. Following periods of internal conflict, unstable governments and US interventions, the French military, under orders from Napoleon III, occupied the main cities of Mexico and installed a European Prince as Emperor.

Being familiar with Manet’s painting “The Execution of Emperor Maximilian”, I already knew the outcome of the main protagonist. Nevertheless I knew little of the events leading up to his rule and his downfall.

The book provides some history regarding the waring parties in Mexico (essentially Liberals vs a loose coalition of Conservatives, Imperialists and the Church ) which eventually led to the French plan. This was to stabilise the country, expand France’s influence in the New World and enforce debt repayments. The reign of Napoleon III in France was to be to model followed by Mexico. While in the Americas, the US had a policy, the Monroe Doctrine, of exerting leadership and power in the region. The ongoing Civil War distracted the US from this policy, allowing the French to plan an expansion in Mexico and potentially elsewhere.

Exactly how Maximilian becomes Emperor of Mexico is covered in some detail. The Austrian Prince was unlikely to succeed his older brother to the throne in Austria. Although he had a tenuous relationship to the first, Spanish emperor of Mexico, Maximilian was eventual choice to be the second emperor due to circumstances of European imperialism and expansion. This outcome is largely due to the influence of Napoleon III on Europe in general and Maximilian in particular. Napoleon III promised to provide French military, economic and technical support to the Empire. In addition to French expansion and debt repayments, Napoleon III hoped the Empire would allow expansion and safeguard European interests throughout the New World.

Although a capable, experienced and respected European Royal, with proven leadership, technical and bureaucratic skills, Maximilian had grand ambitions; Mexico provided an opportunity outside the restrictions he was subject to in Europe. His young wife, a Belgium Princess, also somewhat unfulfilled in her life, was also prominent in encouraging her husband and pursuing the creation of an Empire.

The early chapters discuss the confluence of circumstances leading up to Maximilian and his wife being installed in Mexico. A complex, lengthy and stressful process for all concerned ! The French, Austrian, Belgium governments and royalty all supported the French plans; the British government and royalty were somewhat ambivalent. Very few of those involved urged Maximilian not to accept the French offer. Influential Mexican expatriates in France supported the Conservative cause at home. They inevitably and strongly supported the plans to form an Empire, which would establish and maintain a stable Mexican State in the Americas. An areas fast becoming dominated by US power and influence.

The book subsequently covers the establishment of the Empire, only possible with the intervention of French, Belgium, Austrian and other foreign troops in what is essentially an ongoing civil war. For some three years Maximilian rules Mexico with abundant foreign troops but limited local support. Despite the best endeavours of Maximilian and his wife to provide stability via compromise, liberal attitudes and modern thinking, inevitably the foreign intervention is not successful.

The downfall of the Empire is covered in the later chapters of the book. Again a confluence of circumstances lead to this downfall and the author documents the events and the individuals involved. European support is diminished as the Empire struggles to provide stability. Debt repayment remains an issue, in part due to the onerous costs of hosting the French and European military plus other foreign officials in Mexico. Church support for the Empire is limited until the issue of ownership of property and land, confiscated during periods of Liberal Government, is resolved. The end of the US Civil War allows the American government to once again exert influence in the Mexico region. The presence of a non-democratic, imperialist European power south of the border is not tolerable to a powerful and dominant USA.

After some three years of Empire with little progress and little chance of success, Napoleon III’s patience is tested. Following the departure of other European troops, the withdrawal of the final French troops and bureaucracy leaves Maximilian’s Empire exposed to the reality of civil war once again. The opposition Liberals growth in strength and power due to US military support. To the end, Maximilian retains the best of intentions for his Empire. Although somewhat deluded and foolhardy his intentions be, they are nevertheless sincere and honourable. He remains in Mexico, does not abdicate as requested by the French and European powers. He ventures from the safety of Mexico City to lead his remaining forces against the encroaching Liberals.

Eventually the scene captured in Manet’s paintings takes place.The author provides an Epilogue to the whole “monumental gamble”, noting the outcomes and subsequent lives of the main protagonists. His conclusion on Maximilian is nuanced. He was a capable and intelligent man, liberal, enlightened and generous in his attitudes and actions. However he was also misguided, misled and deluded. Once military support was removed, his very limited local support was evident and the outcomes inevitable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book which covers events largely forgotten or at least misunderstood, in Mexican, European and US history. The author takes the reader on a journey leading up to Maximilian’s installation in Mexico, establishing & maintaining the Empire and inevitably the downfall. Leading and supporting characters are portrayed with honesty, clarity and occasionally humour. Events and actions are supported by extensive research of archives in Mexico, the US and Europe.

The author concludes that the imperialist expansionist events portrayed in the book are not unique to the past, as subsequent imperialist or expansionist plans led to conflicts and interventions throughout the 20th century and up until the present day. The quote 'Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it’ seems especially apt and poignant after reading this book.

A thoroughly researched, well written and engaging book with occasional illustrations, abundant notes, selected references and an index. I highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in Mexico, the US and Europe during the 19th Century. I wish the author and all involved in bringing this book to publication, all the very best