Considering how little has been written about the Rothschild women, this book was long overdue. So rich in history and presented in an engaging manner. I am glad to have read this book; courtesy of NetGalley. It was time well spent.

A fascinating history of one of the world's most financially successful families, the Rothschilds -- but focusing on the mostly unknown or ignored female members. Much as been written about the banking achievement of the men, but this detailed and lengthy story tells about the mothers, daughters and sisters who were successful in their own right.

The story picks up in the mid 18th century and follows the different branches of the family as they expand their business across Europe. They were both a close family and often a contentious one, with feuds and rivalries complicating their relationships.

I found this tale to be mostly absorbing, particularly as we reach modern times. Tied up in the women's accomplishments was the story of the family's Jewish identity and different members' long struggles to achieve political and societal equality. The author is clear that this family had unimaginable financial resources at their disposal and privilege galore.

Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is a very dense history book, and as per the author's notes, mostly concerns the women of the British branch of the family, and I would add, particularly in the more modern years of the 20th and 21st centuries, with a little French and German parts of the family thrown in for visits, matchmaking and weddings and family gatherings. The information about the women could not be presented without about half of the text relating to the male figures, so my initial expectations about the book differed from that actual text. This work certainly involved a lot of research and dedication, and provides an interesting addition to women's history. Having completed this book, I kind of wonder about the women in the other branches of the family in the other parts of Europe and wherever else they lived.

The Rothschild women were often advisors and partners of their husbands, even though, they were specifically left out of family businesses by the founder Mayer Amschel Rothschild. With their name, wealth, and connections, the women played significant roles in the march of political, economic, geopolitical, social and artistic history. The wealth and business did not necessarily shield them from the anti-Semitic nature of the world, from sickness, early death, unhappy marriages and lives, and many misfortunes. As the family grew and spread, beyond the original generations of the founders, Mayer and Gutle, and their five sons, and became more integrated into general culture, it seems to me, they became unmoored from the original moral boundaries, with some major exceptions. Perhaps the fact that so many cousins married each other through the generations, there may have been a genetic component to mental and physical health issues that many faced.

I am not sure I would have completed this book if I had not won it in the giveaway and had a personal commitment to review it. It certainly is the kind of book that I most like to read, and I am glad that I finished it. Not all of the pursuits were so interesting to me, so there was room for some skimming. It was challenging to keep up with all of the names and relationships, particularly as many of the names were used many times through out the 250 years covered in this history.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author Natalie Livingstone and publisher St. Martin's Press for the advanced copy of this terrific novel.

There was so much information! Some of it was very dense and some lighthearted. I loved that there was an ancestral chart in the beginning. It was hard to figure out since I was reading on my kindle.

I pre-ordered a copy so that I can thoroughly enjoy it and be able to flip back and forth.

I will update my review once I finish the hard copy.

Interesting read on the legacy of the females in the Rothchild family tree. I think the original patriarch was an jerk. His will stated that no daughters or SILs could inherit the family business. This mandate resulted in some inbreeding (cousins marrying cousins). Females that married outside the family were ostracized. I would have loved a better family org chart, I couldn't read the one in the digital book. I enjoyed the stories of the later generations and how they made their own mark in the world.

I love historical fiction, historical nonfiction is even better. Here we have the many generations of the Rothschild women. No money or titles till they take for themselves. It has always amazed me how in History so many societies treat women and children as nothing more than creatures to have underfoot. Without women, there would be no children, no clean clothes, no food.....no reason to come home from war. And in the higher ranks of social climbers, if there were no women, there would be no balls, no banquets, no corsets cinched tight to distract the man from his political conversations.
The Rothschild women knew this. They knew there was more than religion and politics yet, the women of this family for generations knew those sectors needed to get along to push things forward. They whispered their ideas into their husband's ears at night, a slight suggestion to make events go in the right direction. Marriages were arranged to advance both sons and daughters.
The Dynasty we think of is the Rockefellers or the Kennedys but first, there were the Rothschilds and the women were secretly running the show.
A powerhouse of a book.

This was an interesting book about a history that I did not know about! I've vaguely heard about the Rothschild family, mainly in passing in historical documentaries. It is great that there is a book now, focusing on women in history! I love reading historical books about women and their mark on the times they lived in and the paths they forged. Nathalie Livingstone does a great job in the research and depth of the women she chronicles. It was clear and well-written and engaging. I hope there is a follow-up documentary one day!
The research is interesting and well developed, if I had one issue it was that there was a lot of women chronicled, and it was hard to keep track! I have found this in a couple of other non-fiction history books that I've read recently also, so maybe it is forces beyond the historians control. Regardless, I greatly enjoyed this look into a family of notable women and their impact on the world!
I received The Women of Rothschild as an ARC from Netgalley for my honest opinion. If you are interested in European history or women in history, this is an interesting topic to read!

A well researched tour de force of the women in the Rothschild family tree, whether the name was assumed on marriage or acquired at birth from the mid 1700s into the 20th century. Despite the strictures of living in an 18th century ghetto, from the beginning the women were not so different from now, whether rich or poor, working hard despite prohibitions, intellectually stimulated, active personalities unwilling to be limited by social pressures or anti-Semitic actions. A fascinating examination of 200 years of ‘female scribblers’ whose writings have been preserved even though their presence wasn’t noted in the histories written.

I received an advance reading copy (arc) of this book from the publisher and NetGalley.com in return for a fair review. Going into this book, I knew very little about the Rothschild Family other than they were very rich! I understand that much has been written about the Rothschild men who were responsible for one of the most legendary banking dynasties in Europe. Begun in Frankfurt, Germany by Mayer Amschel Rothschild in the 1700s, much has been written about Mayer Amschel and his male descendants, but the women have been overlooked. Author Natalie Livingstone has changed all that by writing this book and focusing on the Rothschild ladies starting with Mayer Amschel's wife, Gutle. She was instrumental in her husband's success all while raising a family (19 pregnancies with 10 children surviving to adulthood) and running a household. Known for being frugal, she was smart and cunning, but never got the recognition she deserved. Her husband even excluded all female family members from their banking business in his will. Gutle's son, Nathan, settled in England and married Hannah Barent Cohen. Hannah became his equal and unofficial business partner. While he continued his father's legacy of excluding the ladies, he also instructed his sons to consult their mother when making any complex business decisions. The wealthy couple hobnobbed with royalty, raised their own family, and lived lavishly. Livingstone goes on to detail the lives of several generations of Rothschild women all the way through to modern times. It is a fascinating look at a fascinating family. My only complaint was the myriad of characters introduced. I had a hard time keeping up with who's who. The book is well-researched and well-written and one thing's for sure...there is never a dull moment or a dull character!

This book carries a detailed plethora of information regarding the Rothschild women and as such, it came across as an encyclopedia. I appreciate the knowledge I consumed reading this book as I had a vague familiarity with the women of Rothschild or the Rothchilds as a whole as all I knew was that they were a wealthy dynasty. This book uncovers the essential, influential roles of the females within the Rothchild clan. They were an instrumental powerhouse, albeit delegated to the background, living in their husbands' shadows when in fact, they were much more than that. Sadly, their contributions have been overlooked throughout history yet this book sheds a truthful light on the reality of the life that unfolded for these Rothschild women.

In addition, I do appreciate the meticulous research that was required to create a detailed book to this extent, spanning a few hundred years. It is not a light read as the information consumed is abundant. I do recommend reading it for a history buff or anyone wanting to learn about the Rothschild women in detail.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Rated: 4/5

I DNF"d at 25%. I tried so hard to follow all the women, who's family they were in, etc. Just too confusing and so much detail.

This was a well-written, well-researched dive into the mostly hidden lives of the women behind the Rothschild family. Since that could cover such an enormous spread, author Natalie Livingstone restricted herself to the English branch of the family. It was fascinating to watch the changes in social, religious, and political life as the Rothschild women experienced (and influenced) it across the 19th and 20th centuries. There were definitely times you wished there remained more evidence of personal feelings or thoughts- as political hostesses how did these women bear it when they had to politely invite openly anti-Semitic MPs to their dinners and sit there listening to them talk? But it turns out most Rothschild women edited their own diaries and thoughts- whether with an eye to what their husbands or future generations might think if they read it who knows? (which in itself is interesting to me).

From politicians like the Duke of Wellington to Disraeli and Queen Victoria to jazz artists like Charlie Parker and Thelonius Monk, Rothschild women knew some of the most influential men and women of their age- in every age. They took up causes, both social, religious, and political, and often made major differences along the way. From naturalist Miriam Rothschild to matriarch Gutle Rothschild, this is a book about women-real women with strengths and flaws, doubts and beliefs, supporting their families and their causes, and showing how strong women moving in the shadows of a male dominated world could be.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

If you are interested in history and the power of women, this is the book for you. I knew very little about the Rothschild family, much less the women. Natalie Livingstone did her research! This is not a quick read, but it is worth the time.

As someone who knew nothing about the Rothschild, I recommend this. If you have a lot of knowledge you maybe a bit disappointed.

With the exception of Gutle, the foundress, Rothschild women in the past never received the recognition they deserved from the men in the family. Baby boys were favored. It is through writers like Natalie Livingstone that we learn of their legacy. From the beginning their involvement in life reflects the historic events of their day. They immerse themselves in the family company and establish institutions. Much time and effort is involved in matchmaking, not necessarily involving love. The decision to “marry out” for love or “marry in” to a loveless relationship has to be made. The women’s philosophies fall on both liberal and conservative sides. Earlier on this is reflected in hosting skills; later in actual involvement. They are friends of prime ministers and royals. They witness the election of the first Jew to the House of Commons, a family member. Many have strong social consciences, working for causes. They live through political movements, social unrest, marrying and raising children, always demonstrating interest in science and the arts and their advancement. Their common bond is their strength, intelligence and endurance.

Very detailed book about the Rothschild Women. I never heard of them before reading this book. Mainly focuses on them prior to 1900 and mainly in England. If you want a long and detailed history of these women, this is the book for you. If you don't, skip it.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC

An interesting history of the Rothschild family. This book details the lives of both the men and women in this family, and how each made their contributions.

Natalie Livingstone’s The Women of Rothschild is a sweeping, multi-general history of the English branch of Rothschild women. She begins her story in Frankfurt with family matriarch Gutle, and then focuses primarily on the female descendants on Nathan and Henriette, who moved to England. The book spans multiple centuries and six generations of women, and it is fascinating to see both the different people and historical events that these women met and were a part of. It also shows the evolving transition of the women in the family. Outrightly denied the right to participate in the banking legacy of the Rothschild family by patriarch Amschel, the women go from being almost purely homemakers, serving as mothers and wives with occasional assistance in the family business, to actively making financial decisions, to patrons of arts, culture and philanthropy, to women with careers and pursuits of their own. Also evolving throughout the story is the family’s dedication to Judaism. With the earlier generations, marrying outside religion can essentially lead to excommunication, whereas the later generations become increasingly ambivalent to being Jewish, despite members of the family being prominent in role of establishing Israel. It’s quite amazing to see the transformation between Gutle, who grew up in the ghetto and lives her life primarily as a devout homemaker, to Miriam an heir worth millions that forges her own career as an entomologist who wins respect in her industry and country for her work. And as much historical documentation excluded the history of women, regarding only the work of Rothschild men as important, Livingstone has done an admiral job of researching and pulling together historical information about the women – proceeded by several Rothschild women who decided to speak up and share their stories and perspectives themselves. Through no fault of the author, following along can get confusing; many of the women, especially in the earlier generations, have the same names and there is quite a bit of marrying within the family. The reader will have to try and keep multiple Hannahs, Louises, and Emmas straight (as well as Amschels, Nats, James, etc.) as they follow along. It’s worth it though; the history is fascinating and shows through one family the changing tides of religion and women’s rights and how people attitudes towards both have changed over time. This story is worth reading both for a previously limited perspective on the women of one of the most well-known families in Europe in the last few hundred years, and for seeing the evolution of beliefs and roles adapt and change across multiple generations of women within the same family. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book offers an interesting look at the history of the Rothschild family, from it's humble beginnings to becoming the huge, well-known dynasty it now is. The author focuses on the women in the family, who, largely due to how strictly patriarchal the family is, have been kept from the spotlight when they're really the most interesting members of the family. The Rothschild women were not only deeply involved in the family's banking business, but also in various social causes. As a prominent Jewish family, the Rothschilds often felt that they needed to use their position to assist others, causing them to flock to causes like funding Jewish schools. I thought it was interesting to hear about everything they did, I had not idea the family was as far-reaching as they are, though I did think that the author focuses too much on the British branches of the family, despite the family getting its start in Germany. I also think that the discussion of Zionism, which is complex and has greatly changed over time, needed to be much more detailed and nuanced, given how involved the family was in the movement (on both sides).

Unfortunately I wasn’t able to finish this as 1- it was only on the NetGalley shelf which isn’t a convenient way for me to read and 2- it timed out on the shelf. I still look forward to reading this better in the future.