I want to thank NetGalley and Little, Brown, and Company Publishing for a copy of this book.

I want to start by saying that if I were rating this book on the historical context of the lives of Empress Eugénie and Empress Elizabeth (aka Sisi) it would be a 6 out of 5. It is a fantastic snapshot of these two women's lives and the political conflict across Europe. It also highlighted the implications of imperialism during this period. However, as a book purely focused on the lives of the Empresses, it falls a little short as they are often hidden in the larger political dynamics. In one chapter for example Empress Elizabeth ages 20 years with very little of her life discussed within that period. Thus, this book is a great introduction to several Empresses (Elizabeth, Eugénie, and Carlotta) and has made me hungry to read more focused biographies on each of these women.

Goldstone's research into Eugénie and Elizabeth is extensive as she can highlight not only their political impact (e.g., Mexico and Hungary, respectively) but also paints a vibrant picture of their personalities. The ambitions, or lack of, that these women exhibited throughout their lives continued to shine through the narrative. I also appreciate that the discussion of who these women were was incredibly nuanced, particularly when discussing their relationships with their spouses and children. The nuance allows the reader to have empathy for the Empresses and also feel comfortable questioning their life choices. While we cannot diagnose psychological issues at a distance, it is wrong to assume that the same psychological strains we experience today were not something these women experienced.

I do wish that there had been more about each of these women. For instance, are there first-hand sources of how Eugénie felt about her husband's affairs? How close was Elizabeth to her youngest daughter? In many ways, it felt that there were only glimpses of their relationships, but there was not a great deal of depth in exploring these relationships and I would have loved to learn more.

In terms of the overall European history components of the story that Goldstone covers in this work, I now have an incredibly great understanding of the political dynamics happening in Europe in the 19th century. Goldstone was able to integrate the complicated dynamics into a clear narrative that allows readers to situate individuals whom they may have previously heard. The events discussed within the context of France and Austria had a great impact on not only the unification of Italy but also set in motion the breakout of the First World War.

I will say that while Goldstone does her best to distinguish each of the key players and provides each of their monikers it was difficult to keep each of the minor players straight, particularly the important political advisors. Not only were there many to keep track of but because they were involved in diplomatic discussions they moved locations, which made it harder to know who was aligned with whom. I almost wish there were trees for the advisors.

This is an incredibly well-researched and engagingly written book. If you are a lover of history this is a book that you will enjoy. Furthermore, if you want to know the geopolitical impact of Empresses Elizabeth and Eugénie this is a book that should be at the top of your list.

Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Infidelity, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Child death, Homophobia, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Religious bigotry, Murder, Abandonment, and Pandemic/Epidemic

Minor: Eating disorder, Genocide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis

Fascinating work of non-fiction, that recounts the lives of Empress Sisi of Austria and Empress Eugenie of France. They were contemporaries who experienced the wars, rivalries and demands of their positions. Beautiful, strong and courageous women and fascinating to read of their parallel lives

I wrote about this on The Storygraph and Goodreads and shared links on various social media sites.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7305944215

Elisabeth of Austria, known as Sisi, was married to Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria (who also happened to be her first cousin). She was beautiful, headstrong, and in many ways poorly suited for the rigid lifestyle of an empress. Despite her mother in law’s dominant control over nearly every matter of her life, Sisi earned the deep love of not only her husband but the Austrian people. She was not only beautiful, known for her head of luxurious hair that took hours each day to arrange, but was recognized for her innate since of fairness and empathy for others.

I was particularly fascinated by Sisi's story. She was never meant to marry Franz Joseph and in fact it was her older sister who had been earmarked for the role. But he fell for the younger sister and would have no other. She refused to conform to societal and royal expectations literally until the day of her death. She was extremely athletic, spending hours a day riding horses, walking, and fencing, but was also interested in poetry and classical literature. She was consumed with preserving her beauty and staving off aging and was determined to maintain her teenage weight of 110 pounds well into middle age. While she had such compassion for others and suffered cruelly at the hands of her mother-in-law who took over the raising of her first two children, she blindly favored her youngest child and ignored the distress of her son before his death.

Eugenie, married to Emperor Louis Napoleon of France, was a deeply trusted advisor and confidant to her husband. Her father inherited the title of Count of Montijo and became one of the richest men in Spain. She was rejected by several men she was interested in, and her future husband had no intent to marry her at first. But wily Eugenie refused to become his lover until he gave in and married her. Despite her husband’s many affairs, he trusted her judgment and made her regent over France multiple times when he was out of the country. She was instrumental in making positive changes to benefit the people of France, such as when she toured an institution housing young children and was moved to tears at the terrible treatment they endured; she immediately had the children removed from the facility. It was fascinating to read about Eugenie's gallant dentist, who facilitated her escape from France after her husband was imprisoned and lost power.

While both were flawed women, I did admire both women for their many philanthropic activities. Both made a practice of visiting hospitals, orphanages, and factories. Because Sisi would hold the hands of the dying and cared little about the background of others but had compassion for all she was "deprecated by the ruling elite and adored by the lower classes and outcasts."

Goldstone’s presentation of the two women reveals deep research presented in a fascinating way. While I was initially dubious about the choice to include both women's story in one volume, this choice to present this book as a dual biography was an inspired choice; while very different in many ways, the women were both ruling empresses in Europe during the same time period and encountered most of the same historical events. In the end of their lives, their stories had many parallels, and they actually spent time together every season in their later years.

This is the third biography by this author I have read, and each seems better than the last. This was well researched and presented in alternating chapters that focused on each woman, although the historical events overlapped so much that they constantly pop in and out of each other's story. I have been wanting to read a biography of Empress Elisabeth for some time and have also never read anything about Empress Eugenie. I learned so much from this book about two reigning empresses that occupied the same time and space as Queen Victoria.

Thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown & Company for access to this title. I am auto-approved by this publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

It's been a while since I curled up with a historical biography. Nancy Goldstone presents a well-researched and compelling account of two women- Elizabeth "Sissi" of Austria and Eugenie of France. I believe that since Netflix has released two successful seasons (with a third promised) about the life of Elizabeth (the series is called The Empress); readers will appreciate finding more information here on these pages. Eugenie is also a fascinating woman in her own right. The text includes artworks of the empresses and those who were close to them. The chapters alternate between the two women, and I like that the author always places the name of the subject before the chapters begin.

It is mentioned that the author wanted readers to understand that Queen Victoria was not the only strong European woman who lived through personal upheavals and political triumphs. I do believe that with this book, Nancy Goldstone has accomplished that very thesis.



#TheRebelEmpresses #NetGalley.
Expected Publication Date 25/02/25
Goodreads Review Date 22/02/25

This book explores the lives of Empresses Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, two influential and unconventional figures who navigated the political and social upheavals of 19th-century Europe. Facing personal and public challenges, they embraced modernity and left their mark on a changing world.

This captivating and emotional biography conveys the history and the personal stories of two women seeking happiness in their private lives while struggling to bring the last vestiges of European autocracy into the modern world. It reads like a novel and immerses the reader in the story world.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

While Victoria of Great Britain is the most well-known of the empresses who reigned in Europe in the 19th century, she is by no means the only one. While Eugenie of France and Elizabeth of Austria-Hungary did not rule in their own right, they left their own marks on the lands and people over which they reigned too.

I read omnivorously, but sometimes one wants to come back to the basics, and for me books about royalty count among the basics. I'm quite familiar with the glamorously tragic Empress Sisi, but less with Empress Eugenie, so I was pretty excited to explore both of their lives in the broader context of 19th century continental Europe.

Goldstone's writing is a smooth read, informative but amusing arch, and she has a knack for characterizing the multitude of personages peopling Eugenie and Sisi's lives with all their different foibles and ambitions. She switches neatly between the two women's stories, bringing out the similarities in their stories as well as how differently they often reacted to similar circumstances. I especially enjoyed learning about how both women cultivated and employed soft power to forward their goals, sometimes successfully and sometimes to no avail. This is a real doorstopper at 640 pages, but I found myself flying through without hardly noticing it.

I found myself less interested in the sections of the book dealing with the many military campaigns their husbands fought though, especially when Eugenie and Sisi didn't have much to do with it. The flimsy pretexts for some of these battles really boggle the mind though, as well as the complete hash of the plan to conquer Mexico which I intend to read more about in the future. I did also wish we didn't fast forward through the remainder of Eugenie's life after the death of Sisi - even in exile I'm sure there was plenty more she was up to.

Empresses Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France became cultural icons and political figures during a time of rapid change, challenging tradition with their independence and modern outlook. Despite their influence, both endured personal hardships—Elisabeth battled a controlling mother-in-law, while Eugénie faced a faithless husband and political turmoil. Together, they navigated a century marked by revolution, war, and technological advances, leaving a lasting impact on history.

This was a super interesting read. I’d read a fictional telling about Empress Sisi’s life before, so I liked being able to read about the facts. It was clear she was not suited for the position of empress, and she suffered because of it. It was difficult not to feel sorry for her and how her life ended so tragically.

I think I’d only heard the name of Empress Eugenie of France before, so I was interested to know about her. I liked how she was more mature than Sisi when she accepted the emperor’s proposal, and how she supported her husband in their marriage. Sadly, her life was also a tragic one.

I would recommend this to any reader who enjoys learning about women in history. I received an advance copy via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are my own.

A well-written, highly engaging dual biography on two of the European monarchs that are not as well known today. Overshadowed in history by Victoria, Eugenie and Elizabeth are fascinating personalities and Goldstone brings them vividly to life. Well balanced between the personal and the political, it's hard to not to empathize with these two women despite (or in some cases because of) their title of empress. This will be an enjoyable read for anyone interested in European and women's history or just the Victorian era.

The latter half of the 19th century has always been a time I've been interested in, but have never found good books that grab my attention. The narrative writing style Nancy Goldstone employs in The Rebel Empresses sucks you in and holds your interest. The woven narrative made the complicated weave of history much more palatable, even for such a long book. Very well done!

The I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

As Goldstone states in her introduction, this was the age of Victoria. And I say that rings true even to this day. We have many well-written biographies on Queen Victoria. So, I think it is refreshing when such a wonderfully written, informative book like The Rebel Empresses is published. Much happened outside of Victoria and the British Empire, so it was very interesting to read other political landscapes of the time. Sissi has long been a figure who fascinated me, and as such, I knew some information going into this. But I knew nothing of Eugenie. I found both women to be so complex. Goldstone did a fantastic job bringing their stories to life.

I am a huge history buff and when I saw this title about two people that I did not have much prior knowledge about I instantly requested it. Not only is the book written in such an interesting way but I love how the author delves not only into the women's lives but also the world and culture around. I throughly enioyed this book and will recommend it to others happily. I am also going to seek out other books written by this author.

Fearless, adventurous, and athletic; defiantly, even fiercely independent, Sisi and Eugenie represented, each in her own way, a new kind of empress, one who rebelled against traditional expectations and restrictions. Their beauty was undeniable but so too was their influence on a world that was fast becoming recognizably modern. from The Rebel Empresses by Nancy Goldstone

The Rebel Empresses is a dual biography that covers a century of history but is so entertaining as to be addictive and hard to put down.

Elizabeth, known as Sisi, married Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria. Eugenie married Louis Napoleon III, Emperor of France. Both women were beautiful and fashionable, intelligent, independent thinkers, and liberals married to autocratic dictators. They endured wandering husbands and loss of children. Eugenie was psychological the stronger and had a long life, while Sisi was emotionally frailer, and became obsessed with diet and beauty, ruining her health, and died by assassination. Eugenie worked to improve the lives of women. Sisi was beloved by her husband’s subjects, especially the Hungarians whom she loved.

19th c Europe was a hotbed of dissent with democratic uprisings across the continent demanding constitutions and rights. “Autocrats whose reigns are threatened…generally face two alternatives: either bring out the soldiers and impose martial law, or acquiesce to some form of power sharing,” Goldstone writes. Austria was having trouble holding onto its power in Italy and Hungry. Meanwhile, Prussia was pushing for war, with Napoleon III complicit.

Franz Joseph’s mother Sophie had put her son in power and she held overwhelming control over the teenaged Elizabeth’s life, taking her children to raise. Elizabeth finally asserted her rights and took back the children. She traveled with her youngest daughter, leaving behind her son who was bereft and psychologically damaged.

Louis Napoleon discovered that “it turned out to be much simpler taking over a country of which he was already the president,” Goldstone notes, adding that “…the country that had once so famously stormed the Bastille and beheaded its long-standing monarch in the defense of liberty had voted roaring approval for Louis Napoleon’s remaining in office as a virtual dictator, with an undeniable mandate to make France great again.” He did turn Paris into the beloved city it is today.

These historical lives are more interesting than fiction. There is Franz Joseph’s brother Maximilian, convinced by Louis Napoleon to take over Mexico as Emperor, coming to a sad end. And the Austrian heir who kills himself and his lover. And Elizabeth’s younger sister who married the King of the Two Sicilies whose marriage was not consummated for years–Maria secretly gave birth to an illegitimate child who was given up before she bore the King an heir.

I loved every page.

Thanks to the publisher for a free book through NetGalley.

Thank you, Net Galley and Little Brown Company for letting me read this E-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Nancy Goldstone tells the stories of Eugenie of France and Elizabeth of Austria. From their birth to their death, she gives a picture of what the imperial courts were like in both France and the Habsburg Empire. Renowned for their physical beauty, these women were fashion icons of their time. One thing these two women had in common was that they rebelled against the imperial court's traditional norms.

Goldstone presents a well-researched book on the lives of these two empresses. She switches back and forth between Eugenie and Elizabeth to parallel their lives in different parts of their narrative. These women were around during major technological advances, wars, revolutions, suicides, and assassinations. This is a must-read and excellent addition for a Modern European historian.

Thank you to Net Gally and the Publisher for this ARC copy of The Rebel Empresses by Nancy Goldstone. I was very excited to dive in as I personally love Empress Sisi. As a costumer and clothing historian her fashion keeps drawing me back and I even learned things I didn't know about her in this book. Empress Eugenie that I got to learn about in this book. I loved how every few chapters we would switch between the two women but I wish there was an included time line at the front of the book as I would have liked to keep a better track of what the other lady was doing while we were in the others chapters. We got a bit of those at the start of the chapter but as sometimes the chapter wouldn't even mention Sisi o Eugenie for a while I lost track of say the year or what was goin on. For what this book has to cover it does well with page count, I wish there was more chapters and that way maybe the chapters themselves could have bene shorter so it would be easier to keep track of things but that might have been a me issues. If you ever had any interest in either of these two women I highly recommend this book. This was my first Nancy Goldstone book and it made me interested in picking up her others.

Revolutions, regime changes, and risqué paramours, oh my! Nancy Goldstone is the queen of bringing to life the stoic, regal, static paintings of reines, showing just how dynamic, vibrant, curious, intelligent and strong women of history were, who have for too long been described as just wives to a crowned head.

It was smart for Goldstone to double bill this book, as Eugenie and Elisabeth had more in common than just being alive at the same time. I learned that they both came from humble beginnings (relative to their higher born contemporaries), neither were their families' first born child, yet they miraculously ascended the throne. After that, they both sought to carve out their own space in the bureaucracy filled, stifling court politics, male-dominated sphere of monarchic rule, where being an empress didn't guarantee personal happiness or freedom. They fought for every inch gained. Their differences are all the more stark, as a consequence of different upbringings, culture, but also sheer dumb marital luck - or misfortune.

In pairing the two empresses together, Goldstone is also comparing the Old World vs. the New World. The 19th century saw a major push towards modernity for a myriad of reasons, and in this book, for the domino effect of political upheaval and calls for democracy or instating constitutional monarchy. France (Eugenie's home country) embraced change, while Austria (Elisabeth's home country) resisted it. The push and pull between liberal and traditional way of living is applied not just between kings and their subjects, but between husbands and wives. Reading the triumphs and struggles of the two countries, their queens and their husbands, I really feel for both women. They did the best they could, and managed to live on their own terms.

As an American, I'm intimidated by European history because it covers a lot of time and ground, and somehow all monarchs share the same 10 names. But Goldstone deftly weaves between two separate timelines and courts, and people, and the countless wars and revolutions across many nations, so I wasn't confused at all. It wasn't all facts and figures, which would've been overwhelming. Instead, it was like reading a gossip mag (much better written, of course) because Goldstone paints so clearly the different personalities, their motivations, the juicy, scandalous tidbits of side characters.

On a personal note, I found Eugenie's sections to be more interesting, since she had the benefit of being older, wiser, more independent in her adult life, so she was more of a mover and shaker in the political realm, whereas Elisabeth's sections were more of the struggles she dealt with in her personal life (Franz Joseph...if I speak, I am in big trouble). Nonetheless, Goldstone did a good job or showcasing them equally.

I was totally enchanted and drawn into the lives of two of the nineteenth century’s great European Empresses, Elisabeth of Austria and the Spanish beauty Eugenie of France. Both women were married to world leaders, Elisabeth to Franz Joseph of Austria and Eugenie to Napoleon III of France. As these women were both known for their beauty and their connections to their people, the book follows their lives from the days before they married through various trials and tribulations, from girlhood to motherhood and stateswomen during tumultuous political times.

Even though they both lived in palaces and seemed to have charmed lives, I would say they both suffered and did not have an easy time.

What is wonderful about the book is that the writing makes the events of their lives easy to understand, gives the reader an in-depth understanding of those events, but also gives more commentary about their inner struggles and how they delt with survival. Both were intelligent but were often used to soften political problems. There is so much to like about this book, and I am happy to add that the few images that are in the book help to bring the era alive.

I’d happily read more from Nancy Goldstone, as I enjoyed reading this book very much.

Thank you to Netgalley and Little, Brown and Company for the eARC of The Rebel Empresses: Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe in exchange for an honest review.

When I first heard of a dual biography for Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, admittedly, I was puzzled. Besides being both empresses of European powers during the latter half of the 19th century, I did not think there are much else in common or interactions between the two women to warrant a dual biography. However, I was still intrigued. I've read a couple of biographies on Elisabeth of Austria but knew significantly much less about Eugénie of France and figured this would be a great chance to learn more about her.

And I'm so glad I did. The Rebel Empresses is a wonderful and enjoyable read. I love getting to know more about the life story of the titular women as well as how the tumultuous events of Europe impacted their lives. However, it is Nancy Goldstone's skills to make both Elisabeth and Eugénie come to lives and become someone readers could relate to.

Though at times, the details (it is quite a doorstopper) can drag down the flow, I find myself cannot fault the book too much given how much we are covering.

This is definitely a fun, informative read for anyone who wants to learn more about 19th century European history that is not just about the British Royal Family.

The Rebel Empresses is not just a dual biography of two captivating women, but it’s also a who’s who of the 19th century, and I couldn’t get enough! Otto von Bismarck, Queen Victoria, Ludwig II, Napoleon III, Franz Joseph, Leopold II, Tsar Alexander, Wilhelm I and more. Nancy Goldstone took on the task of weaving the major events of the time into the life stories of Empress Elisabeth of Austria and Empress Eugéne of France, and she did it masterfully.

Follow Eugéne de Montijo from her childhood in Spain during its revolution, into her adolescence with a disastrous love life, to France where she meets Napoleon III and marries into the family legacy that was Napoleon Bonaparte. Meanwhile, we meet a vibrant and carefree Elisabeth from Bavaria, better known as Sisi. She accompanies her older sister Helene to meet Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph, of the Hapsburg dynasty, with the intention of a betrothal. Instead, it was the sixteen year old Sisi that caught his eye and infatuation, leading to a marriage.

From their time in power you will gain an overview of the Crimean War, the placing of a European monarch in Mexico and the Franco-Prussian War, as well as the Austrians becoming dual monarchs of Hungary. You also learn of the interactions that will come between these two as their lives intersect overtime. Of course, don’t let this barrage of events leave you feeling daunted. Ms. Gladstone makes this timeline extremely readable and easy to follow.

As this year comes to an end, I can easily say that this book was one of my favorites.

A big thank you to NetGalley for a copy in exchange for this review. I am grateful.

This is the first time I've read a book by Nancy Goldstone, and I was suitably impressed. Besides making Elisabeth and Eugenie convincingly human, she takes in the entire sweep of European history in the 19th century, a time when all the royal families were related but this did not prevent them from constantly making war on one another.

She does fall prey, a little, to the modern historian's tendency to be cute and clever, but it's not terribly distracting and is usually confined to the chapter endnotes. I enjoyed, in a way, her remark that Napoleon III wanted to "make France great again." And it's 100% clear from reading this book that ignorant populations insisting on their vision of the world, instead of trying to understand reality, are not solely a feature of the 20th or 21st centuries.

What justifies writing about these two women together, when their lives only crossed at their ends, is that within the environments of their imperial courts they were constantly struggling against limitations placed by others, notably Elisabeth's formidable and autocratic mother in law, and against the conservative politics that tried to hold off democratic reforms that began to seem inevitable. It's kind of refreshing, at this moment in time, to read a fat history book in which the United States hardly figures at all. The closest we get is an elucidation of the sad 'emperor of Mexico' misadventure cooked up by France and Austria.

Goldstone makes all this look easy. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand Europe's history a little better.