Eleanor Herman

Agatha Christie's spirit must be loving this poisonous new historical entertainment The SpectatorThe story of poison is the story of power...For centuries, royal families have feared the gut-roiling, vomit-inducing agony of a little something added to their food or wine by an enemy. To avoid poison, they depended on tasters, unicorn horns and antidotes tested on condemned prisoners. Servants licked the royal family s spoons, tried on their underpants and tested their chamber pots.Ironically, royals terrified of poison were unknowingly poisoning themselves daily with their cosmetics, medications and filthy living conditions. Women wore makeup made with lead. Men rubbed feces on their bald spots. Physicians prescribed mercury enemas, arsenic skin cream, drinks of lead filings and potions of human fat and skull, fresh from the executioner. Gazing at gorgeous portraits of centuries past, we don t see what lies beneath the royal robes and the stench of unwashed bodies; the lice feasting on private parts; and worms nesting in the intestines.

In this sequel to the bestselling Sex with Kings, Eleanor Herman reveals the truth about what goes on behind the closed door of a queens boudoir. Often trapped in arranged marriages with virtual strangers, many royal ladies found solace in the courtiers, soldiers and clergymen who flocked to the courts of Europe.In Sex with the Queen, Herman reveals the tantalizing truth about the crowned heads of Europe: Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, whose transgressions real or imagined were seen by Henry VIII as punishable by death; Catherine the Great of Russia, who had her husband murdered and then seized both the throne and her pick of lovers; and Marie Antoinette, whose love for Swedish count Axel Fersen could not save her from the guillotine. Impeccably researched, Sex with the Queen chronicles historys most fascinating and scandalous royal dalliances.New York Times bestselling author and historian Eleanor Herman graduated from Towson State University with a degree in Journalism. She has worked for numerous international publications, most recently as Associate Publisher of NATOs Nations and Partners for Peace. She is married and lives in McLean, Virginia, where she researches and writes about womens history.A lot more fun than Danielle Steel or Dan Brown. Washington Post Book World

Eleanor Herman, the talented author of the New York Times bestselling Sex with Kings and Sex with the Queen goes behind the sacred doors of the Catholic Church in Mistress of the Vatican, a scintillating biography of a powerful yet little-known woman whose remarkable story is ripe with secrets, sex, passion, and ambition. For almost four centuries this astonishing story of a womans absolute power over the Vatican has been successfully burieduntil now.A Secret Female Pope: Meet Olimpia Maidalchini, the ambitious sister-in-law of Pope Innocent X, who wielded such immense power that Romans hung banners in churches calling her "Pope Olimpia I."Vatican Intrigue: Explore the back rooms of Baroque Rome, where cardinals were appointed, fortunes were made, and foreign policy was decidedoften at the direction of a woman the Church tried to erase from history. A Buried True Story: Drawing from long-suppressed archives and diplomatic dispatches, this narrative nonfiction account uncovers a scandalous chapter of Catholic Church history that has been hidden for 400 years. Papal Nepotism: In an age of rampant corruption, one woman outmaneuvered the most powerful men in Europe to build a dynasty and secure her own fortune against all odds.

From the dawn of time, power has been a mighty aphrodisiac. An affair with a king could bring a woman power, titles and riches. In return, a king could find companionship and affection from his mistress that might be lacking from his often pre-arranged and loveless marriage. From Madame de Pompadour, mistress of Louis XV to Wallis Simpson, for whom King Edward VIII gave up the British throne, royal mistresses have been worshiped, feared, envied, and reviled. They were patrons of the arts, set fashions, and in some cases, ruled nations. Eleanor Hermans Sex with Kings takes us into the throne rooms and bedrooms of Europes most powerful monarchs. Alive with flamboyant characters and outrageous humor, this glittering tale of passion and politics chronicles five hundred years of scintillating women and the kings who loved them. Wickedly witty and endlessly entertaining, this is a racy read that is also first-rate history.New York Times bestselling author and historian Eleanor Herman graduated from Towson State University with a degree in Journalism. She has worked for numerous international publications, most recently as Associate Publisher of NATOs Nations and Partners for Peace. She is married and lives in McLean, Virginia, where she researches and writes about womens history.An enlightening social history that is great fun to read. New York Times Book Review

Acción, intriga, violencia, romances apasionados y traición se aúnan en esta nueva saga, una fantasía histórica basada en la vida del joven Alejandro Magno. Nació con la marca de los elegidos, la cicatriz del guerrero. Con trece años, Alejandro ya habia sido instruido en las artes y las estrategias militares. Ahora, con dieciseis, bajo el titulo de principe regente, debe derrotar a su primer gran enemigo. Pero la espada no sirve alla donde se extiende el reino de la magia y la brujeria. Alejandro, de dieciseis años de edad, esta a punto de descubrir que su destino es conquistar el mundo conocido, al mismo tiempo que se siente profundamente fascinado por una recien llegada. Katerina debe navegar por los oscuros secretos de la vida de la corte mientras mantiene oculta su verdadera mision: matar a la reina. Y no es consciente de que ha encontrado su primer amor. Jacob empleara todas sus fuerzas en conseguir a Katerina, aunque para ella tenga que enfrentarse a Hefestion, el protegido del principe. Y al otro lado del mar, Zofia, una princesa persa y prometida contra su voluntad a Alejandro, quiere cambiar su destino mediante la busqueda de los famosos y letales Devoradores de Espiritus. Tejiendo la fantasia con los verdaderos y fascinantes detalles de la historia real, Eleanor Herman, autora bestseller de The New York Times, reinventa al mayor emperador que el mundo haya conocido: Alejandro Magno, en el primer libro de la serie Sangre de dioses y reyes, una nueva saga que avanza entre Rick Riordan y George R.R. Martin.Reseñas:La escritura de Herman centellea en cada pagina.The Boston Globe Infinitamente mas divertida que Dan Brown o Danielle Steel.The Washington Post

In this fascinating work of popular history, the New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings and The Royal Art of Poison uncovers the bedroom secrets of American presidents and explores the surprising ways voters have reacted to their leaders sex scandals.While Americans have a reputation for being strait-laced, many of the nations leaders have been anything but puritanical. Alexander Hamilton had a steamy affair with a blackmailing prostitute. John F. Kennedy swam nude with female staff in the White House swimming pool. Is it possible the qualities needed to run for presidentnarcissism, a thirst for power, a desire for importancego hand in hand with a tendency to sexual misdoing?In this entertaining and eye-opening book, Eleanor Herman revisits some of the sex scandals that have rocked the nations capital and shocked the public, while asking the provocative questions: does rampant adultery show a lack of character or the stamina needed to run the country? Or perhaps both? While Americans have judged their leaders affairs harshly compared to other nations, did they mostly just hate being lied to? And do they now clearly care more about issues other than a politicians sex life?What is sex like with the most powerful man in the world? Is it better than with your average Joe? And when America finally elects a female president, will she, too, have sexual escapades in the Oval Office?A Secret History of the White House: From Alexander Hamiltons blackmail affair and JFKs notorious swimming parties to the private lives of Clinton and Trump, this book uncovers the scandals hidden behind the Oval Office doors. Power as an Aphrodisiac: Explore the psychology of Americas leaders and the connection between hubris, a thirst for power, and a tendency for sexual misdoing. Is a strong libido a sign of stamina or a character flaw? First Ladies Under Fire: Discover how some of Americas most famous first ladiesfrom Eleanor Roosevelt to Hillary Clinton and Melania Trumpnavigated their husbands very public infidelities. Entertaining and Eye-Opening Political History: Meticulously researched yet compulsively readable, this witty and fascinating history reads like a thriller, revealing how sex has shaped the American presidency.

New York Times bestseller Eleanor Herman, author of Sex with Kings and Sex with Presidents, returns with another work of popular feminist history, exploring the history of misogyny against women with power from Cleopatra to Kamala Harris.Imagine Donald Trump as a woman, called Donna. Would Donna Trump have been viewed as blunt, honest, and refreshing? Would she have won the election?Imagine Hillary Clinton as a man. Howard Clinton says and does the exact same things as Hillary. Would Howard Clinton have been portrayed in a thousand Pinterest images as a witch, stirring a cauldron or riding a broomstick? Would he have been called a bitch on countless T-shirts? Would his thoughtful, circumspect answers to media questions have been seen as inauthenticity, secretiveness, and untrustworthiness?There is a particular kind of ragelets call it unadulterated bloodlustusually reserved for women, especially women in positions of power or vying for it. From the ancient world, through the European Renaissance, up to the most recent U.S. elections, the Misogynists Handbook, as Eleanor Herman calls it, has been wielded to put uppity women in their place.In a story that is shocking, eye-opening, and a powerful force for change, Eleanor Hermans signature wit and humor explores the historical patterns that have been operating for more than three thousand yearsand are still operating todayagainst powerful women across the globe, including Cleopatra, Anne Boleyn, Marie Antoinette, Catherine the Great, Hillary Clinton, Kamala Harris, and more.Each chapter analyzes a tried-and-true misogynistic method to keep women down, including: Her Overweening Ambition, Why Doesnt She Do Something About Her Hair?, The Dangers of Female Hormones, The Alarming Shrillness of Her Voice, The Mysterious Unlikability of Female Candidates, Shes a Bitch and Other Animals, Shes a Witch and Other Monsters, and Her Sexual Depravity. Herman ends the book by looking forward, examining ways to rip up the Misogynists Handbook once and for all and forge a new path for social justice.Inside this witty and shocking book, youll discover the unwritten rules of the Misogynists Handbook:Women Leaders: How the same accusations of ambition, sexual depravity, and witchcraft were leveled against figures from Cleopatra and Anne Boleyn to Hillary Clinton and Kamala Harris. Sexism in Politics: Eye-opening thought experiments that ask what would have happened if Donald Trump were a woman or Hillary Clinton were a man. The Patriarchy: An analysis of the tried-and-true methods used for centuries to keep "uppity women" in their place, from critiques of their hair and voice to accusations of being a "bitch" or a "witch."Womens History: A fascinating journey through more than three thousand years, revealing the hidden playbook of abuse against female rulers and politicians and how to finally rip it up.

The charming real-life fairy tale of an American secretary who discovers she has been chosen king of an impoverished fishing village on the west coast of Africa. King Peggy has the sweetness and quirkiness of The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency series and the hopeful sense of possibility of Half the Sky. King Peggy chronicles the astonishing journey of an American secretary who suddenly finds herself king to a town of 7,000 souls on Ghanas central coast, half a world away. Upon arriving for her crowning ceremony in beautiful Otuam, she discovers the dire reality: theres no running water, no doctor, and no high school, and many of the village elders are stealing the towns funds. To make matters worse, her uncle (the late king) sits in a morgue awaiting a proper funeral in the royal palace, which is in ruins. The longer she waits to bury him, the more she risks incurring the wrath of her ancestors. Peggys first two years as king of Otuam unfold in a way that is stranger than fiction. In the end, a deeply traditional African town has been uplifted by the ambitions of its headstrong, decidedly modern female king. And in changing Otuam, Peggy is herself transformed, from an ordinary secretary to the heart and hope of her community.

Acción, intriga, violencia, romances apasionados y traición se aúnan en esta nueva saga, una fantasía histórica basada en la vida del joven Alejandro Magno.Nació con la marca de los elegidos, la cicatriz del guerrero. Con trece años, Alejandro ya habia sido instruido en las artes y las estrategias militares. Ahora, con dieciseis, bajo el titulo de principe regente, debe derrotar a su primer gran enemigo. Pero la espada no sirve alla donde se extiende el reino de la magia y la brujeria.Alejandro, de dieciseis años de edad, esta a punto de descubrir que su destino es conquistar el mundo conocido, al mismo tiempo que se siente profundamente fascinado por una recien llegada.Katerina debe navegar por los oscuros secretos de la vida de la corte mientras mantiene oculta su verdadera mision: matar a la reina. Y no es consciente de que ha encontrado su primer amor.Jacob empleara todas sus fuerzas en conseguir a Katerina, aunque para ella tenga que enfrentarse a Hefestion, el protegido del principe.Y al otro lado del mar, Zofia, una princesa persa y prometida contra su voluntad a Alejandro, quiere cambiar su destino mediante la busqueda de los famosos y letales Devoradores de Espiritus.Tejiendo la fantasia con los verdaderos y fascinantes detalles de la historia real, Eleanor Herman, autora bestseller de The New York Times, reinventa al mayor emperador que el mundo haya conocido: Alejandro Magno, en el primer libro de la serie Sangre de dioses y reyes, una nueva saga que avanza entre Rick Riordan y George R.R. Martin.Reseñas: La escritura de Herman centellea en cada pagina.The Boston GlobeInfinitamente mas divertida que Dan Brown o Danielle Steel.The Washington Post