France Book Tours: Marie Antoinette's World

As someone who loved France enough to move here from the United States, I'm always excited to see new books about French history. And the final queen of France, Marie Antoinette, always has plenty of fodder.
I've read books by Will Bashor before and definitely enjoyed the roller coaster of books like Marie Antoinette's Head, which documented the rise of the hairdresser who created the magnificent hair styles of the queen and her entourage. Here's an excerpt from my review from February 2014:

The story is entertaining and educational. I really enjoyed seeing sketches of all the outrageous hairstyles created by Léonard and learning about the court intrigue. My favorite was the one that looked like a ship sculpted into the woman's hair.

You can see my entire review here. 
And then scroll down to learn about Bashor's latest book, Marie Antoinette's World. I'm sure you'll be immersed in intrigue and shocked by what you learn.

Will BASHOR

on tour July 20-August 14 with    

Marie Antoinette’s World: Intrigue, Infidelity, And Adultery In Versailles

[history/biographical nonfiction] Release date:
June 15, 2020 Postponed due to Covid-19: July 30, 2020 at Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Hardcover and ebook, 320 pages

Author’s page | Goodreads

SYNOPSIS

This riveting book explores the little-known intimate life of Marie Antoinette and her milieu in a world filled with intrigue, infidelity, adultery, and sexually transmitted diseases. Will Bashor reveals the intrigue and debauchery of the Bourbon kings from Louis XIII to Louis XV, which were closely intertwined with the expansion of Versailles from a simple hunting lodge to a luxurious and intricately ordered palace. It soon became a retreat for scandalous conspiracies and rendezvous—all hidden from the public eye. When Marie Antoinette arrived, she was quickly drawn into a true viper’s nest, encouraged by her imprudent entourage. Bashor shows that her often thoughtless, fantasy-driven, and notorious antics were inevitable given her family history and the alluring influences that surrounded her. Marie Antoinette’s frivolous and flamboyant lifestyle prompted a torrent of scathing pamphlets, and Bashor scrutinizes the queen’s world to discover what was false, what was possible, and what, although shocking, was most probably true. Readers will be fascinated by this glimpse behind the decorative screens to learn the secret language of the queen’s fan and explore the dark passageways and staircases of endless intrigue at Versailles.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Will Bashor is the author of the award-winning Marie Antoinette’s Head: The Royal Hairdresser, the Queen, and the Revolution and Marie Antoinette’s Darkest Days: Prisoner No. 280 in the Conciergerie. He holds a doctorate in international studies from the American Graduate School in Paris and is professor of global issues at Franklin University. He lives in Barcelona, Spain. Visit his website, or connect with him here:

BUY the book here:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Publisher | IndieBound and other links available on the author’s page

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Review -- Marie Antoinette's Head

I received this ebook version of the book in return for a fair review.
Who knew that Marie Antoinette's hairdresser played a crucial role in her life?
Author Will Bashor did apparently because he has written a well-researched, thorough book on the life of Léonard, who arrived in Paris from Gascon as a rudimentary hairdresser sure that he was meant for
greatness. If this was fiction, an editor would argue that Léonard catapulted to success too easily. Surely in fiction we would have to make our characters struggle a little harder, but apparently creating outrageous hairstyles on actresses brought Léonard to the attention of the aristocracy. In just a few short steps, he was the hairdresser to the new dauphine, Marie Antoinette.
I'll have to say that the initial pages of information in this book had me a little worried. The cast of historical characters was sooooo long. And, since I'm not a French Revolution buff, the characters did get confusing at some parts. I think my daughter, who reads a lot of historical fiction, would have had an easier time keeping all of the people straight.
The story is entertaining and educational. I really enjoyed seeing sketches of
all the outrageous hairstyles created by Léonard and learning about the court intrigue. My favorite was the one that looked like a ship sculpted into the woman's hair.

The coiffure a la Belle-Poule consisted of a ship sailing on a sea of thick, wavy hair. It was invented after the naval battle in which the frigate La Belle Poule was victorious. The ship itself, with its masts, rigging, and guns, was imitated in miniature in the pouf.

Here's a picture from wikimedia that shows an example:

As I read this book, I found it hard to believe that a mere hairdresser could play such an important role for a queen, but the carefully documented sources definitely support Bashor's story. There were times when the story moved slowly, but overall it was entertaining and informative.
Synopsis by the Author

Marie Antoinette has remained atop the popular cultural landscape for centuries for the daring in style and fashion that she brought to 18th century France. For the better part of the queen’s reign, one man was entrusted with the sole responsibility of ensuring that her coiffure was at its most ostentatious best. Who was this minister of fashion who wielded such tremendous influence over the queen’s affairs? MarieAntoinette’s Head: The Royal Hairdresser, The Queen, and the Revolution charts the rise of Leonard Autié from humble origins as a country barber in the south of France to the inventor of the Pouf and premier hairdresser to Queen Marie-Antoinette.

By unearthing a variety of sources from the 18th and 19th centuries, including memoirs (including Léonard’s own), court documents, and archived periodicals the author, Professor Will Bashor, tells Autié’s mostly unknown story. He chronicles Leonard’s story, the role he played in the life of his most famous client, and the chaotic and history-making world in which he rose to prominence. Besides his proximity to the queen, Leonard also had a most fascinating life filled with sex (he was the only man in a female dominated court), seduction, intrigue, espionage, theft, exile, treason, and possibly, execution. The French press reported that Léonard was convicted of treason and executed in Paris in 1793. However, it was also recorded that Léonard, after receiving a pension from the new King Louis XVIII, died in Paris in March 1820. Granted, Leonard was known as the magician of Marie-Antoinette’s court, but how was it possible that he managed to die twice? 

About the Author

Will Bashor has a doctorate in International Relations from the American Graduate School in Paris,
and he teaches at Franklin University, Columbus, Ohio. His interests have ranged over many fields,
among them the study of international law and business, linguistics, cultural anthropology, and European history.As a member of the Society for French Historical Studies,he attended its annual meeting sponsored by Harvard University in Cambridge in 2013

First Paragraph, Tuesday Teaser -- Marie Antoinette's Head

Every Tuesday, Diane at Bibliophile by the Sea posts the first paragraph of her current read. Anyone can join in. Go to Diane's website for the image and share the first paragraph of the current book you are reading.
I'm reading another book for FranceBookTours. This one is called Marie Antoinette's Head by Will Bashor, who lives right here in Columbus. The book is about the hairdresser to Marie Antoinette. Apparently the hairdresser was quite a character himself. The beginning section puts me off a little because there are notes on sources, notes on royal titles, a chronology and a really long list of historical characters, but the actual writing is entertaining. Here's the intro from the Prologue:

Captain de Busne, Marie Antoinette's last bodyguard, took her back to the cell where she awaited the hour of her execution. He had just accompanied her to the revolutionary tribunal where she was tried and convicted, but on this occasion, Captain de Busne was also guilt of unpardonable crimes. He had held his hat in his hand while escorting the fallen queen, he had taken the trouble of fetching a glass of water for her, and finally, he had offered his arm to help her down the dark staircase leading to her fetid prison cell. Later that day, Captain de Busne was denounced by the tribunal and arrested for his criminal behavior.

Also this week  is Teaser Tuesdays. Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Open to a random page of your current read  and share a teaser sentence from somewhere on that page. BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teaser.
Here's my teaser from 8% on my Kindle:
When finally freed from its curling papers and Léonard's comb, Julie's hair took on a bewitching charm. he had divided it into zones with each one presenting different visions: here emeralds, there pearls with a little flower, and a few blossoms that seemed to pierce through the curls.