As a celebration of Women's History Month, the Online Library is sharing some wonderful biographies of these fabulous females from history:
Tree of Pearls: The Extraordinary Architectural Patronage of the 13Th-Century Egyptian Slave-Queen Shajar Al-Durr
She may have been born a slave, but she died a Sultan. One of the few women in the ancient, historical or modern world with her own profile on currency, Shajar conquered the hearts of the people and the strength of the men, who thought they’d conquered her. This book (the first biography of hers to be published in English) brings new meaning to the term “slay” as it retells the colourful, unbelievable and unforgettable story of Shajar al-Durr’s life as a slave girl, a concubine, a wife, a widow, an Islamic ruler of Egypt.
Passionate spirit: the life of Alma Mahler
by Cate Haste
Composer, Alma Mahler’s love life was a roller coaster through every art movement of the early 20th century. From her first kiss with Gustav Klimt, her first marriage to composer, Gustav Mahler, to her second marriage with Bauhaus founder, Walter Gropius and not even nearly finishing with interludes of love and anger from her lover, the artist, Oscar Kokoshka. Much like it’s heroine, this book has no dull moments.
The Pillow Book by Sei Shōnagon
A contemporary of Tale of Genji’s author, Sei Shonagon finished this diary in the year AD1002, depicting her time as a Japanese courtier in royal society of the Heian period. Her work is not only credited as the beginnings of women’s writings in Japan, but also the basis for the entire Zuihitsu literary movement. It is also the first diary to be published by a woman in Japan.
Maria Theresa: Empress: The Making of the Austrian Enlightenment
Richard Bassett
Many, many films have been made about Sissi “Kaiserin Elizabeth” of Austria and the French Queen, Marie Antoinette, but their matriarchal ancestor, who built and ruled the Austro-Hungarian empire is the rarely credited as the powerhouse, who built an empire. Maria Theresa reigned for 40 years as the sovereign Austria, Hungary, Transylvania, Bohemia, Slavonia, Moravia, Croatia, Dalmatia, Milano, Galicia, Lodomeria, Carinthia, Carniola, Gorizia and Gradisca, Lusatia, Styria, Parma, the Duchess of Lorraine, Grand Duchess of Tuscany as well as being the Holy Roman Empress. Outside of successfully leading her country through numerous wars and revolutions, she also established medical schools, fought for population inoculations, reformed schools creating both the current national diplomatic and military schools all while managing to sire and marry off ten children, creating diplomatic and trade connections across all of Europe.
Empress Wu Zetian and Her Era: A True-to-Life Restoration of the Vivid Wu Zetian by Zong Chenghao
Under Empress Wu Zetian's 45 year reign, China boomed on a grand scale, becoming the dominant trading and cultural power in Asia. She developed the culture, the economy, and managed to minimize corruption until the coup that many credit with incurring her death. Not bad for a pretty young girl, who started out as a concubine.
My Double Life by Sarah Bernhardt
Praised by the public, the critics, the commoners and the court, Sarah Bernhardt is often named as the greatest actress in history. Victor Hugo worshipped her as did all of Paris and later, the world. Bernhardt dressed in men’s and women’s clothes, played parts for both sexes, slept in a coffin with literally only one leg to stand on at the end of her career and still managed to charm private and public audiences from Berlin to Buenos Aires. This book is a virtual buffet of anecdotes involving some of the greatest artistic minds of the 19th century.
all images credited below:
1.) AI Egyptian Queen Image designed by Freepik www.freepik.com
2.) Alma Mahler. Image courtesy of Wikimedia.org https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alma_Mahler.jpg
3.) 31: Sei Shōnagaon ; 32: Shikibu no Naishi, Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, Reproduction Number it’s LC-DIG-jpd-00065
4.) Maria Theresa, Courtesy of Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, [reproduction number, e.g., LC-USZ62-90145]
5.) Wu Zetian. Chinese lady image courtesy of Library of Congress [Reproduction Number: LC-USZ62-82993]
6.) Sarah Bernhardt Sarah Bernhardt. Courtesy of Publicdomainpictures.net License: CC0 Public Domain