Mistress of the Elgin Marbles - by Susan Nagel (Paperback)

About the Book

Nagel tells the captivating and irresistible story of Mary Nisbet, whose life and letters give readers an intimate and astonishing insider's look into the British aristocracy during the Romantic era.

From the Back Cover

The remarkable Mary Nisbet was the Countess of Elgin in Romantic-era Scotland and the wife of the seventh Earl of Elgin. When Mary accompanied her husband to diplomatic duty in Turkey, she changed history. She helped bring the smallpox vaccine to the Middle East, struck a seemingly impossible deal with Napoleon, and arranged the removal of famous marbles from the Parthenon. But all of her accomplishments would be overshadowed, however, by her scandalous divorce. Drawing from Mary's own letters, scholar Susan Nagel tells Mary's enthralling, inspiring, and suspenseful story in vibrant detail.

Review Quotes

"Absorbing...required reading for anyone interested in cultural history as well as the art of biography." - Booklist
"A fascinating portrait of a woman thrust into one of history's great cultural contests: She might not have deserved the treasures of Greece, but mary Nisbet and her narrator definitely earn the olive wreath." - Minneapolis Star Tribune
"Absorbing...required reading for anyone interested in cultural history as well as the art of biography." - Kirkus Reviews
"A sympathetic and emotionally charged portrait of Mary...[written] with insight and compassion yet without sentimentality." - Publishers Weekly
"A lively and welcome account of a charismatic woman." - People