Izabela the Valiant: The Story of an Indomitable Polish Princess

Adam Zamoyski's book reveals the life of his great-great-great grandmother, an uneducated girl who navigated high politics and survived revolution and wars. She became a caring mother and pioneer of schooling for the poor, collecting objects with sensuous associations and building museums to teach.

Format: Hardback
Length: 208 pages
Publication date: 20 June 2024
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Adam Zamoyski's "A Spectator Best Book of the Year" is a captivating exploration of the life of his great-great-great grandmother, an uneducated, vulnerable girl cast into a man's world. Her aristocratic position entangled her in high politics and close encounters with Frederick the Great, Benjamin Franklin, Rousseau, Joseph II, Marie-Antoinette, and Tsar Alexander I, earning her the enmity of Catherine the Great. She lived through revolution and five wars, with her cherished homes devastated, possessions looted, and children scattered. Despite tempestuous love affairs, exploitation, and a nervous breakdown, she remained undaunted and liberated herself through education. She pioneered schooling for children of the poor and developed her own educational methods. Fascinated by the power of objects to kindle memories and arouse emotions, she was an avid collector of anything with a sensuous association and built two unique museums to act as teaching aids. This is a story of triumph over adversity and betrayal, achieved by force of character and resilience.

Weight: 520g
Dimension: 242 x 160 x 25 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780008521684