Whenever I read this type of book I'm reminded of the lack of real background many Americans have about who overlapped whom in world history. This account of Queen Victoria's relationship with Napoleon III and, more specifically, his wife Empress Eugenie is filled with the types of details that make history so fascinating. The disparity between the two women's looks and sense of dignity, for example, speaks volumes.

I particularly liked the fact that the foreign terms were simply le More...