Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
67th out of 1,801 books
—
1,737 voters
Infamous Lady
by
Kimberly L. Craft (Goodreads Author)
This biography explores the life of the 16th-century "Blood Countess" of Hungary, Erzsebet Bathory. Reputed to be both a vampire and the world's worst female serial killer, she allegedly bathed in the blood of her 650 victims. Based on newly-found source material, translated into English for the first time, this book explores the actual life and trial of Countess Bathory,...more
Paperback, 342 pages
Published
October 27th 2009
by Createspace
(first published January 1st 2009)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
458)
The author meticulously researched the history of the Countess, relying on original source documents instead of hearsay and rumours. The Countess is an enigmatic figure and it is shrouded in mystery because of the destruction of a lot of Bathory family records.
The book is well written and I enjoyed the author's way of describing things. She writes with the clarity of a lawyer (which she is) and that makes for very easy reading. I finished the book in 6 hours and I could not put it down.
After rea...more
The book is well written and I enjoyed the author's way of describing things. She writes with the clarity of a lawyer (which she is) and that makes for very easy reading. I finished the book in 6 hours and I could not put it down.
After rea...more
As an avid Bathory fan and a member of the academic community, I've always kept any eye out for real historical information about the Countess but sadly such treasures have been few and far in between. My grandmother was Hungarian and I spoke the language with her; she would tell me stories about the Countess and other vampire legends. I was intrigued by the story of Elizabeth Bathory and studied her since I was a child.
I've read everything out there and most of it was fragmented and speculative...more
I've read everything out there and most of it was fragmented and speculative...more
As an aspiring historical fiction writer, biographies are something I have to deal with quite frequently. Most are heavy with the politics of the time and very little about the actual people, making it hard to discover anything about the actual person, and the language is sometimes so complex you have to re read sentences to make sure you caught everything.
Infamous Lady is not any of these things. It is the most accessible historical biography I have ever read, Dr. Craft's writing is clear and...more
Infamous Lady is not any of these things. It is the most accessible historical biography I have ever read, Dr. Craft's writing is clear and...more
Jun 10, 2010
Brad Mcguire
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
true crime lovers, historians, vampire fans, Elizabeth Bathory fans
Recommended to Brad by:
Magis Tan
I had heard a lot about Elizabeth Bathory from friends and have been on a quest to find a decent biography. There seems to be a lot of fiction written about her, but very little factual, well-researched material. I understand it's because her name has been banned in Hungary for the past 400 years, so it's been difficult to access information. Friends recommended books by Thorne and McNally, but both are out of print, and I wanted something more current (McNally wrote his biography in the 80s and...more
I have always approached the legends of the so-called "Blood Countess" as a skeptic. The legends of a beautiful, wealthy Hungarian countess bathing in the blood of the hundreds of servant girls she murdered--as a beauty treatment--struck me as fanciful and nonsensical. I am glad to say that the author of "Infamous Lady" thought the same. Using this same skepticism as a springboard, Kimberly Craft launches on an historical odyssey to discover the true facts behind the legend of Countess Erzsebet...more
May 05, 2010
Gottfried Reuter
rated it
5 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
historians, enthusiasts, lawyers, vampire fans, true crime fans
Excellent book and well researched. I had no idea that the woman reputed to be a vampire, lesbian serial killer who murdered 650 people and bathed in their blood as a beauty treatment actually attended the king's coronation, gave charitable donations to the Lutheran church, scholarships to students, and loans to servants in need. Quite the enigma! I also learned from this book that over 300 people testified but hardly a one saw her actually do anything wrong. The handful that did see and partici...more
Great book. The author approaches the legends of Lady Bathory like a lawyer, examining the evidence and letting the reader make a conclusion about her guilt or innocence. There are two types of books about this historical woman: gothic fiction which paints her as a sadistic, blood-bathing vampire on a killing spree, hell bent on preserving her beauty through the witchcraft of bathing in virgin blood; and then, accurate, historical accounts of her life and times. Von Elsberg attempted this in the...more
I have read almost everything available on Lady Elizabeth Bathory and thought I knew almost everything until I read this book. The life of this infamous serial killer unfolded before my eyes with amazing clarity: I actually felt as though I was there, back in time, experiencing life in 16th-century Hungary. The book features narratives and, as the author describes them, "literary vignettes" in which actual historical testimony is recreated into intriguing dialogue in story form. For the scholar,...more
This book is a must read for anyone who is an avid enthusiast of the countess, history and criminal investigations. It is well written, compelling and a significant contribution to the scholarly community. Ms. Craft goes beyond the fragmented story that has been pieced together over the years and presents new information including family history and actual correspondance written by the Countess and those close to her, translated into English for the first time. It brings a new side of the Counte...more
I got this in the mail last night and seriously read it all. I read while making dinner, while eating dinner, while my kids watched TV and then after they went to bed.
It had a TON of great information, some of which I didn't know through my own research. I liked that she mentioned which rumors were totally false or that there was no real proof that certain things in folk tale, actually happened. Though she did not touch on stories of Elizabeth having a baby out of wedlock which my research has f...more
It had a TON of great information, some of which I didn't know through my own research. I liked that she mentioned which rumors were totally false or that there was no real proof that certain things in folk tale, actually happened. Though she did not touch on stories of Elizabeth having a baby out of wedlock which my research has f...more
Excellent book. Although a scholarly work, it was actually pretty easy and fun to read. I especially liked how some of the witness testimony was presented in the form of a literary vignette. History has never been so much fun to read. Countess Bathory was a madwoman, but after reading the book, I had a new appreciation for what she must have been put through and some insight as to why she did what she did. I originally read the book because I was interested in someone who supposedly murdered 650...more
This book was incredibly interesting. It took me a while to read it because of the subject, but I am glad that I read it. Countess Erzsebet Bathory was a wealthy woman from Hungary who murdered countless young woman brutally. Using her position, she brought in somewhere around 300 girls from about 10-14 and brutalized them until they died.
The book style is a little hard to get into because it is a compilation of actual records, testimonies, and documents. She was aided by 5 of her servants, fou...more
The book style is a little hard to get into because it is a compilation of actual records, testimonies, and documents. She was aided by 5 of her servants, fou...more
This book was simply amazing. I have read many things about Countess Bathory but sadly, most have been fictional accounts. The two biographies by Tony Thorne and Raymond McNally were both very good, but this new book, by far, is the best biography in English on this tragic and twisted woman. If you enjoy true crime and historical biography, this is it. I have never seen so many translated, original documents in one place: letters, legal documents, trial transcripts, witness interrogatories, all...more
I cannot say in words how jealous I am of Ms. Craft's ability to research and translate this book! As I have had the privilege to exchange emails with her I also cannot say enough about her. She is a wonderful person. This book is full of information to expose Elizabeth Bathory and her lifestyle the way it was supposed to be. No myths are included, or rather taken too seriously, such as her bathing in the blood of virgins. This book is informative and to the point. Bathory is a very interesting...more
I’ve always been fascinated with Erzsébet Báthory, ‘the Blood Countess,’ ever since I watched the old Hammer Horror movie “Countess Dracula” with Ingrid Pitt. Yet most of the books written about her are so ghoulishly over the top and steeped in myth, they’re not very helpful.
This book is awesome though. Not only is it a compelling read, but Kimberly Craft has new material on the Countess, translating letters and real testimony. This is no dry biography either. I couldn’t put it down, caught up...more
This book is awesome though. Not only is it a compelling read, but Kimberly Craft has new material on the Countess, translating letters and real testimony. This is no dry biography either. I couldn’t put it down, caught up...more
Superb book. The amount of research and detail found here is astounding, and the author's knowledge of the Early Modern period in European history is incredible. I was particularly fascinated by the legal proceedings of the time period and how the authorities behaved against a widow of the high nobility, whose husband was a war hero and who lent huge amounts of money to the crown, when she was accused of having murdered numerous servant girls. It was a real page turner, especially after chapter...more
A classic and updated biography on the Tiger of Cacthice, the infamous Elizabeth (Erzsebet) Bathory. Kimberly Craft does a fantastic job of digging through the literature and archives of Europe to find actual letters and documents that trace the origins of the myths and legends surrounding this enigmatic historical figure. Trial transcripts are provided, and updated biographical information that should become the standard, replacing the fictional accounts that many people, unfortunately, take fo...more
Today, after watching the movie Bathory which has only recently come out in English after being originally shot in Slovakian back in 2009, I decided I would restart this book having tried to read it earlier. It is interesting that this book was also published in 2009. The movie tries to portray this possibly misunderstood lady in the best light possible but after reading this book, you realize she did kill about 50 (too low I think considering how long she was at it) to 200 or so girls (usually...more
I am very happy with this author. She evidently did quite a lot of work in ensuring she was presenting an accurate picture of Bathory, as well as an accurate picture of the times. I was surprised to learn certain things that are so closely associated with who she was, and things that have kept her infamous even today, aren't true. Without the bathing in blood she's really just stripped to a common miscreant who tortured people, and that's sad. At various points in the book you think to yourself,...more
Erzsebet Bathory is a fascinating character in history, but there is little written about her. In this biography Craft uses letters and trail transcripts to reconstruct the life Countess Bathory. Craft clearly spent a lot of time researching and translating documents, but there are still holes where to little is known and speculation must occur. The book switches between a historical work and the occasional novel-like narratives. I would have preferred a consistent style. Overall though a very i...more
I read this because my wife had it lying on the bedside. Not sure I'd like it, but then I got hooked. Something about the way in which the author takes history and turns it into an actual story intrigued me. By the end, I read the entire thing, including the appendix. Some of the best information is in the appendix, BTW. No one sugar-coated anything back in the old days. If you think today's murder mysteries and crime stories are bizarre, "out there" or unique, read this.
Never-before-published documents revealing something of the history behind the accusations against Elizabeth Bathory. Craft's book appears to be self-published--no idea why, as the research is solid--and could have used a good editor. Craft writes well, but there are inconsistencies and repetitions throughout that would have been caught be an editor. There are interesting appendices--including Romanian/English variations of names and a "cast of characters" but, strangely enough, no index.
The author was right, sometimes truth is stranger (and more disturbing) than fiction. Loved the way Craft included a lot of information about the culture of the Hungarian people--at least it sort of explained why Bathory was allowed to slaughter young girls for so long without any repercussions. I also liked the inclusion of personal letters and transcripts of the trials. I think I'm going to be looking for more information about this "infamous lady!"
Finally a decent biography in English. I've read McNally and Thorne, but both were written over a decade ago. Michale Farin's biography is very good, too, but it's in German. This is the best book for the money on Lady Bathory--it has all of McNally, Thorne's and Farin's research, plus more.
This biography explores the life of the 16th-century "Blood Countess" of Hungary, Erzsebet Bathory. Reputed to be both a vampire and the world's worst female serial killer, she allegedly bathed in the blood of her 650 victims. Based on newly-found source material, translated into English for the first time, this book explores the actual life and trial of Countess Bathory, through letters, documents, and trial transcripts.
What can I say about this book, the first 60% of it was very informative and makes want to read more on the Countess. The author definitely did her research. That being said the second 40% of the book felt like groundhog day as I was reading the actual documents and what not that was used for the trials. I did read this on my iPhone so not sure if that makes a difference. I give it 3 stars only because of the repeating of info. Would have given 4stars had it not been so.
It was incredibly thorough and I admire that quality. It was also incredibly boring. Even through some of the most gruesome descriptions of Erzsébeth Báthory's crimes, I found myself cringing and yawning at the same time.
I absolutely loved this book. I am a "fan" of Erzsebet Bathory and have been searching for a book that gives an accurate portrayal of her life for some time. This is the best I found so far. It was fascinating and appalling at the same time and I found myself unable to put it down. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in learning about the life of the "Blood Countess".
The best biography thus far on Countess Erzsebet Bathory.
Bets bio on Elizabeth Bathory EVER.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Kimberly L. Craft holds bachelor and master's degrees as well as a juris (law) doctorate. She also received a Zertifikat Deutsch als Fremdsprache from the Goethe Institut in Munich. Prof. Craft has served on various faculties, including DePaul University and Florida A&M College of Law. An attorney and legal historian, Prof. Craft has spent over a decade researching the life and trial of Counte...more
More about Kimberly L. Craft...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
Jun 03, 2010 07:09am