Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge

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Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge

3.69 of 5 stars 3.69 · rating details · 3,285 ratings · 475 reviews

Throughout the centuries, royal mistresses have been worshiped, feared, envied, and reviled. They set the fashions, encouraged the arts, and, in some cases, ruled nations. Eleanor Herman's Sex with Kings takes us into the throne rooms and bedrooms of Europe's most powerful monarchs. Alive with flamboyant characters, outrageous humor, and stirring poignancy, this glittering...more Throughout the centuries, royal mistresses have been worshiped, feared, envied, and reviled. They set the fashions, encouraged the arts, and, in some cases, ruled nations. Eleanor Herman's Sex with Kings takes us into the throne rooms and bedrooms of Europe's most powerful monarchs. Alive with flamboyant characters, outrageous humor, and stirring poignancy, this glittering tale of passion and politics chronicles five hundred years of scintillating women and the kings who loved them.

Curiously, the main function of a royal mistress was not to provide the king with sex but with companionship. Forced to marry repulsive foreign princesses, kings sought solace with women of their own choice. And what women they were! From Madame de Pompadour, the famous mistress of Louis XV, who kept her position for nineteen years despite her frigidity, to modern-day Camilla Parker-Bowles, who usurped none other than the glamorous Diana, Princess of Wales.

The successful royal mistress made herself irreplaceable. She was ready to converse gaily with him when she was tired, make love until all hours when she was ill, and cater to his every whim. Wearing a mask of beaming delight over any and all discomforts, she was never to be exhausted, complaining, or grief-stricken.

True, financial rewards for services rendered were of royal proportions -- some royal mistresses earned up to $200 million in titles, pensions, jewels, and palaces. Some kings allowed their mistresses to exercise unlimited political power. But for all its grandeur, a royal court was a scorpion's nest of insatiable greed, unquenchable lust, and vicious ambition. Hundreds of beautiful women vied to unseat the royal mistress. Many would suffer the slings and arrows of negative public opinion, some met with tragic ends and were pensioned off to make room for younger women. But the royal mistress often had the last laugh, as she lived well and richly off the fruits of her "sins."

From the dawn of time, power has been a mighty aphrodisiac. With diaries, personal letters, and diplomatic dispatches, Eleanor Herman's trailblazing research reveals the dynamics of sex and power, rivalry and revenge, at the most brilliant courts of Europe. Wickedly witty and endlessly entertaining, Sex with Kings is a chapter of women's history that has remained unwritten -- until now.(less)

Paperback, 304 pages

Published April 5th 2005 by William Morrow Paperbacks (first published January 1st 2004)

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Community Reviews

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Sep 07, 2007 Homa rated it 4 of 5 stars

For whatever reason, this is an excellent book to read aloud to a friend (or, i suppose, to yourself). What I learned was that, back in the day, the fundamental order of operations, in terms of position went a little something like this:

pope
king
mistress at her peak
...
bastard son of king
legit son of king
...
sack of shit
...
mistress at all other times
queen
sack of shit on fire

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Nov 29, 2008 Xysea rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of romantic and historical fiction, fans of royalty, nobility and scandal

Shelves: book-on-home-shelf

Okay, well this is a saucy book. It certainly details most aspects of the mistress/queen/king dynamic. And being a royal mistress was good while it was good, but it was hardly a life to envy.

Yes, it was considered an honor to be chosen. It came with riches, power and a shot at (occasionally) being queen. It also came with venereal disease, bastard children, crushing poverty and a pit of vipers known as the royal court.

Mistresses were not always beautiful, or thing. However, they generally offere...more

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Aug 22, 2011 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: feminist, history-europe-general

New Review

Educational gossip!

Old Review

It is impossible not to like a book that has the line "many men were willing to lay down thier wives for their king".

Totally impossible.

At times funny, at times surprisingly sad, this is a good book. Herman writes about the mistresses withuot making them saints. She is sympathic to husband, wife, and the other woman and the other woman's husband. While the book focuses mostly on the French, there are some really funny and strange stories. Like the one about...more

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Aug 30, 2008 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

I had mixed feelings about this book. On the plus side, it's a fascinating read, giving a perspective on history that we don't often get. It's also laugh out loud funny in a lot of places.

On the minus side, the author has a couple of quirks that I found slightly irritating. One is that she's constantly beginning sections of the book with passages like, "We imagine that the life of a royal mistress must have been glamorous, full of ..." Maybe it's just that I've read enough history to know bette...more

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Mar 09, 2008 Ashley rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, history

Although the topic was very interesting, the organization of this book completely killed it. Herman jumps around from one royal mistress to the next, and it became very difficult to follow who was who - I found myself flipping back to earlier chapters to see who she was talking about. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but I couldn't even finish it. With a good editor and some chronological organization, it has potential to be really interesting stuff. As it is, it's only poorly written, unorga...more

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Dec 02, 2011 Brittany rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

This book was very lucky. I read it on the beach in Portugal on my honeymoon. I think under almost any other circumstances I would have lost patience with it much more quickly. As it was, I made it almost all the way through in good spirits, and only got impatient the last couple dozen pages.

I have shelved the book "history," but I'm not actually sure about that. It's really more "history lite" or some other nonsensical genre. She did do some research, but she focused on a handful of women, rath...more

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Nov 19, 2007 Laura rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfic

I picked up this book a few years ago because of an article in the magazine Mental Floss , and enjoyed it as a light and somewhat fluff read. I just reread it and remember that there are some large problems with it. The organization is really awful, the chapters pretend to be about large categories but are conversational and don't seem to be held together much. The author skips from anecdotes about one mistress to anecdotes about a mistress from hundreds of years previously, in fact, all of the...more

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Jun 10, 2013 Erin rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: nonfiction

This was pretty fluffy, history-lite-- which was exactly what I was looking for right now. I've been listening to a lot of podcasts (Stuff You Missed In History Class from howstuffworks.com) involving kings, queens, and mistresses, so I had heard a bit of it before, but I liked learning a bit more. Really, though, it was only a bit. Herman arranges her book by theme, focusing on aspects of being a mistress, and then goes on to give multiple examples across European history. I understand why she...more This was pretty fluffy, history-lite-- which was exactly what I was looking for right now. I've been listening to a lot of podcasts (Stuff You Missed In History Class from howstuffworks.com) involving kings, queens, and mistresses, so I had heard a bit of it before, but I liked learning a bit more. Really, though, it was only a bit. Herman arranges her book by theme, focusing on aspects of being a mistress, and then goes on to give multiple examples across European history. I understand why she went this way-- it makes the book go quickly and is much easier to read than a series of short biographies-- but it meant I had trouble keeping names straight and, even with the memorable factoids, probably couldn't tell you whether that incident was from Madame de Maintenon or Madame de Pompadour. Even remembering which king had which mistress(es) was often hard to remember from one mention to the next. Some kind of table or family tree might have been helpful. The author also drifted into poetic language, and her novelized bits (the conclusion was the worst offense) were the parts I skipped over automatically. I also noticed Herman would present the same person from one angle in one chapter and then from the opposite viewpoint a chapter or two later, without any acknowledgement of this switch. Unfortunately, this habit just made the author appear inconsistent instead of showcasing the ability to look at the situation from multiple angles. Despite all these flaws, the book was still very readable and entertaining, and it was saved from being too repetitive by its being fairly short.

A side note: my paperback includes several notes from the author at the end, which, although they did nothing to detract from my enjoyment of the book, did seriously make me question the author. One section on ways to embrace the Baroque in our modern lives had somewhat painful (and already dated) suggestions reminding women to use makeup and wear fancy clothes. Most notably, she admits that she has taken a page from Madame de Pompadour's book in her own current relationship and makes sure not to nag her partner, but instead meet him at the door with wine and listen sympathetically to him. I'm sure (I hope) this is a romanticized account of their relationship, but it still made me wonder how a book with such uninhibited views about sex could encourage such a limited view of a woman's place in a heterosexual relationship. By all means, hone your skills as a good listener, but encourage your partner to do the same. Seems Herman had already forgotten the lesson of what happened to Madame de Pompadour: despite her ill health increased by the stress of constant court life, she refused to take a break from court and risk being replaced by another, younger mistress who might be a better listening ear and entertainer. The compounding stress of needing to be constantly entertaining certainly contributed to her death, or at least hastened it along.(less)

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Apr 18, 2013 Rose rated it 3 of 5 stars

For anyone who enjoys history and gossip this will be a fun read. Eleanor Herman offers a wealth of information about the most famous, and a few not so famous, mistresses of European monarchs. Her writing style is conversational and easy-going, as though you were having lunch with a socialite with all the latest dirt on the rich and fabulous.

Besides the gossip, Herman also gives a view of what real life was like for most mistresses. It wasn't all sex and jewelry. Being the king's favorite was a...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Justin Neville rated it 3 of 5 stars

Well, now. Here's the thing. I definitely wanted something light and entertaining for my flight home today as a break from a heavier, drier history of classical Europe that I knew would be a harder slog.
And this rollicking romp through the history of royal mistresses sounded just the thing - and it partly was.

But it really is very light. Long on gossip, short on any historical depth or understanding.

The structure's a little odd as some other reviewers have pointed out. It's organised by 'theme'...more Well, now. Here's the thing. I definitely wanted something light and entertaining for my flight home today as a break from a heavier, drier history of classical Europe that I knew would be a harder slog.
And this rollicking romp through the history of royal mistresses sounded just the thing - and it partly was.

But it really is very light. Long on gossip, short on any historical depth or understanding.

The structure's a little odd as some other reviewers have pointed out. It's organised by 'theme': mistresses' political influence or not; their bastards; their husbands; their personal wealth; their deaths etc. There is actually some sense to doing it that way as it enables the author to make some general comments on each of these aspects. Unfortunately, it means that, for each topic, we get a regurgitation of the 7 or 8 mistresses she's concentrating on, but with different details and perspectives. It means we chop about chronologically and, if you blink, you miss that we've whizzed three hundred years forward in the time and then six hundred back.

The writing is paperthin: my internal editor's voice was forever shouting "Misleading! Rewrite!" or "You don't say" or just "Wrong!" and those were the mistresses I had some knowledge of. One major gripe is that in telling the stories of these mistresses, she presents as fact every single comment she comes across, whether in contemporary sources or not, without appearing to hedge at all or explain that this is just one (possibly partial) person's view - or just plain gossip. Even in telling the Charles/Diana/Camilla story (we stop just before Charles and Camilla got married as presumably this book was written before that), she appears to know exactly what happened and what each person was thinking and feeling. You use the same approach for a mistress of the 1550s and it's even more dubious.

And sometimes her stylistic choices are just plain uncomfortable. She describes Nell Gwynn (twice) as King Charles's "spunky whore". Leave aside the fact that that sounds a lot worse to my British ears than to her American ones, but it's just so anachronistic. And comparing two 17th century mistresses, she says one was "sexier" than the other one...

Her historical and geographical perspective is also very limited. It's almost entirely Western Europe since about 1550, with the occasional Russian or Polish example. There's not even an acknowledgement that there might be royal mistresses in other parts of the globe. I could have excused that maybe if there was "European" anywhere in the title or introduction. She as good as says the royal mistress started with Diane de Poitiers in the first half of the sixteenth century, but then later throws in the odd earlier example, such as Edward IV's Jane Shore.

All those gripes aside, there were some interesting stories here if you can piece their disparate parts together and don't take any of it other than with huge dollops of salt. And, as Graceann says below, it can be a spur to exploring the real history here.(less)

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Jan 27, 2013 Holly rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: yummy-history

I enjoyed reading this book on a subject not often discussed. It is interesting to read it from the modern viewpoint and look back on a time with an entirely different set of expectations for leaders of nations.

A monarch's queen was nothing more than a royal broodmare; her only purpose in the King's court was to produce royal heirs. His mistress fulfilled all other roles in their relationship, and it is a much harder job to keep a man entertained, sexually fulfilled and emotionally secure than t...more I enjoyed reading this book on a subject not often discussed. It is interesting to read it from the modern viewpoint and look back on a time with an entirely different set of expectations for leaders of nations.

A monarch's queen was nothing more than a royal broodmare; her only purpose in the King's court was to produce royal heirs. His mistress fulfilled all other roles in their relationship, and it is a much harder job to keep a man entertained, sexually fulfilled and emotionally secure than to be a procreational device. You just have to give those mistresses a lot of credit for doing what they did.

The style of the book was just fine for me.....if I had wanted to read in-depth biographies of all these women, I certainly could have, but this book was more for comparison and analysis of royal mistresses throughout history, and succeeds as such.

It also says a lot about women who were ambitious enough to seize power through the limited means available to them throughout much of history, especially in places like France where Salic Law prevented any female descendant of a monarch from ruling in her own right. Not saying that these women were wise or benevolent (Madame de Maintenon influencing Louis XIV to revoke the Edict of Nantes is a sad and bloody example of religious intolerance), but it is illuminating in historical circumstances.

I must admit I did have my favorites.....Nell Gwynn was a trip! I adored Madame de Pompadour for her overwhelming interests in architecture and the applied arts. I like Camilla Parker-Bowles as well, I think she has been unreasonably demonized for her affair with Prince Charles by all the "Princess Di groupies". I was never a fan of Princess Diana; she just never understood the role in life that she agreed to......my god, romance is for the unwashed masses (and usually most of us find it to be very disappointing) she should have appreciated her opportunities for what they were instead of thinking she could have it all. Her story is a cautionary tale......if you are a princess, act like a princess or die like white trash.......what an obvious choice, unfortunately for her she didn't get that memo in time.

Overall, a good book with lots of interesting information.(less)

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Dec 29, 2011 Rachael Hewison rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: history-monarchy

Definitely an interesting book, Sex with Kings had me captivated for quite some time. It is a well thought out book and is structured cohesively contrary to other opinions. Many people feel that she should have divided it into a time scale or concentrated on one mistress at a time, but I thought the structure was fantastic. She divided her chapters well and thought of interesting topics. She explored themes such as how the mistress’ husbands reacted to their wives sleeping with the king, the rel...more Definitely an interesting book, Sex with Kings had me captivated for quite some time. It is a well thought out book and is structured cohesively contrary to other opinions. Many people feel that she should have divided it into a time scale or concentrated on one mistress at a time, but I thought the structure was fantastic. She divided her chapters well and thought of interesting topics. She explored themes such as how the mistress’ husbands reacted to their wives sleeping with the king, the relationship between the queen and her husband’s mistress and what happened to the mistress if she should outlive the king. She used many of the same mistresses in each chapter, which may to some people be tiresome but for me it never felt dull or repetitive. The structure does mean that the book doesn’t lend itself easily to period based research, but it is nonetheless a very interesting and informative (if somewhat speculative) read.

Because of this structure it didn’t feel like a historical textbook, it felt more like lots of short stories. This probably helps lend the book towards those readers who are not used to reading the typical historical reference book and lean more toward fiction. This is probably quite apt as there are times where Herman seems to let her imagination run away with her pen, leaving parts stranded somewhere between fact and fiction. However much of the book does appear to be well researched and as a history graduate, specialising in many of the periods covered she managed to surprise me with some of her revelations.

All-in-all I would say that contrary to popular opinion it is a well structured book for its topic and audience, suited as it is to the casual armchair historian and as such it is never dull to read. It made me laugh out loud a few times and I found myself regularly reading quotes aloud to my friends. The only part I didn’t like was the conclusion, which was a bit bland. Portraits and pictures of all the mistresses mentioned would have perhaps improved it slightly more. I couldn’t recommend it more as an entertaining historical book-it’s made me want to read more on the subject.
(less)

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Nov 04, 2011 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars

SEX. Did that get your attention? Ha.

I don't know about you, but I consider sex to be very interesting. Combining sex and history sounded like an intriguing read so when I saw Sex with Kings at my local used book store I just had to have it! I was completely engrossed in this book (which hasn't happened for a long time) so I would definitely recommend this book to others. I've noticed that a lot of people dislike Eleanor Herman's organizaton of the book, but it didn't bother me. Rather than maki...more SEX. Did that get your attention? Ha.

I don't know about you, but I consider sex to be very interesting. Combining sex and history sounded like an intriguing read so when I saw Sex with Kings at my local used book store I just had to have it! I was completely engrossed in this book (which hasn't happened for a long time) so I would definitely recommend this book to others. I've noticed that a lot of people dislike Eleanor Herman's organizaton of the book, but it didn't bother me. Rather than making several short biographies, Herman divdies the chapters by theme - which I think is a great approach. If she only had two pages of material on one mistress, but 45 on another it would be way to unbalanced.

Sex with Kings is an extremely captivating book, focusing on a very unique part of history that has always been hush hush and not talked about often. Not only is Sex with Kings informative, but it is also quite humorous - which is awesome! It provides a fascinating historical insight of the lives of many of royal mistresses who were both loved and loathed. "Often a royal mistress could not win in the stern court of public opinion no matter what she did. If she bore the king children, she was a harlot bringing expensive bastards into the world. If she did not, she was even worse -- a barren harlot. If she was beautiful, her beauty was a gift from the devil to inflame the hapless monarch. If she was plain, the king deserved better. If she lived opulently, she was selfishly spending the poor people's taxes. If she lived simply, she was detracting from the king's glory."

Although there were often many gifts, jewels, property, and riches would be bestowed upon the mistress and her family, life was not easy. Whether she was the lover of the king out of love or greed the royal mistress's duty was to always be at the king's beck and call. No matter what time of day, or if she was tired, or ill. "Unlike the Queen, whose position was cast in stone, the mistress’s was made of far flimsier stuff. There would be no peace for her, no rest. Having obtained the great prize, the new mistress could not sit back and enjoy her rewards. She could not look around her magnificent rooms with satisfaction, or smile contentedly as she toyed with her glittering jewelry -- not if it meant letting her guard down for a moment."

Death from childbirth, veneral disease, bastard children, the threat of being replaced, constant gossip, and the threat of the king dying before the mistress were only some of the hardships. Not to say that all of the women experienced hardships though. Many were admired, blessed, and comfortable.

I never realized the difficulties that mistresses had to go through in the past, but then again I never realized the strong connection that some mistresses had with their royal lovers either. I highly recommend Sex with Kings - not only for the historical gossip, but also for the moments sprinkled throughout that will touch your heart. (less)

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Aug 22, 2010 Lize rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2004

This one was a lot of fun. "500 years of adultery, power, rivalry and revenge." From Henry VIII to Prince Charles, it's full of juicy tidbits about the Queens, Kings, their mistresses and life at court. The job of a royal mistress was about much more than beauty and sex--she was a confidant, advisor, and cheerleader. She made sure he was well-fed, comfortable and entertained, and gave him a respite from his responsibilities. From the 1400's to the late 1800's, being a royal mistress was a really...more

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Jun 22, 2010 Maggie rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, own

I agree with some of the other reviews that the book was kind of strangely organized so that it ended up jumping around in history quite a bit. I also agree with some of the reviews that call the author out on mixing her opinion in with fact. (She's pretty harsh on Princess Di, for one thing...) What do they call that on wikipedia? Using weasel words or something? At any rate - despite the organization, the style was easy to read, and it certainly wasn't as dull as the one bio I read on Madame d...more

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Nov 08, 2009 Emily rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2009, on-shelf-at-library-so-why-not

Sex with Kings was a book I got from the library on a lark and read only half of. It's meant to be a history of kings' mistresses in Western Europe focusing on the period from 1500 to 1850, but I'm not sure it deserves the appellation "history."

The author mentions the relationship of the mistress to the king (more diversion than confidante), the mistress's rivalry with the queen, and the threat of younger, prettier women to the mistress's status. The title is catchy, and there are some startling...more

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Oct 25, 2009 Chrys rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was a disappointment overall. Herman takes a fascinating topic and reduces it to a gossipy, disorganized read, largely judging the women discussed based on their looks and weight. Though I certainly learned a lot of historical information from this book, it seemed to exaggerate and scandalize many events of history, as if listening to a jealous woman at court discuss these subjects rather than an objective contemporary "historian". At times, the author seemed downright catty in discuss...more

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May 25, 2009 Jennifer Johnson rated it 3 of 5 stars

With a detailed look into the lives of royal mistresses, Eleanor Herman’s book really opens your eyes to the scandalous position. Not all about the sex, the role of royal mistress was demanding physically, sexually and intellectually. Not only did a mistress bear SCADS of royal bastards and have to constantly be ready and willing to please the king, she helped guide his politics, kept the king in control, worked tirelessly, (and often to her own detriment), on her appearance all for the chance t...more With a detailed look into the lives of royal mistresses, Eleanor Herman’s book really opens your eyes to the scandalous position. Not all about the sex, the role of royal mistress was demanding physically, sexually and intellectually. Not only did a mistress bear SCADS of royal bastards and have to constantly be ready and willing to please the king, she helped guide his politics, kept the king in control, worked tirelessly, (and often to her own detriment), on her appearance all for the chance to be the “chosen” one. The book details the role of mistress in the courts, outlining the different aspects of mistress-hood.

I’m a history geek- and I really enjoyed this little glimpse into the lives of many mistresses that graced the courts of Versailles and England as well as even a few comments about more recent courts. Although the book mostly focuses on the courts in France and England, it does also spend time on other nations such as the Austro-Prussian Empire, Spain etc. Not only was it a fascinating read, but it also was an exceptionally easy historical read, (why didn’t they teach THIS in my history classes?), and I was able to retain a fair amount of information.

My one complaint about this book is the way its laid out. This book had the potential to be pretty great, (sex, lies, cat fights and royalty--- HELLO SMUT!), but it’s easy to confuse who’s sleeping with whom. Instead of focusing on one king and his lady loves, it chooses to separate chapters by aspects of the mistress-hood, (social conception, bastards, gifts, deaths, etc) and so it’s very easy to get Louis 14th mixed up with Louis 12th and easy to get mixed up which mistress was doing what when. The time line gets quite jumbled and I’ll admit I’d be pretty confused at times. Also, very little mention of Henry the 8th and his Harem of ladies, although I suppose one can devote an entire book to that debacle.

Did I have a favorite mistress? Probably Nell Gwyn- who was one of two mistresses at the time. (Although my memory fails me as to whom she belonged to.) Nell was a protestant and the other mistress was a devout catholic. During a revolt when the people started to attack her- she reminded them she was the “Protestant Whore” and that they were angry at the catholic church and therefore should find the “Catholic Whore”. Heee. Protestant Whore has a nice ring to it.

Overall I enjoyed this book- and I’d give it a 7/10- recommended to my fellow history geeks and those who get a kick out of Royal scandal of any kind.(less)

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May 07, 2009 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

If you like history and nonfiction, this is an entertaining read. It's not as graphic as the title might suggest, instead it explores the influence that mistresses have had on kings for centuries. You can read about one mistress at a time, jump to different chapters in the book (it's done by mistress) and not worry about leaving it for long periods of time and returning, since each chapter could stand alone. I think it does a decent job of telling the other side of the story, discussing what a m...more

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Feb 19, 2009 Sara Sheehy rated it 3 of 5 stars

'Sex with Kings' is a pretty fascinating look at a part of history that is usually swept under the rug or not taken seriously. It was particularly interesting to me to learn about the roles that some mistresses played in policy making and wars.

I rated the book a three due to Eleanor Herman's writing style. Her actual sentence structure and meter I found easy and enjoyable to read. Her organization, however, was horrendous. There are two ways she could have organized this book - 1) by following...more

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Jan 26, 2009 Brianna is currently reading it

So I've been desperately trying to find something that will keep my attention, and I'm hopeful that this is it. But I'm not quite sold yet; I'm still having trouble staying focused.

It's been on my bookshelf, untouched, for at least two years. My mom (the British royalty obsessor) snagged it, read it and gave it back a couple days ago. I should have known what I was getting into when she gave it a glowing recommendation.

You see, my mom is a romance novel reader. They account for probably 95%-98%...more

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Dec 28, 2008 Abby marked it as to-read

Okay, so I took this class called "Scripture as Literature" in college, and I was just barely BARELY thinking all about it because I mentioned it in a review of another book I just added.

In that class, we read the bible strictly as a piece of literature. My professor was really cool. Very interesting. AND, the one thing I remember most (next to all the sex mentioned in Song of Solomon) was how all the women in the scriptures actually ran the show, even though the men seemed to get credit. Seriou...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Leila Montour rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: autobiography-biography, misc-nonfiction, womens-studies, history

A generally entertaining overview of some of the mistresses of European royalty in history. I wish I had marked pages from the beginning because there were quite a few amusing anecdotes and quotes within this book. In hindsight, however, I do wish that it had been organized by person rather than the "subject with examples" format-- it made it more difficult to keep track of who was who after a while, and also made a lot of the details more forgettable.

The author's voice is really present in thi...more

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Jan 02, 2010 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, romantical, owned

The author of this book is much less like a historian than she is like a gossipy old grandma from a bygone stuck-in-its-ways-and-ideas generation, telling you tales by the fireside. She's judgmental, melodramatic, partial (she's got a huge crush on the French) and very silly... but also delightfully vicious, gleefully arch, and has some of the best stories ever. Approach the book with that image in mind, and you'll have a blast.

Full of as much sex, intrigue, backstabbing, catcalling, fabulous on...more

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Apr 13, 2013 Leslee rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, 2013

This was a fun, naughty little book, although anyone looking for a truly historical book for good learnin' reasons probably will find this one a little light on the actual historical teaching side. Herman obviously went for the entertainment factor over the historical edge here. I wasn't really a fan of how the book was arranged. Although she tended to mention the same mistresses over and over throughout the whole book she jumped around quite a bit in each mini 'essay' framed around a certain vi...more

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Jan 27, 2010 Nathaniel rated it 3 of 5 stars

When I saw this book in the nonfiction section at the library and read the title, I expected factual (or at least factually-inspired) stories about royalty prancing around with no pants on. I hoped it would explain all the kinky stuff the members of European nobility were into over the past 500 years. Well, the book was a bit of a disappointment. This is not historical pornography and unless you think the concept extramarital sex is lurid or titilating, you're going to walk away unsatisfied.
Stil...more

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Apr 11, 2009 April rated it 4 of 5 stars

Sex is interesting. Sex with great figures of history, Kings, is even more interesting. To me, this was a fascinating read. I enjoyed reading about the trials the mistresses went through, and even sympathized with them. I actually wish there had been more on Camilla, the mistress of Prince Charles, but oh well. I think the most intriguing mistresses were Louis XIV's mistresses. The book was informative on what the life of a mistress was like, the public's feelings towards mistresses, what happen...more

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Nov 22, 2012 Carrie Kellenberger rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, historical-fiction

As my friend Jaclynn said when she loaned me this book, there's nothing quite like reading about ancient gossip. She was right. Sex with Kings takes the reader through five hundred years of Europe's most formidable and influential monarchs and their royal mistresses. These were the women that kings sought for themselves, rather than the foreign princesses they were forced to marry for the sake of their nation. In many cases, royal mistresses were treated better and received more money, clothing...more As my friend Jaclynn said when she loaned me this book, there's nothing quite like reading about ancient gossip. She was right. Sex with Kings takes the reader through five hundred years of Europe's most formidable and influential monarchs and their royal mistresses. These were the women that kings sought for themselves, rather than the foreign princesses they were forced to marry for the sake of their nation. In many cases, royal mistresses were treated better and received more money, clothing and jewels than the King's Queen! But they had to be constantly on their toes for fear of replacement, given that hundreds of beautiful women in and out of court were waiting to usurp them.

We read about successful royal mistresses who cater to their king's every wish and demand, regardless of whether they're stricken by grief, ill, or exhausted. We also learn about those unfortunate mistresses who remained loyal to their lovers only to be cast aside like a bag of trash once they no longer proved useful.

I enjoyed reading this book, but there are two things that stuck with me in particular. I didn't enjoy how the author kept going back to the same women chapter after chapter. The book was very poorly organized and it was confusing to read overall.

The second is not so much a criticism as a personal preference, but I really didn't enjoy reading Herman's description of Princess Diana of Wales. I'm a die-hard Diana fan, and I took exception to the fact that she described Diana suffering from bulimia and vomiting into a toilet, all the while lamenting why Charles didn't love her.

Actually, there were several cases throughout the novel where academic objectivity was clearly not in play. Sex with Kings is listed as non-fiction, but in some places, it felt more like a romance novel. It seems well researched, but I wonder how accurate the research is.

Overall though, it's a great read and I highly recommend it if you're the sort of person who enjoys learning about ancient royal history.

(less)

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Jul 28, 2012 Julianne rated it 4 of 5 stars

Well, it's definitely a catchy title, and that's why I picked up this book at my local bookstore. After reading the description, I thought it sounded interesting. The focus is almost always on the official leaders, the kings and queens of history, but so little information is out there about the significant others in these leaders' lives. For some leaders, those mistresses had enormous power and were the unofficial heads of state. I found the material Herman presents fascinating and well-researc...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Sara rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I have to agree with quite a few of the other reviews of this book. The topic of the book was extremely fascinating and I enjoyed the book for its fluffiness, but I have so many qualms with this book.

First, the organization of the book was terrible. It was hard to follow along with so many royal Charles', Louis', Henry(i)'s and etc. or the mistresses and queen Louises', Marie/Marys' or Lady this or that. This is coming from an avid history lover too. I understand the reason the book was divided...more

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About Eleanor Herman

New York Times best-seller Eleanor Herman offers a rare combination of skills for a historian – her research is intensely scholarly, yet she writes the story in a colorful, witty manner.

“History is so fascinating that it never has to be presented in a boring way,” she explains. “These were flesh and blood people, just like you and me, facing war and plague, falling in love, living among splendid a...more New York Times best-seller Eleanor Herman offers a rare combination of skills for a historian – her research is intensely scholarly, yet she writes the story in a colorful, witty manner.

“History is so fascinating that it never has to be presented in a boring way,” she explains. “These were flesh and blood people, just like you and me, facing war and plague, falling in love, living among splendid art and gut-wrenching poverty. Sometimes people ask me if I plan to write novels. And I say, with all the things that really happened, who needs to make stuff up?”

Reviewers agree. The New York Times Book Review wrote that Eleanor writes “enlightening social history that is great fun to read.”

The Boston Globe wrote, “Herman’s writing sparkles off the pages.”

The Washington Post called Eleanor Herman “A lot more fun than Danielle Steel or Dan Brown.”

Eleanor calls herself a “Sherlock Holmes of history.” To research Mistress of the Vatican, she traveled to Italy hot on the trail of documents related to Olimpia Maidalchini and Pope Innocent X, and found a cache of their letters. She visited Olimpia’s palace in the Piazza Navona in Rome (now the Embassy of Brazil), her villa outside the city (now used by the prime minister of Italy for entertainment), and the papal palace of the Quirinale, (now the ceremonial palace of the President of Italy.) She visited Olimpia’s birthplace in Viterbo, 50 miles north of Rome, her tomb in San Martino, the town she built for dowerless girls, and her country hunting lodge, gracefully falling to ruin.

Eleanor read countless diplomatic dispatches, letters, and contemporary records on life in seventeenth century Rome. Her fluency in French, German, and Italian has been invaluable in researching sources that have never been translated into English.
Mistress of the Vatican is Eleanor’s third book. Sex with Kings – a history of royal mistresses – appeared in 2004, and Sex with the Queen – a history of queens who took lovers – was published in 2006. Eleanor is a frequent commentator in the media about royal scandals, and has hosted episodes for The History Channel’s show, Lost Worlds, to air in the 2007-8 season. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Eleanor graduated with a degree in journalism from Towson University, studied languages in Europe, and for thirteen years worked for NATO’S Nations & Partners for Peace magazine. She is married and lives in McLean, VA.(less)

More about Eleanor Herman...

Books by Eleanor Herman

Sex with the Queen: 900 Years of Vile Kings, Virile Lovers, and Passionate Politics

Mistress of the Vatican: The True Story of Olimpia Maidalchini: The Secret Female Pope

King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village

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title link	preview: Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge
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BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78393.Sex_with_Kings?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348348720l/78393.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/78393.Sex_with_Kings?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge by Eleanor Herman[/url]

Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge

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