American Empress
American Empress

Author: Nancy Rubin

Publisher: iUniverse

Published: 2004-01-04

Total Pages: 480

ISBN-13: 0595752020

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Embark on a remarkable journey through the pages of "American Empress: The Life and Times of Marjorie Merriweather Post," a comprehensive biography of one of the most inspiring entrepreneurs in American history. This meticulously researched volume offers a window into the life of Marjorie Post, whose Midwestern childhood in the heart of the cereal belt was just the beginning of an extraordinary saga. One incredible aspect of her life is that she was the builder of Mar-A-Lago. From the rustic barn where young Marjorie's glue-stained hands were worn from assembling cereal boxes to the opulent boardrooms where she later wielded influence as a formidable American businesswoman, this narrative captures the essence of an era and the indomitable spirit of the woman who left an indelible mark on it. As the heiress to a cereal empire, Marjorie's story is not just one of wealth and social standing but also personal tenacity and visionary leadership. This Marjorie Post book takes readers through the pivotal moments that shaped her life—from her enterprising ventures in the family business to her role as a diplomat's wife. Each chapter weaves together the personal and professional triumphs and challenges she faced, painting a portrait of a woman whose influence extended well beyond the boardroom. A celebrated female philanthropist, Marjorie's legacy is marked by her generous spirit and her unwavering commitment to enriching the world around her. Her philanthropic endeavors spanned from the arts to civic projects, making her a patron with a purpose. Her story is a testament to the power of generosity, showing how one woman's dedication to giving back can ignite change and inspire generations. This biography of Marjorie Merriweather Post is more than just a chronicle of a life lived grandly; it's an exploration of one individual's impact on the fabric of society. It is an invitation to explore the life of a woman who was as complex as she was charismatic, as formidable in business as she was in her philanthropic pursuits. For those who seek to understand the full spectrum of American legacy, "American Empress" is a must-read—a tribute to the life and times of a true pioneer. Whether you are drawn to tales of success, inspired by the stories of pioneering women, or intrigued by the rich tapestry of American history, this Marjorie Merriweather Post biography offers an engaging and enlightening narrative. Her story will resonate with anyone who believes in the transformative power of ambition, the importance of giving back, and the enduring influence of a life well-lived. Join us in celebrating the journey of a woman whose vision and generosity helped to shape the world we know today.

American Empress
American Empress

Author: Nancy Rubin

Publisher: Iuniverse Star

Published: 2004-01-01

Total Pages: 484

ISBN-13: 0595301460

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American Empress is a sweeping history of the dramatic life of heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, daughter of breakfast-cereal magnate C. W. Post. As a young girl growing up in the Midwest, Marjorie Post helped glue cereal boxes in her father's barn, later became a board member of his company, wed a diplomat and by late middle age was widely acknowledged as the unofficial "Queen of Washington, D.C." The glamorous and warm-hearted Mrs. Post was also mother to actress Dina Merrill. Throughout her life, she gave generously to hundreds of civic, artistic and philanthropic causes, among which were the National Symphony Orchestra, the Washington Ballet and the Kennedy Center. By virtue of her brains, beauty and great wealth, Mrs. Post was a woman well ahead of her era, whose natural business acumen created the frozen foods industry and transformed the Postum Cereal Company into the General Foods Corporation.

Empress Orchid
Empress Orchid

Author: Anchee Min

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 0618562036

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From a master of the historical novel, Empress Orchid sweeps readers into the heart of the Forbidden City to tell the fascinating story of a young concubine who becomes China's last empress. Min introduces the beautiful Tzu Hsi, known as Orchid, and weaves an epic of a country girl who seized power through seduction, murder, and endless intrigue. When China is threatened by enemies, she alone seems capable of holding the country together. In this "absorbing companion piece to her novel Becoming Madame Mao" (New York Times), readers and reading groups will once again be transported by Min's lavish evocation of the Forbidden City in its last days of imperial glory and by her brilliant portrait of a flawed yet utterly compelling woman who survived, and ultimately dominated, a male world.

The Empress and Mrs. Conger
The Empress and Mrs. Conger

Author: Grant Hayter-Menzies

Publisher: Hong Kong University Press

Published: 2011-01-01

Total Pages: 363

ISBN-13: 9888083007

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This is the story of two women from worlds that could not seem farther apart--imperial China and the American Midwest--who found common ground before and after one of the greatest clashes between East and West, the fifty-five day siege of the Beijing foreign legations known as the Boxer Uprising. Using diaries, letters and other sources,The Empress and Mrs. Congertraces the parallel lives of Empress Dowager Cixi and American ambassador's wife Sarah Pike Conger, which converged to alter their perspectives of each other and each other's worlds. Grant Hayter-Menziesis the author ofImperial Masquerade: The Legend of Princess Der Lingand the biographer of stage and screen stars Charlotte Greenwood and Billie Burke. "Sarah Conger's story is worth telling for many reasons. She occupied a point in time that makes her interesting, but the author demonstrates that she is interesting in her own right-a flawed and fascinating individual whose story we want to read not for what we learn about Chinese history, but for what we learn about a woman profoundly typical of her era and class leading a life of determination in the belief that the right combination of positive attitudes and common sense must win out over adversity." - Timothy Brook, University of British Columbia

The Last Empress
The Last Empress

Author: Hannah Pakula

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2009-11-03

Total Pages: 850

ISBN-13: 1439154236

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With the beautiful, powerful, and sexy Madame Chiang Kai-shek at the center of one of the great dramas of the twentieth century, this is the story of the founding of modern China, starting with a revolution that swept away more than 2,000 years of monarchy, followed by World War II, and ending in the eventual loss to the Communists and exile in Taiwan. An epic historical tapestry, this wonderfully wrought narrative brings to life what Americans should know about China -- the superpower we are inextricably linked with -- the way its people think and their code of behavior, both vastly different from our own. The story revolves around this fascinating woman and her family: her father, a peasant who raised himself into Shanghai society and sent his daughters to college in America in a day when Chinese women were kept purposefully uneducated; her mother, an unlikely Methodist from the Mandarin class; her husband, a military leader and dogmatic warlord; her sisters, one married to Sun Yat-sen, the George Washington of China, the other to a seventy-fifth lineal descendant of Confucius; and her older brother, a financial genius. This was the Soong family, which, along with their partners in marriage, was largely responsible for dragging China into the twentieth century. Brilliantly narrated, this fierce and bloody drama also includes U.S. Army General Joseph Stilwell; Claire Chennault, head of the Flying Tigers; Communist leaders Mao Tse-tung and Chou En-lai; murderous warlords; journalists Henry Luce, Theodore White, and Edgar Snow; and the unfortunate State Department officials who would be purged for predicting (correctly) the Communist victory in the Chinese Civil War. As the representative of an Eastern ally in the West, Madame Chiang was befriended -- before being rejected -- by the Roosevelts, stayed in the White House for long periods during World War II, and charmed the U.S. Congress into giving China billions of dollars. Although she was dubbed the Dragon Lady in some quarters, she was an icon to her people and is certainly one of the most remarkable women of the twentieth century.

Empress
Empress

Author: Miles Taylor

Publisher: Yale University Press

Published: 2018-10-02

Total Pages: 425

ISBN-13: 0300118090

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An entirely original account of Victoria's relationship with the Raj, which shows how India was central to the Victorian monarchy from as early as 1837 In this engaging and controversial book, Miles Taylor shows how both Victoria and Albert were spellbound by India, and argues that the Queen was humanely, intelligently, and passionately involved with the country throughout her reign and not just in the last decades. Taylor also reveals the way in which Victoria's influence as empress contributed significantly to India's modernization, both political and economic. This is, in a number of respects, a fresh account of imperial rule in India, suggesting that it was one of Victoria's successes.

The Empress of South America
The Empress of South America

Author: Nigel Cawthorne

Publisher: William Heinemann

Published: 2003

Total Pages: 344

ISBN-13:

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Born in Ireland in the 1840's, Eliza Lynch left the country as a young girl, fleeing the potato famine with her parents. As a young woman, she became one of Paris most celebrated courtesans, until she was persuaded by the son of the dictator of Paraguay, to leave Paris for South America, where he promised he would make her Empress of the entire continent. Back in Asuncion, they embarked on a programme of extravagant building (the grandiose buildings they commissioned included a replica of the Palais Garnier), acquisition (Eliza's collection of jewellery was legendary), hospitality (Eliza was known to attend balls dressed as Elizabeth I, highly impractical, given the weather) and, finally, war. Paraguay declared war on a coalition that included not only all the other states in S American, but also the USA, France and Britain. By the time their reign was over, Paraguay's population had been devastated. Eliza died in poverty in Paris. Buried in Pere Lachaise, her corpse was dead up by dead of night in 1961, and smuggled back to Paraguay, where General Stroessner planned, despite the condemnation of the Church, to make her the centre of an Evita-style cult. Her body lies there to this

Empress Dowager Cixi
Empress Dowager Cixi

Author: Jung Chang

Publisher: Random House Canada

Published: 2013-10-29

Total Pages: 431

ISBN-13: 0307363120

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From the beloved, internationally bestselling author of Wild Swans, and co-author of the bestselling Mao: The Unknown Story, the dramatic, epic biography of the unusual woman who ruled China for 50 years, from concubine to Empress, overturning centuries of traditions and formalities to bring China into the modern world. A woman, an Empress of immense wealth who was largely a prisoner within the compound walls of her palaces, a mother, a ruthless enemy, and a brilliant strategist: Chang makes a compelling case that Cixi was one of the most formidable and enlightened rulers of any nation. Cixi led an intense and singular life. Chosen at the age of 12 to be a concubine by the Emperor Xianfeng, she gave birth to his only male heir who at four was designated Emperor when his father died in 1861. In a brilliant move, the young woman enlisted the help of the Emperor's widow and the two women orchestrated a coup that ousted the regents and made Cixi sole Regent. Untrained and untaught, the two studied history and politics together, ruling the huge nation from behind a curtain. When her boy died, Cixi designated a young nephew as Emperor, continuing her reign till her death in 1908. Chang gives us a complex, riveting portrait of Cixi through a reign as long as that of her fellow Empress, Victoria, whom she longed to meet: her ruthlessness in fighting off rivals; her curiosity to learn; her reliance on Westerners who she placed in key positions; and her sensitivity and desire to preserve the distinctiveness of China's past while overturning traditions (she, as Chang reveals--not Mao, as he claimed--banned footbinding) and exposing its culture to western ideas and technology.

Empress of the Splendid Season
Empress of the Splendid Season

Author: Oscar Hijuelos

Publisher: Harper Collins

Published: 2000-01-05

Total Pages: 356

ISBN-13: 9780060928704

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Oscar Hijuelos vividly brings to life the joys, desires, and disappointment of American life witnessed through the experience of a formerly prosperous Cuban émigré named Lydia Espana--now a cleaning woman in New York. In magnetic prose, he juxtaposes Lydia's tale with the stories of her clients, contrasting her experiences with the secret lives of those for whom she works. No one writes better of love or the pulse of a city, nor has any writer better captured the complexity inherent in the emigration experience; how assimilation is at once the achievement of dreams, yet also a loss of the past. Empress of the Splendid Season is Hijuelos at his masterful best, a novel filled with incantatory, rhythmic prose and rich in heartfelt vision.