England's Mistress: The Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton

Written by Kate Williams

Narrated by Sophie Ward

A dramatic, sparkling tale of sex, glamour, intrigue, romance and heartbreak, England's Mistress traces the rise and rise of the gorgeous Emma Hamilton. Born into poverty, she clawed her way up through London's underworlds of sex for sale to become England's first media superstar. Nothing could stand in her way of her desire to live out her dream- except her self-destructive desires. Drawing on hundreds of previously undiscovered letters, and told with a novelist's flair, "England's Mistress" captures the relentless drive, innovative style and burning passion of a true heroine. In a world of tabloid fame and three-minute wonders, Emma's life is truly a tale for our time.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House UK Audio
• Release date: Jan 27, 2011
• ISBN: 9781446461044

Kate Williams

KATE WILLIAMS is the author of the novels The Storms of War, Dancing into Life and The Pleasures of Men, as well as five acclaimed non-fiction books, including Becoming Queen, about Queen Victoria’s youth, and England’s Mistress: The Infamous Life of Emma Hamilton. She is also a social historian and broadcaster who appears regularly on radio and television as a historical and royal expert, frequently appears on BBC Breakfast and has hosted historical documentaries on TV and radio. The New World is the concluding volume in the Storms of War trilogy, which tells the story of the de Witt family between 1914 and 1939. Web: kate-williams.com Twitter: @KateWilliamsme  

Reviews for England's Mistress

[theloislevel · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Readable; not too bogged down in facts and figures. In fact, sometimes I was a little uncertain in respect to how much time had passes between events. Not a morality story; what I learned is that Lady Hamilton's fall came not from being immoral but from trusting too much in love...and not getting her house in order by extracting financial settlements while she could. The wife of her great love ends up financially fine, but at the cost of a lonely life (or as the book says). So what is the better option? There is no answer here.

[adonisguilfoyle · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

An informative but impersonal biography of Emma Hamilton, the famous courtesan who became Nelson's mistress. Compared to Flora Fraser's account, which I couldn't finish, Kate Williams writes clearly and fairly about Emma, but there is always more history than personality in such studies of famous (or infamous) names. Although I admire the level of research, and how the author 'translates' money and locations for modern readers, I think perhaps only a talented novelist could really bring Emma to life, and separate her from the history books and footnotes. Emma, born Amy Lyon and raised in a northern mining community, created a life for herself that, as Kate Williams disclaims in the prologue, would be 'dismissed as improbable' in a work of fiction. Indeed, Emma's rise to fame - from scullery maid to artist's model to courtesan to England's mistress - is the hackneyed route of many a romance novel heroine, with seeming disregard for historical accuracy or propriety. Yet because of Emma's beauty, spirit and ingenuity, she really did overcome all obstacles of hardship and reputation to become a feted and beloved national heroine. Of course, she then lost everything and died in poverty abroad, like many a notorious eighteenth century celebrity, but for a time, Emma Hamilton was the height of fashion. And why? Because she was a true actress, who aimed to please and delighted in making a show of herself. Emma also knew how to attract, engage and flatter the male ego, and she moved from one aristocratic 'protector' to another, always looking for love. Her first lover gave her a daughter, the second established her as Romney's muse and gave her the name she was best known by, Emma Hart, the third she succeeded in marrying, and the final face in her rogue's gallery - Nelson - was the love of her life. Not a long list of conquests, and all but one loved her dearly and remained part of her life, but none of Emma's lovers guaranteed her financial security. As Kate Williams summarises: 'Despite all her charisma, intelligence and charm, Emma had to rely on what she could win from men - and when men would not give it her, she had nothing.' From the lively, creative, honest young courtesan, who wrote passionate if misspelled missives to her lovers and charmed royalty, nobility and the hearts of a nation, Emma Hamilton's descent into lonely poverty and neglect is at once heartbreaking and frustrating. Like Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, Emma lived beyond her means and ran up massive debts, but unlike Georgiana, there were no wealthy relatives to bail her out. When reading the final chapters, I wanted to shake Emma and shout, 'You have no money! Fire your maids and footmen, stop throwing parties, and face facts!'The only real sense of Emma Hamilton I got from Kate Williams' biography is how hopeless and pitiful the woman was in later life. Her magnetic charm, international appeal, and even her all-consuming love for the one-eyed, one-armed, toothless Nelson, didn't really ring true. She was either a beautiful, outgoing, caring, industrious woman ahead of her time, with the strength and independence to make life work for her, or a shrewd actress who knew how to manipulate men by constantly reinventing and, yes, prostituting herself to make them happy. Perhaps a mixture of both. One other minor quibble I have is with the cover to my edition - why, for a biography about one of the most painted women of her time, have Arrow Books chosen to use a stock photographic image of an Emma-esque model with dark hair and heaving bosom? The three colourful illustration inserts in the book are filled with stunning examples of portraits by Romney and Elizabeth Vigee le Brun, yet the publisher runs with a cheap, romance novel mock-up? Unforgiveable.

[cariola_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I knew little about Lady Emma Hamilton before reading this book, save that she was mistress to Horatio Nelson, the great naval commander. Kate Williams brings her to life as a strong-willed woman who faced poverty, shame, passion, loneliness, popularity, tragedy, and triumph with equally good-natured aplomb. The "it" girl of her day, Emma seemed an 18th century Angelina Jolie--a beautiful woman of principle (though not necessarily the same principles as the rest of society) who lived her life guided by passion and a need to be noticed. The compromises she had to make to succeed--or, at times, just to get by--are heartrending.Williams depicts the society of Emma's day in minute but colorful detail. Who would have imagined that genteel ladies, swooning over Nelson's victories, would have bedecked themselves (and their houses) with anchors, military braid, Egyptian obelisks (atop headdresses), and fabric printed with his likeness? Overall, a fascinating portrait of a fascinating woman and her society.

[bookweaver · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Readable; not too bogged down in facts and figures. In fact, sometimes I was a little uncertain in respect to how much time had passes between events. Not a morality story; what I learned is that Lady Hamilton's fall came not from being immoral but from trusting too much in love...and not getting her house in order by extracting financial settlements while she could. The wife of her great love ends up financially fine, but at the cost of a lonely life (or as the book says). So what is the better option? There is no answer here.