Unfortunately this was a DNF for me. I really tried to enjoy it but I just did not like how it was written. It also just didn't pique my interest

What a wonderfully rich biography. This book was addictive and thrilling, showing that sometimes the best stories are the ones we take from history.

Nonfiction about the 1830s in France. After the Bourbons had been kicked off the throne for the second time, the duchesse de Berry, widowed mother of the theoretically legitimate king (who was only 11), attempted to lead a civil war in rural France to retake the crown. This obviously did not go so well, and after her defeat she went into hiding, only to be betrayed to the police by one of her followers named Simon Deutz. Deutz had been raised Jewish, and despite his recent conversion to Catholicism was best-known for being the son of France's Chief Rabbi. Unsurprisingly, his actions led to an upswell of antisemitism, and Samuels argues this moment was one of the key shifts from antisemitism's medieval form (blood libel, backwards religiously) to its modern form (global capitalists, pushing the New World Order).

Even if you don't exactly agree with the duchess's pro-monarchy politics, she's a fascinating figure: despite being frequently described as "not pretty" by other members of the nobility, with bad teeth and a wandering left eye, she became a fashion icon who set the most glamorous trends of Parisian style; only 4'7, she was an inspiring military leader and modeled herself after Joan of Arc; idealized as the perfect, devoted mother by her followers, she had an affair and bore a child out of wedlock, who shortly thereafter died, probably due at least partly to parental neglect.

Deutz seems like a bit of a terrible person, even ignoring all of the racist accusations of his detractors: unable to keep any job for long, constantly running up debts and taking advantage of anyone foolish enough to loan him money, given to violent outbursts and heavy drinking and self-aggrandizing. As the aftermath of the clash between him and the duchess played out in newspapers, books, caricatures, and politics, it's easy to see how she came to represent old-school values of honor, trust, courage, and loyalty, while he stood for the modern world of hard cash, putting yourself first, individualism, and immigration (having been born not only Jewish, but in a German village before moving to France as a toddler). Of course, it's the tragedy of the last two hundred years that these symbols accrued not only to Deutz himself, but to all Jewish people.

It's a very relevant piece of history, and one that I'd never heard of before. There's all sorts of interesting repercussions to other areas, from Les Miserables to Alexandre Dumas to the Dreyfus Affair, the more recent and more well-known outburst of French antisemitism. I was particularly interested in the history of French Judaism in the early 1800s, the way the community gained rights and lost them in the swinging pendulum of Revolution, Napoleon, and Restoration. The writing style is smooth and engaging, and Samuels does a very good job of drawing parallels from this singular event to its still-ongoing repercussions.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3887965435

I like to have a variety on my blog. And for history readers #'The Betrayal of the Duchess' by author # Maurice Samuels is a good read. It's the interesting story of a high-spirited woman, in the year 1830. The royal family is in exile, a revolution,and a plot to restore the dynasty. All the makings of a winning read!!
Thank you,
#Netgalley, # Maurice Samuels, and # Perseus Books for the advanced copy

This is a unique book within the realm of royal writing -- a topic that is both controversial and captivating, and a subject who inhabits a familiar world but is not as well known as many of her historical counterparts. A worthy addition to any royal history lover's shelf.

Maria Carolina Luisa di Barbone was born in Naples in 1798. She was the great-granddaughter of the first Bourbon king of Naples and Sicily, and the grandniece of Marie Antoinette. Hot-tempered and bold, she hated revolutionaries and believed in absolute monarchies.
She was expecting when her husband, the duke de Berry, was assassinated. Determined her son, Henri V, would be the heir to the French throne, she displayed herself and the umbilical cord to soldiers pulled into the birthing room. When the July Revolution of 1830 caused her father-in-law and his eldest son to abdicate in favor of Henri, a cousin took the throne. Caroline led a revolt of her own, trying to start a civil war to gain the throne for Henri and power for herself.
A volatile, conniving Jew-turned-Catholic, Simon Deutz, ingratiated himself to anyone who could improve his fortunes. Seeing possibilities with the duchess, he offered his help, but betrayed her. Jews in France had gained full equality after the French Revolution, but antisemitism flared up after the betrayal.
Neither Caroline nor Simon make a good impression. Both were self-serving, and prove the wisdom of not having a heredity monarchy. Interesting how the Jews of Rome were kept in poverty and isolation by the popes as a sign of God’s disgrace for their refusal to accept Christ. They were forced to wear identifying insignia; shades of Nazis to come.

The Duchess De Berry affair captivated the whole world yet we in the modern world have never heard of her. Isn't it amazing how such momentous affairs just fade from the collective consciousness? The first few pages sum up everything for me. First, and this has nothing to do with anything, the Duchess was 4 foot 7 inches tall. Secondly, she spent 16 hours in a priest hole next to a fireplace to evade capture by her enemies and almost got away except for a soldier lighting a fire in the fireplace to ward off a chill and yet she still did not come out until she almost perished. So small and so formidable. Thirdly, her betrayal by a man of Jewish descent ushered in anti-Semitism into France.
The story begins with the duchess' birth in Naples, at the Caserta a 2 million square foot palace with 1200 rooms in the shadow of Mt. Vesuvius. WOW. Maria Carolina, after a childhood fraught with uncertainty that went with the Two Scililies thrones of her grandfather and having Napoleon lose on the continent, Carolina is sent to France to be married as she is Catholic and a Hapsburg, complete with drooping lip. Now know as Caroline she is the hope of the Bourbon dynasty as they need a make heir to continue. The Orleans line has one. Caroline and the Duc De Berry have a daughter, the Duc is assassinated and Caroline delivers a son posthumously. The other person in the story Simon Deutz who betrays the Duchess changed his religion to Catholic and thought that by attaching his hopes to the perhaps, if she were successful he would perhaps find his fortune and maybe she would give him a title for his efforts on her behalf. Meanwhile, the duchess hoped if she could secure the French throne for her son Henri V, who was 10 and the last of the Bourbon line, she would be regent until he reached his majority. However, she would have to dislodge Louis-Phillipe who held the throne at present and was of the house of Orleans. The barricades of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables were up in arms over this same King Louis Phillipe as the Duchesse de Berry was fighting. Also during this time France and in particular Paris was undergoing a cholera epidemic. Brutal times. Filthy times. A great time to starve.
Deutz said in his memoirs he betrayed the duchess to save France from the rack and ruin of a civil war brought on by the Bourbons and Orleans fighting each other. Nobody bought it. He betrayed her for greed. He figured out who was going to win and lose and hoped to profit from it. He had delusions of grandeur. He thought everyone would praise him for it. Everyone hated him for the betrayal. Plus there was something in his personality just was not likable. The duchess was pretty after a fashion, rich, female, charming, audacious, sympathetic, and had a kid. She had everything going for her. Until she didn't. She lost the war and was deported to Italy. Deutz got 500,000 francs but still had nothing. He died penniless in New Orleans. She had more adventures. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book in return for a review.

Makes a little known but important story a deeply insightful and thrilling tale of revolution and political conspiracy. Maurice Samuels, a distinguished scholar, has written a masterpiece of narrative history that will engage scholars and general readers. It entertains and enlightens Francophiles and newbies to the subject, with conclusions that are as relevant to modern times as to the nineteenth century. Anyone interested in political history, gender, France, or the rise of modern anti-semitism should read this book. Teachers of nineteenth century France or Europe could easily use this volume as a course text.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The first thing that intrigued me about this book was the title, as I'm intrigued by scandals involving royalty and nobility throughout history. And the connection to the 1830 Revolution was also cool. I enjoyed reading about the complex and cutthroat politics of the time, including the titular betrayal. The writing is a little dense, but it's very informative.

Thank you to Basic Books and #netgalley for the advanced copy for my honest review. This book comes out today, April 14, 2020!

Synopsis: from @goodreads: The year was 1832 and the French royal family was in exile, driven out by yet another revolution. From a drafty Scottish castle, the duchesse de Berry -- the mother of the eleven-year-old heir to the throne -- hatched a plot to restore the Bourbon dynasty. For months, she commanded a guerilla army and evaded capture by disguising herself as a man. But soon she was betrayed by her trusted advisor, Simon Deutz, the son of France's Chief Rabbi. By blaming an entire people for the actions of a single man, the duchess's supporters set the terms for the century of antisemitism that followed.

My Review:⭐️⭐⭐.5/ 5 stars

I am such a sucker for these historical books about old age royalty. I had not read about this particular Duchess and her plight but it was so interesting too. The book is extremely detailed and filled with tiny details about every single thing. It might be boring to some, but I ate it all up. I can easily see this story translate to becoming a scandalous HBO show or something. If you are into these kinds of novels, you will love it!! However if you need a quick read, then this is not for you.

A fascinating rad a part of history a duchess I had never heard of.Reads like fiction but is actually a true time in history..Highly recommend.#netgalley#persusbooks

This was one of the most interesting reads, it's from something that I have never heard of before and enjoyed learning about. It was well written and the characters were great.

I mean who doesn't love royal family drama, right? This book discusses an important historical figure whom we never heard of in our classrooms. It could feel like a chore sometimes reading this book, but it's quite rewarding to read on.

An interesting read, if a little clinical - whilst enjoyed the subject, I found the pace a little slow. But this would be a good read for anyone interested in this time period.

I love historical fiction mostly reading British not French history but I really enjoyed this book and will definitely seek out more books about the duchess

As a lover of history and especially interested in the lives of historical women, The Betrayal of the Duchess quickly became a favorite of mine. The Duchess de Berry deserves such an accolade to her person and her endeavors and the author does this amazing woman justice.

While the book reads like any accurate historical biography, the writing style of the author makes trudging through the past entertaining. Focusing on the actual events and the people who endured them, you still get a personal glimpse at the women herself. Don’t miss out on this wonderful book!

It was easy to give this piece a 5 star rating and I look forward to anything else from Maurice Samuels.

This was a very interesting book, covering a part of French history that I wasn’t aware of. Very detailed, well written and throughly researched, I found it a compelling read. It’s a bit dense so took some time to get through but very enlightening. It goes very deep on the history of anti-semitisim in France and how this particular event has been used over the past 100+ years to condemn an entire religion vs looking at it as the actions of one man.
I received an e-arc from Netgalley and the publisher in order to provide an honest review.