Tilar Mazzeo

The book provides a history of the revolutions of France in the 19th century, the history of the beginnings and development of champagne, and to some extent, the history of the woman who played an important part in that development, the Veuve Clicquot. That woman is meant to be the center of the book, but for lack of any real information about her, most of what is written about her is prefaced with maybe, perhaps, possibly, and probably. There is also a tremendous amount of repetition throughout. Do publishers pay by the page?

Having said that, if you are interested in the history of how champagne came to be champagne and the wine that we all celebrate with, or you are interested in the history of important but relatively unknown women, this book will interest you, despite its faults.… (mehr)

An interesting look at Barb-Nicole Clicquot, the widow (veuve in French) behind the world-renowned Veuve Clicquot champagne. There is not much documentation about Madam Clicquot, so the author has to resort to some supposition, but she does it well and never in an exaggerated manner. There is more documentation about the times and the industry itself, which the author uses to fill in the story. A very compelling look at the life of a woman who lived outside the normal rules and expectations for women and turned her small business into an international success during the time of the French Revolution and other major wars. Really, the book was a perfect blend of the life of Madam Clicquot and the times she lived in, making for a rich portrayal of her story.

While reading the book, I purchased a half-bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne and enjoyed it. It was fun to examine the label and understand the significance of aspects of it. And I certainly had a greater appreciation than ever before for how much work is required to generate those lovely and lively bubbles.… (mehr)

The history of Chanel No. 5 was much more intriguing than I thought it would be. This book gives a thorough account, as best as the author can since Chanel wouldn't let her confirm a lot of the rumors, of how No. 5 came to be and how it achieved its iconic status, and why it's still going strong almost a century later. There is a bit about Coco Chanel, her rough early life, and how she became a bitter, vindictive old woman in her 60's. I didn't sympathize with her at all at that point. She made her bed and then was appalled that she had to lie in it. She was a smart business woman that let her emotions get the better of her.… (mehr)

I'm not exactly certain what to make of this book, other than my strong feelings that it should not be classified as biography or history, despite containing elements of both. Throughout this book, the author discusses Eliza's feelings and writes some events as though she was describing a scene in a novel. This would be great - if this book was a novel. But it's not, and the author provides no sources for these portions of the book. While this book does more to cover the entire span of Eliza Hamilton's life than others I've encountered, I cannot help but say to approach it with extreme caution.… (mehr)