by Judith P. Zinsser (Author)
The captivating biography of the French aristocrat who balanced the demands of her society with passionate affairs of the heart and a brilliant life of the mind
Although today she is best known for her fifteen-year liaison with Voltaire, Gabrielle Emilie le Tonnelier de Breteuil, Marquise Du Ch telet (1706-1749) was more than a great man's mistress. After marrying a marquis at the age of eighteen, she proceeded to fulfill the prescribed-and delightfully frivolous-role of a French noblewoman of her time. But she also challenged it, conducting a highly visible affair with a commoner, writing philosophical works, and translating Newton's
Principia while pregnant by a younger lover. With the sweep of
Galileo's Daughter, Emilie Du Ch telet captures the charm, glamour, and brilliance of this magnetic woman.
Author Biography
Judith P. Zinsser is co-author of the landmark two-volume history of European women, A History of Their Own, and teaches at Miami University in Ohio. A recognized expert on the Marquise Du Ch穰elet, she was featured in October on the PBS Nova special Einstein's Big Idea.
Number of Pages: 400
Dimensions: 0.83 x 8.4 x 6.04 IN
Publication Date: December 01, 2007
