Emperor Francis Joseph: Life, Death and the Fall of the Habsburg Empire [Hardcover]

John Van der Kiste (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 25, 2005

In 1848 Francis Joseph became King of Hungary and Emperor of Austria. Focusing on the life of Francis Joseph and his family, this book examines their personal relationships against the turbulent background of the decline of had been the most powerful empire in Europe in the 19th century.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Van Der Kiste has written nearly 20 books on British and European royalty. His most recent are: 'William and Mary' and with Coryne Hall, 'Xenia: Sister of Nicholas' (June 2002. He also writes historical articles and reviews afor local and national journals. and contributed to the New Dictionary of National Biography.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Sutton Publishing (September 25, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0750937874
• ISBN-13: 978-0750937870
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,464,934 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John Van der Kiste read Librarianship at Ealing Technical College, where he edited the students' journal Stamp Out. He has published over forty books, including titles on historical biography, local history and true crime, music, fiction, and edited a Christmas anthology. He lives in Devon.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating Read, December 9, 2006

By 

dissolvedgirl - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Emperor Francis Joseph: Life, Death and the Fall of the Habsburg Empire (Hardcover)

Wonderful telling of the life of the last true Habsburg emperor. Although the author allows you to be sympathetic to Francis Joseph, he makes no excuses for his shortcomings as emperor as well. I bought this book as a guide for an upcoming trip to Austria and eastern Europe. It not only made me look forward to my trip but with the historical events that I got from this book in mind, I had a deeper perspective of the many sights that I visited on my trip. An fascinating read.

6 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Ripples of an Empire, March 13, 2006

By 

Lenore Kerl (Brooklyn, NYC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Emperor Francis Joseph: Life, Death and the Fall of the Habsburg Empire (Hardcover)

I found this novel to be an accurate novel of the last 100 years of the Hapsburg Dynasty and their trials, family sorrows and the effects of their autocratic power upon the people they governed throughout the late 19th and early 20th century. While i believe at times the Emperor felt he was ruling in the best interests of his loyal subjects that remains to be seen in the last part of the 19th century and of course leading up to that fateful day in June at Sarajavo when Franz Ferdinand and his wife Sophie were murdered by an Anachists Bomb and set the tone for the debacle of World War I which of course destroyed the last remaining vestiges of European Autocracy and Dynastic inheritance. While i do favor people having a say in how they are governed it seems that when the monachy is overthrown as in Imperial Russia; the individuals that take over the rule are far worse than their "Annointed Predecessors" . After all the gulags of Josef Stalin were far worse than any "fortress" of the Tsars.

1 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars emperor francis joseph, January 11, 2007

By 

Klaus Hilbert - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Emperor Francis Joseph: Life, Death and the Fall of the Habsburg Empire (Hardcover)

have actually not been able to start reading but know by title, will be great. thanks.