Pleasure and Ambition: The Life, Loves and Wars of Augustus the Strong [Hardcover]

Tony Sharp (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 18, 2001 | ISBN-10: 1860646190 | ISBN-13: 978-1860646195

Augustus the Strong of Saxony’s life was consumed by two addictions: the relentless pursuit of power and the uncompromising pursuit of pleasure. From his accession as Elector of Saxony in 1694 (when his brother the previous Elector died under mysterious circumstances) he pursued political power and glory by fighting the Ottoman Turks, purchasing the Polish throne (becoming a Catholic in the bargain) and warring against Sweden. His other great addiction--to pleasure--primarily in the female form--continually distracted Augustus from the single-minded pursuit of his dynastic aim. (He was reputed to have produced an illegitimate child for every day of the year.) This is the first biography in English of Augustus, and is based on primary German sources and the dispatches of English diplomats.

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About the Author

Tony Sharp was Lecturer in History at Southampton University and has written extensively on early modern European history.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 280 pages
• Publisher: I. B. Tauris (August 18, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860646190
• ISBN-13: 978-1860646195
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.3 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,258,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The life of George Stepney, British diplomat, March 20, 2004

By 

J. N. W. Bos "Joan" (Utrecht, The Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Pleasure and Ambition: The Life, Loves and Wars of Augustus the Strong (Hardcover)

The first chapters about August's youth and his brother's obsession with his mistress are good reading stuff. I noticed that the mistress, Sybille, is described as "Billa", although German books nickname her "Billchen", but that's only a minor detail.

From the start of August's reign, however, the book becomes a biography of the British diplomat George Stepney. It describes what Stepney did, where he was, what he wrote about August, and why, at times, he couldn't write about August. The book has extensive notes, but even those give me the impression that Stepney's correspondence was its main source.

Despite the title, the books is more about August's ambition and wars, than about his pleasures and loves. The author is of the opinion that the claim that August fathered 254 illegitimate children is ridiculous. He also doubts incestuous relationships between August and his daughter, the Countess Orczelska, because he "was then 57, and weakened by diabetes and an amputated toe". In his opinion, both stories are only the fantasy of the Margravine of Bayreuth.

Since this seems to be the only English biography of King August the Strong, and he certainly is an interesting figure, I would still recommend this biography.