Dancing to the Precipice: The Life of Lucie de la Tour du Pin, Eyewitness to an Era

by
Caroline Moorehead

( 11 )

Pick Up In Store

Hardcover

$20.49

BN.com price

$27.99 List Price (Save 27%)

Eligible for FREE SHIPPING details

Usually ships within 24 hours - Same Day delivery in Manhattan details

Marketplace (New and Used)

from

$0.99

$27.99 List Price (Save 96%)

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

All (34)

Used (20)

New (14)

Page 1 of 4

Showing 1 – 10 of 34 (4 pages)

$0.99

(Save 96%)

LOOK AT A BOOK OH

Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(5349)

Condition:

New — never opened or used in original packaging.

Like New — packaging may have been opened. A "Like New" item is suitable to give as a gift.

Very Good — may have minor signs of wear on packaging but item works perfectly and has no damage.

Good — item is in good condition but packaging may have signs of shelf wear/aging or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Acceptable — item is in working order but may show signs of wear such as scratches or torn packaging. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Used — An item that has been opened and may show signs of wear. All specific defects should be noted in the Comments section associated with each item.

Refurbished — A used item that has been renewed or updated and verified to be in proper working condition. Not necessarily completed by the original manufacturer.

Good

2009 Hardcover Good: Typical used book. All pages and cover intact (including dust cover, if applicable). The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and ... highlighting. Occasionally these may be former library books. Overall you will be surprised at how good our used books are. We just want to remind you that this is a used book. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Miamisburg, OH

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$0.99

(Save 96%)

Hungry Bookworm ca

Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(2667)

Condition: Good

2009 Hardcover Good A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (including dustcover, if applicable). The spine ... may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "from the library of" labels. Read more Show Less

Ships from: Los Angeles, CA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$2.00

(Save 93%)

Friends of the Phoenix Library

Seller since 2009

Feedback rating:

(540)

Condition: Good

2009 Hardcover Good 100% of this purchase will support literacy programs through a nonprofit organization!

Ships from: Phoenix, AZ

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$3.41

(Save 88%)

BookShop4U

Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(474)

Condition: New

6/30/2009 Hardcover 1ST New 0061684414.

Ships from: Philadelphia, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$3.41

(Save 88%)

BookHouse COM LLC

Seller since 2011

Feedback rating:

(316)

Condition: New

Hardcover New 0061684414 FROM A COMPANY YOU TRUST, HUGE SELECTION. RELIABLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! ! HASSLE FREE RETURN POLICY, SATISFACTION GURANTEED****

Ships from: Philadelphia, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$3.41

(Save 88%)

Vitalbooks PA

Seller since 2012

Feedback rating:

(101)

Condition: New

Hardcover New 0061684414 Ships Fast. All standard orders delivered within 5 to 12 business days.

Ships from: Southampton, PA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$3.44

(Save 88%)

Buybreak

Seller since 2010

Feedback rating:

(359)

Condition: Like New

No Dust Jacket! Brand New Book, These books are unread perfect condition but have no dust jacket May have some shelf wear or remainder mark.

Ships from: Deer Park, NY

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$3.94

(Save 86%)

Extremely_Reliable

Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(3184)

Condition: Good

Buy with confidence. Excellent Customer Service & Return policy.

Ships from: Richmond, TX

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)

$4.18

(Save 85%)

Symposia NJ

Seller since 2005

Feedback rating:

(313)

Condition: New

2009-06-30 Hardcover New Brand new.

Ships from: Hoboken, NJ

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

$4.31

(Save 85%)

Adsrus Media IA

Seller since 2007

Feedback rating:

(1252)

Condition: Like New

2009-06-30 Hardcover Book 1st Fine. No dust jacket as issued. Hardcover in dust jacket. Normal shelf and display wear...

Ships from: Des Moines, IA

Usually ships in 1-2 business days

•Canadian
•International
•Standard, 48 States
•Standard (AK, HI)
•Express, 48 States
•Express (AK, HI)

Page 1 of 4

Showing 1 – 10 of 34 (4 pages)

Buy Now

Get Free Sample Buy As Gift

NOOK Book (eBook)

$12.99

BN.com price

Available on NOOK devices and apps

Want a NOOK? Explore Now

All Available Formats + Editions

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

Advertising

Overview

"Lucie de la Tour du Pin was not only an outstanding diarist, but a remarkable woman who was witness to one of the most dramatic and brutal periods of history in which she played the role of observer, commentator and, often, participant. Repeatedly in the right place at the right time, Lucie saw the storming of Versailles and the battle of Waterloo. She served at the courts of both Marie Antoinette and Napoleon's wife Josephine, and went with her husband, a diplomat, to Holland and the Kingdom of Sardinia. Unusually for her time, Lucie loved her husband, indeed was so devoted that she voluntarily joined him when he was imprisoned. Her friends included Wellington, Talleyrand and Madame de Stael. She died, aged 83, in Pisa." Caroline Moorehead has brilliantly woven Lucie de la Tour du Pin's sharp observations with her tumultuous life and times, to produce a richly rewarding and gripping biography that throws light on the life of women, both powerful and ordinary, on friendship and on domestic life. Mixing politics and court intrigue, social observations and everyday details about food, work, illness, children, manners and clothes, she paints a vivid and memorable portrait of an era that saw the fortunes of France, as well as those of Lucie herself, rise and fall and rise again.

Editorial Reviews

Brenda Wineapple

…absorbing…documents with stylistic elan and meticulous detail a reeling period of French history, from the ludicrous court of Louis XVI to the Revolution of 1789 and the dictatorship of Napoleon, itself followed by the speedy restoration and deposition of Bourbon kings. Drawing on de la Tour du Pin's memoirs and previously unseen family papers, the author narrates this wrenching history mostly from the perspective of its central figure, who was an "eyewitness to an era."
—The New York Times

Publishers Weekly

Educated to wait on Marie Antoinette, the marquise Lucie de la Tour du Pin (1770-1853) instead precariously survived a devastating revolution, an emperor, two restorations and a republic. Drawing on Lucie's memoirs and those of her contemporaries, Moorehead (Gellhorn) uses Lucie's descriptions of both personal events and the ever-changing French political atmosphere to portray the nobility's awkward shifts with each new event and the impact they have on Lucie and her diplomat husband, Fréédric. A woman with both court-honed aristocratic manners and rough farm skills (earned in the Revolution's wake during her rural New York exile), Lucie benefited from passing platonic relationships with Napoleon and Wellington, Talleyrand, and countless salon personalities. Lucie's terror during the anarchy of the Revolution remains palpable in her memoirs centuries later. Moorehead obviously admires Lucie, but she gives a convincing and entertaining portrait of an intelligent, shrewd, unpretentious woman and the turbulent times she lived through and testified to in her memoirs. 16 pages of b&w photos, 19 illus. throughout.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

More Reviews (2) Fewer Reviews

Library Journal

The exceptional Henriette Lucie Dillon, Marquise de la Tour du Pin Gouvernet (1770-1853) has long deserved a competent biographer, and Moorehead (Gellhorn: A Twentieth-Century Life) does her justice. The marquise's Journal d'une Femme de Cinquante Ans, 1778-1815 is considered one of the best first-person accounts available of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era and is still in print. While Moorehead relies heavily on these memoirs, she also uses additional primary sources to flesh out the nearly 50 years (1815-53) not covered by Lucie's memoirs and places Lucie within the context of an émigré culture that grew out of the radicalization of the French Revolution. Born to the French aristocracy, Lucie was equally comfortable at the opulent court of Versailles and the back country of upstate New York. She and her family were forced to flee France four times during the revolutionary era. Her father and father-in-law lost their heads to the guillotine, she had several miscarriages, and most of her children did not reach adulthood, but through it all she remained resilient, compassionate, and observant. An outstanding choice for general readers.
—Jim Doyle

Kirkus Reviews

The sensational story of a woman whose enduring spirit encapsulates one of the most dynamic periods of modern European history. Drawing on a detailed memoir and boxes of letters, historian and biographer Moorehead (Human Cargo: A Journey Among Refugees, 2005, etc.) re-creates the tumultuous life of Lucie Dillon. Raised by her unhappy and spiteful grandmother, Lucie quickly developed into a resourceful, level-headed girl. These qualities would prove indispensable as she entered adulthood and faced the many dangers and challenges of 18th-century Europe. Still in her teens when she married Frederic de la Tour du Pin, Lucie was thrust into a whirlwind of salons, fashion, gossip and royal etiquette, mingling with the likes of Marie Antoinette, Talleyrand and Lafayette. The young woman earned their adoration and respect as she grew into her role as an elegant hostess and wife. As political tumult grew around her, she was forced to flee France and forge a new identity as an emigre. For the remainder of her days, her intrepid character would see her through the reigns of Robespierre and Napoleon; exiles in America, England, Belgium and Italy; the death of five of her children; and periods of extreme hardship and poverty. Throughout decades of uncertainty, the one enduring element was her husband, with whom she shared nearly 50 years of marriage, and who on his death bed extolled her "bottomless reserves of courage." Moorehead deftly navigates a dizzying cast of characters, locations and events, allowing Lucie's "precise, cool eye" and discerning wit to shine through. Sumptuous account of Revolutionary Europe.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780061684418
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: 6/30/2009
Pages: 496
Sales rank: 723,887
Product dimensions: 6.34 (w) x 9.28 (h) x 1.69 (d)

Meet the Author

Caroline Moorehead is the biographer of Bertrand Russell, Freya Stark, Iris Origo, and Martha Gellhorn. Well known for her work in human rights, she has published a history of the Red Cross and an acclaimed book about refugees, Human Cargo. Her previous book was Dancing to the Precipice, a biography of Lucie de la Tour du Pin. She lives in London and Italy.

List of Illustrations

Characters in the book

Foreword 1

1 This Magnificent Age 5

2 A Talent for Deception 27

3 A Sparkling Picture 44

4 The Colour of Hope 77

5 The Dismantling of Paris 102

6 Deep and Dark Shades 124

7 Standing on a Vast Volcano 144

8 Heads Falling like Tiles 169

9 Mrs Latour from the Old Country 195

10 Incroyables and Merveilleuses 229

11 Hordes of Vagabond French 248

12 Toothless Dogs and Clawless Cats 276

13 Not a Court, but a Power 308

14 Oh Unhappy France! 339

15 Embarking on a Career of Grief 366

16 A Pocket Tyranny 381

17 A Warm Heart 404

18 The Rhapsodies of Life 430

Afterword 435

Acknowledgements 437

Bibliography 439

Source notes 445

Time line 463

Index 467

Customer Reviews

Average Rating 4

( 11 )

Rating Distribution

5 Star

(5)

4 Star

(3)

3 Star

(1)

2 Star

(2)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines

Tell the world what you think of this product.

Add Recommendations

Your Name: Create a Pen Name or Leave Anonymously

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

- HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
- Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
- Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
- Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
- Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
- Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
- Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

- By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
- Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
- See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.

kdkirby56

Posted September 5, 2009

An excellent read!

The book not only provides insight into the life of Lucie de la Tour du Pin, but also to the plight of the French aristocracy in the years subsequent to the fall of Louis XVI. While certainly not sympathetic to the aristocracy as a whole, it lays out how profoundly their sheltered world was shattered and how various people reacted.

With regard to Lucie, I had never heard of her before reading this book. I discovered she was really quite influential in her own way and exhibited the strength of character and leadership commonly found in women in an age when women were not highly regarded. The myth of woman as the weaker sex is once again exposed in Lucie. Despite all the tragedy that occured in her life, her story is ulitmately an uplifting one and you come away wishing you could have known her personally.

We are taught "Big History." We know all the major events that profoundly impacted nations and people (e.g. Pearl Harbor). However "little history" really reveals life at its fullest in the various epochs of history. This books is a shining addition to the little history of France in what was a very turbulent time for the nation.

2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
ljbirns

Posted September 19, 2009

Dancing on the precipice

An excellent book. Give a good look a life in the late 18th and early 19 th century. recommended for anyone who enjoys history.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Idumea

Posted September 3, 2009

An gripping eyewitness history of France from Marie Antoinette to Napoleon. An unbelievably courageous story.

Lucie de la Tour du Pin was the Zelig of her of the late 18th - early 19th century in France and Belgium, Holland, London, and Albany NY where she lived on a farm and entertained Talleyrand. Raised to be a lady in waiting to Marie Antoinette she would become known for her sewing and her ability to make butter in the back woods of New York state- of course with the family crest imprinted on top. This biography, availing its-self of Mme. de la Tour du Pin's diaries and her later letters brings the era alive as few books on the revolution have ever done. The last second kindnesses of many in Revolutionary and Directoire France saved Lucie and her beloved Frederic more than once, leaving the reader breathless as the ship sails off. Married to Frederic for nearly fifty years they endured much together including the loss of 6 children and many friends. They kept going, never gave up, and in the end, a story that has to be read to be believed. Ms. Moorehead is to commended for creating such an outstanding work. She is clearly biassed toward her subject, but then, who wouldn't be. Certainly a candidate for the Pulitzer in Biography.

1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
opinionatedinandfromNYC

Posted May 17, 2012

Behind the scenes at the start of the modern world

This is a take on the Ancien Regime, and the decades following its demise that is different from most of what we read. It shows the real life, rather than larger than life, consequences and personalities that went through Versailles, the Terror, and all that followed from the fall of the Bastille, including Napoleon and the Restoration years. Whether it means to or not, it sheds light on the consequences we still have with us today--including the 1% here and elsewhere.
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
BookLoverCCN

Posted September 24, 2011

highly recommended

This was requested, so I gave it as a gift. The recipient really enjoyed this book & gives it 5 Stars!
Was this review helpful? Yes NoThank you for your feedback. Report this reviewThank you, this review has been flagged.
Anonymous

Posted December 26, 2009

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted February 11, 2010

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted November 24, 2010

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted April 6, 2011

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted December 28, 2010

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted January 28, 2010

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted June 20, 2010

No text was provided for this review.
Anonymous

Posted August 22, 2009

No text was provided for this review.

If you find inappropriate content, please report it to Barnes & Noble

Dancing to the Precipice: The Life of Lucie de la Tour du Pin, Eyewitness to an Era

Pick Up in Store

Available on NOOK devices and apps

All Available Formats + Editions

Customers Who Bought This Also Bought

More About This Book

Overview

Related Subjects

Editorial Reviews

Brenda Wineapple

Publishers Weekly

Library Journal

Kirkus Reviews

Product Details

Meet the Author

Table of Contents

Customer Reviews

Rating Distribution

5 Star

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Your Rating:

Your Recommendations:

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

What to exclude from your review:

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

Reminder:

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

An excellent read!

Dancing on the precipice

An gripping eyewitness history of France from Marie Antoinette to Napoleon. An unbelievably courageous story.

Behind the scenes at the start of the modern world

highly recommended