The Last Emperor of Mexico
by Edward Shawcross
The surreal story of Ferdinand Maximilian (1832-1867), the Habsburg archduke and younger brother of Emperor Franz Josef of Austria who was executed after a brief reign as Emperor of Mexico. In addition to the inherent interest of this strange tale, the book is also a nice introduction to a period when Mexico—which had been the centre of the Spanish empire in the Americas for three centuries—became independent but also lost ground to the emerging power of the United States.
Recommendations from our site
“The Last Emperor of Mexico particularly appealed to me, just the madness of a Habsburg archduke, in line to the Austrian throne, somehow thinking that taking on this position thousands of miles away was a good idea, and the general setting, in 19th-century Mexico.” Read more...
Notable Nonfiction of Early 2022
Sophie Roell, Journalist
Our most recommended books
-
Higher Calling: Road Cycling’s Obsession with the Mountains
by Max Leonard -
Up The Organization
by Robert Townsend -
Desire Discrimination Determination: Black Champions in Cycling
by Marlon Moncrieffe -
Amusing Ourselves to Death
by Neil Postman -
End to End
by Paul Jones -
A Walk in the Woods
by Bill Bryson
