Maria Theresa of Austria

In 1740, destiny sweeps the young Maria Theresa of Austria to the top of the Habsburg throne. The 23-year-old greenhorn turns out to be dynamite: with vigor, determination and great charm, Habsburg's only woman ruler parries the onslaught of a host of enemies, has 16 children in twenty years by her beloved husband, reforms her huge Habsburg Empire from head to toe and parties as if there were no tomorrow. Its focus on the strong, colorful personalities of Maria Theresa, her family and other leading figures of her age, makes this a most entertaining and immensely readable historical account.