Now in paperback history in the hands of stacy schiff is invariably full of life, light, shadow, surprise, clarity of insight, and so it is again and then some in her latest work, the witches. Stacy schiff, author official website the witches now. Cleopatra was as much a product of her times as the times were a product of her life. With wit, clarity, and grace, schiff has done what only the best writers can do. Part of that is that i have read so many books on cleopatra. Cleopatras asp is the cherry tree of ancient history. Schiff was drawn to the vocation herself by her interest in antoine saintexupery, an attraction. Cleopatra is buried under centuries of lies, and stacy schiff calls on her considerable powers to bring her back to life for us. Cleopatra led an epic life, and schiff captures its sweep and scope in a vigorous narrative aimed at the general reader yet firmly anchored in modern scholarship.
New yorker contributor schiff a great improvisation. A life by exploring the queens egyptian context and reading the roman sources with a keen eye for augustan propaganda. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read cleopatra. To understand cleopatra is to understand how ancient history was written, by whom and for whom, and why. Therefore it need a free signup process to obtain the book. Cleopatra s palace shimmered with onyx and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Dec 09, 2010 do we need another book about cleopatra of egypt. The new yorker termed the book a work of literature. Stacy schiff gives us a cinematic portrait of cleopatra that is far more compelling than any fictional creation. A life by stacy schiff website twitter facebook is a pulitzer winning biography of the famous egyptian queen. Schiff claims that there is no way a single snake could have killed the queen and her two faithful attendants, iras and charmion, so quickly and peacefully.
Cleopatra by stacy schiff, 9780316001946, download free ebooks, download free pdf epub ebook. Nov 02, 2010 cleopatra was born a goddess, became a queen at 18 and at the height of her power, ms. A life by stacy schiff in chm, epub, fb2 download e book. While still for the most part an interpretation, her book draws a portrait of cleopatra that youve never seen before. Stacy schiff cleopatra p 5 and in the absence of facts, myth rushes in, the kudzu of history. Cleopatra was queen of a large, rich, highly sophisticated country for more than 20 years, yet almost everything we know about her comes from a legend created by her most deadly enemy, the roman emperor augustus.
Stacy schiff s cleopatra proves that she was a steely master of realpolitik. Nov 07, 2010 although its not schiffs purpose to present us with a feminist revision of a life plucked from antiquity, in order to restore cleopatra to see her at all one must strip away an. A life by pulitzeraward winning author stacy schiff. Top pick for book clubs although its set at a catholic boys. Life stacy schiff for sale collectibles online shopping. One of the new york times 10 best books of 2010 her palace shimmered with onyx and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Cleopatra en espanol by stacy schiff nook book ebook. Quotes it is not difficult to understand why caesar became history, cleopatra legend. Schiff tells us early on what she wants to accomplish. A life is a compelling, stunningly contextual biography. You can read this ebook on any device that supports drmfree epub or drmfree pdf format. How does schiff factor that subjectivity into her account.
Nov 01, 2010 a pulitzer prizewinning biographer presents a swift, sympathetic life of one of historys most maligned and legendary women. Though her life spanned fewer then forty years, it. Biography, non fiction, history, historical, cultural, egypt, biography memoir. A life i found this book to be good but not exceptional.
Her palace shimmered with onyx and gold but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Welcome,you are looking at books for reading, the cleopatra a life, you will able to read or download in pdf or epub books and notice some of author may have lock the live reading for some of country. A life by stacy schiff from the mysterious and teasing cover image to the elegant and informative writing between the covers, cleopatra is one more example of why stacy schiff is a pulitzer prize winner. Cleopatra stacy schiff pdf a life by mybestpapernet issuu. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points, if you have not read the book. A pulitzer prizewinning biographer presents a swift, sympathetic life of one of historys most maligned and legendary women.
Above all else, cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Schiff writes, she controlled virtually the entire eastern mediterranean coast, the last great kingdom of. Nine days later cleopatra took her own life in turn, most likely by poison, schiff says. Cleopatra a life by stacy schiff folio society slipcased sealed 2016 1sted new. Cleopatra led an epic life, and schiff captures its sweep and scope in a vigorous narrative aimed at. In a masterly return to the classical sources, stacy schiff here boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order.
A life by stacy schiff, featured in the november 2010 issue of o, the oprah magazine. Stacy schiff brings to life one of the most intriguing women in the history of the world. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 302 pages and is available in hardcover format. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the. Schiff claims that there is no way a single snake could have killed the queen and her two faithful attendants, iras. Her palace shimmered with gold but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious. A life by stacy schiff discussion questions continued 4. Stacy schiff writes, it is not difficult to understand why caesar became history.
The publisher has supplied this book in drm free form with digital watermarking. This is a well researched and dense book it is not easy to read. Stacy schiffs book helps to see this woman in a completely different light. In her latest book, stacy schiff, the pulitzer prizewinning biographer of vera nabokov and benjamin franklin, plucks at this riddle and what she discoversabout cleopatra and the men who made her mythis astonishing.
Schiff, born in adams, massachusetts, is a graduate of phillips academy andover preparatory school, and earned her b. Rich in detail, epic in scope, schiffs is a luminous, deeply original reconstruction of a dazzling life. Stacy schiff here boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order. That schiffs book is the basis of a new paul greengrass film. Franklin, france, and the birth of america, winner of the george washington book prize, the ambassador award in american studies, and the gilbert chinard prize of the institut francais damerique. I picked up this book because it was getting a lot of buzz on various history and reading sites for being a lucid, easytoread, modern biography of cleopatra. Discuss the role of subjectivity in historical records. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. My favorite is i cleopatra which was published in the seventies and i really look to that book as being the gold standard of all things cleopatra.
Stream and download audiobooks to your computer, tablet or mobile phone. Stacy schiff writes, it is not difficult to understand why caesar became history, cleopatra a legend page 5. Digital rights management drm the publisher has supplied this book in encrypted form, which means that you need to install free software in order to unlock and read it. An epic subject requires a writer of epic skill and scope, and we have a perfect pairing in cleopatra and stacy schiff. Cleopatra s origin, her education, financial situation as well as the people she met shed light on why it was and still is so difficult to think of. It makes sense of the canonical, jumbled, and inconsistent biographical accounts of ancient writers who didnt know cleopatra personally. Cleopatras origin, her education, financial situation as well as the people she met shed light on why it was and still is so difficult to think of. There has already been one scholarly biography this year by duane roller, now here is stacy schiff, the author of a terrific pulitzerprize. Also this book is difficult to get intoat least at. Cleopatra s asp is the cherry tree of ancient history. Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. As a cultural icon, cleopatra turns out to be an inexhaustible shapeshifter, getting mixed up with eve, the virgin mary, aphrodite, salome, and, most recently, wonder woman. The title of this book is cleopatra and it was written by stacy schiff.
For to understand cleopatras life you need to understand the places she went, the people she knew, and the times she inhabited. Stacy madeleine schiff born october 26, 1961 is an american nonfiction author residing in new york. Absorbing and illuminating, this new biography will endure. Although its not schiff s purpose to present us with a feminist revision of a life plucked from antiquity, in order to restore cleopatra. Stacy schiff her palace shimmered with onyx, garnet, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Franklin, france, and the birth of america, 2005, etc. Cleopatra a life download pdfepub ebook gets free book. Cleopatra a life by stacy schiff 2010, hardcover, large type. Sep 06, 2011 in a masterly return to the classical sources, stacy schiff here boldly separates fact from fiction to rescue the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order. Cleopatra s palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue.
Do you think its still the case that men are said to strategize where women manipulate. This book is no mere biography of cleopatra s life. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and. Rich in detail, epic in scope, schiff s is a luminous, deeply original reconstruction of a dazzling life. Can a woman branded a whore by the great bard himself, ever really have a reputation as anything else. Stacy schiff took a great risk when she wrote cleopatra. Despite her political ambition, cleopatra has been painted as a seductress and siren rather than as a powerful and adept ruler.
No one sits on the stoop when shes a kid and thinks, i want to be a biographer when i grow up, stacy schiff told me when we met over breakfast on the upper east side of manhattan a few weeks ago to discuss her newest book, cleopatra. Schiff explores cleopatra s life and experiences through known facts, literature, rumors, archaeology, and educated guesses based on what we know about other highstatus people in this period of egypt. Instead, she was a brilliant woman who lost a kingdom and her life. A life, is another portrait of a fascinating woman, and once again, an extraordinary achievement in biography. Simon winchester predicted it will become a classic. All content included on our site, such as text, images, digital downloads and other, is the property of its content suppliers and protected by us and international laws. The first edition of the novel was published in september 5th 2006, and was written by stacy schiff. Ten iconic images of cleopatra, eternal shapeshifter by stacy schiff it seems there is no queen of egypt for all time but one for every time. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. The pulitzer prizewinning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world. In a masterly return to classical sources, schiff boldly rescues the magnetic queen whose death ushered in a new world order. The author paints a vivid portrait of the end of the hellenistic period. Directly challenging 2,000 year old assumptions that were enhanced by the likes of dante, and director joseph mankiewicz, is a tall order for even the most accomplished.
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