The footnotes are linked in by stars in the text, and provide additional information without overloading. As author stacy schiff points out, its as if our only information about napoleon. A pulitzer prizewinner, stacy schiff is the author most recently of the witches. This page is maintained by little, brown and company. Franklin, france, and the birth of america, winner of the george washington book prize. Critical praise of stacy schiffs awardwinning books, including cleopatra. That schiffs book is the basis of a new paul greengrass film. The pulitzer prizewinning author stacy schiff attempts to paint a more complete picture in her new book, cleopatra. A pulitzer prizewinning biographer presents a swift, sympathetic life of one of historys most maligned and legendary women. The pulitzer prizewinning author stacy schiff attempts to paint a more complete picture in her new book, called cleopatra. What makes schiffs book stand out is its almost deliberate antischolarliness though it is scrupulously referenced. Stacy schiff, author official website the witches now. Vladimir nabokov, she immersed herself in early american history. Joseph ellis deemed schiffs the finest account to date of the witch trials.
An interview with stacy schiff by suellen stringerhye the main question concerning literary biography is, surely, why do we need it at all. Buy online stacy schiff brings to life one of the most intriguing women in the history of the world. Stacy schiff cleopatra p 148 as dio observed later, democracy sounded very well and good, but its results are seen not to agree at all with its title. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. A site dedicated to book lovers providing a forum to discover and share commentary about the books and authors they enjoy. These book discussion questions are highly detailed and will ruin plot points, if. I was ready to write a book in which lacunae were welcome, or at least.
This question can doubly be asked with regard to the literary biographies of writers wives. In 2000 schiff won the pulitzer prize for her biography of vera nabokov. Famous long before she was notorious, cleopatra has gone down in history for all the wrong reasons. Stacy schiff is an american pulitzer prize winning author and historian, as well as a guest columnist for the new york times. Vladimir nabokov, which won the pulitzer prize for biography in 2000, and saintexupery. Monarchy on the contrary, has an unpleasant sound, but is a most practical form of government to live under. Schiff told me she had to go back to primary sources.
Stacey schiff is a pulitzer prize winning biographer. Stacy schiff penetrates an ancient thicket of personalities and propaganda to reconstruct the macedonianegyptian queen cleopatra in all her ambition, audacity and formidable intelligence. As stacy schiff writes in her epic new book about the egyptian queen, all. The author didnt really believe that there was a great romance. Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Stacy schiffs the witches is an intoxicating brew of. There are both footnotes and endnotes, yet schiff manages to keep the text itself clear of superscript numbers, which makes for a much easier read.
Its tempting to use historian stacy schiffs revelatory, sumptuously written new book, the witches. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Stacy schiff books list of books by author stacy schiff. Above all else, cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Cleopatras palace shimmered with onyx and gold but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Cleopatra documentary biography of the life of cleopatra last pharaoh of egypt duration. L uscious and scrupulous is a difficult combination to pull off, but stacy schiff does so in her life of cleopatra. Stacy schiff simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Cleopatra by stacy schiff, 9780753539569, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. 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. Schiff has also published the books a great improvisation, cleopatra. The pulitzer prizewinning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world. A life i found this book to be good but not exceptional.
A life by stacy schiff miranda seymour enjoys a dramatic biography of the last and most dazzling of the ptolemys. And how does a woman in authority convey that authority. Schiff has received fellowships from the guggenheim foundation, the national endowment for the. Schiff writes, she controlled virtually the entire eastern mediterranean coast, the last great kingdom of.
Part of that is that i have read so many books on cleopatra. The book becomes fascinating when julius caesar enters the picture, but really what doesnt however, the real story gets rolling when mark anthony meets cleopatra. A life, winner of the penjacqueline bograd weld award for biography. The book manages to be both academic and accessible. You might think you know everything there is to know about. Empress galla placidia and her niece pulcheria who both ruled rome in its waning days. Pulitizer prizewinning author stacy schiffs last book was a bestseller about cleopatra. Ive written about hypatia, the lady philosopher of alexandria. Franklin, france, and the birth of america, 2005, etc. Schiff has received fellowships from the guggenheim foundation and the national endowment for the humanities and an.
Dialogue author stacy schiff season 2015 episode 16. Cleopatra quotes showing of 78 as always, an educated woman was a dangerous woman. 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. Salem,1692, as yet another occasion to apply american historys favorite metaphor. Salem, 1692, which the new york times hailed as an almost novelistic, thrillerlike narrative. In addition, she has a tartness to match the standards of cleos. New yorker contributor schiff a great improvisation. Franklin, france, and the birth of america, winner of the george washington book prize and the ambassador book award. Stacy schiff knows a bit about traveling back in time to bring people to life. Stacy schiff doesnt just tell you, history book style, how the ancients behaved. Interview with stacy schiff, author of cleopatra sfgate. To understand cleopatra is to understand how ancient history was written, by whom and for whom, and why. The book examines the salem witch trials of 1692, delving into what precipitated them. The intriguing relationship between the worlds most riches person and the worlds most honored solider gets a whole new perspective from ms.
Schiff has received fellowships from the guggenheim foundation, the national endowment for the humanities. Stacy madeleine schiff born october 26, 1961 is an american former editor, essayist, and author of five biographies. Cleopatra was born a goddess, became a queen at 18 and at the height of her power, ms. Content includes books from bestselling, midlist and debut authors.
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