The Women of Rothschild: The Untold Story of the World's Most Famous Dynasty
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- Create Date：2022-10-20 17:21:34
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Natalie Livingstone
- ISBN：B09CNFL3NC
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Reviews
Homerun2
，
A fascinating history of one of the world's most financially successful families， the Rothschilds -- but focusing on the mostly unknown or ignored female members。 Much as been written about the banking achievement of the men， but this detailed and lengthy story tells about the mothers， daughters and sisters who were successful in their own right。The story picks up in the mid 18th century and follows the different branches of the family as they expand their business across Europe。 They were both A fascinating history of one of the world's most financially successful families， the Rothschilds -- but focusing on the mostly unknown or ignored female members。 Much as been written about the banking achievement of the men， but this detailed and lengthy story tells about the mothers， daughters and sisters who were successful in their own right。The story picks up in the mid 18th century and follows the different branches of the family as they expand their business across Europe。 They were both a close family and often a contentious one， with feuds and rivalries complicating their relationships。I found this tale to be mostly absorbing， particularly as we reach modern times。 Tied up in the women's accomplishments was the story of the family's Jewish identity and different members' long struggles to achieve political and societal equality。 The author is clear that this family had unimaginable financial resources at their disposal and privilege galore。Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Donna Pingry
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I found this book slow reading at first， not because of the book but because the author honestly described the ignorance of several generations of Rothchild men。 I find myself wondering how they could be so good at making money but could not appreciate the contributions of their female family members。 Those women not only took care of the home， they complimented them in business as well。 Yet the patriarchs took all the credit and considered only the males as suitable enough to inherit。 This book I found this book slow reading at first， not because of the book but because the author honestly described the ignorance of several generations of Rothchild men。 I find myself wondering how they could be so good at making money but could not appreciate the contributions of their female family members。 Those women not only took care of the home， they complimented them in business as well。 Yet the patriarchs took all the credit and considered only the males as suitable enough to inherit。 This book has a rich history of generations of Rothchild women and their accomplishments。 The descriptions of their personalities brought them to life on the pages。 I truly hope there are even greater generations of Rothchild women to come。 Although I don't agree with all their hopes and causes， I respect their energy and stubborn determination。 I certainly thank Netgalley。com and the publishers for allowing me to review this book for my honest opinion。 。。。more
BoxerLover2
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Interesting read on the legacy of the females in the Rothchild family tree。 I think the original patriarch was an jerk。 His will stated that no daughters or SILs could inherit the family business。 This mandate resulted in some inbreeding （cousins marrying cousins）。 Females that married outside the family were ostracized。 I would have loved a better family org chart， I couldn't read the one in the digital book。 I enjoyed the stories of the later generations and how they made their own mark in the Interesting read on the legacy of the females in the Rothchild family tree。 I think the original patriarch was an jerk。 His will stated that no daughters or SILs could inherit the family business。 This mandate resulted in some inbreeding （cousins marrying cousins）。 Females that married outside the family were ostracized。 I would have loved a better family org chart， I couldn't read the one in the digital book。 I enjoyed the stories of the later generations and how they made their own mark in the world。3 StarsARC review copy via NetGalley 。。。more
Natalie Freese
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I love historical fiction， historical nonfiction is even better。 Here we have the many generations of the Rothschild women。 No money or titles till they take for themselves。 It has always amazed me how in History so many societies treat women and children as nothing more than creatures to have underfoot。 Without women， there would be no children， no clean clothes， no food。。。。。no reason to come home from war。 And in the higher ranks of social climbers， if there were no women， there would be no ba I love historical fiction， historical nonfiction is even better。 Here we have the many generations of the Rothschild women。 No money or titles till they take for themselves。 It has always amazed me how in History so many societies treat women and children as nothing more than creatures to have underfoot。 Without women， there would be no children， no clean clothes， no food。。。。。no reason to come home from war。 And in the higher ranks of social climbers， if there were no women， there would be no balls， no banquets， no corsets cinched tight to distract the man from his political conversations。The Rothschild women knew this。 They knew there was more than religion and politics yet， the women of this family for generations knew those sectors needed to get along to push things forward。 They whispered their ideas into their husband's ears at night， a slight suggestion to make events go in the right direction。 Marriages were arranged to advance both sons and daughters。 The Dynasty we think of is the Rockefellers or the Kennedys but first， there were the Rothschilds and the women were secretly running the show。 A powerhouse of a book。 。。。more
Vanessa
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This was an interesting book about a history that I did not know about！ I've vaguely heard about the Rothschild family， mainly in passing in historical documentaries。 It is great that there is a book now， focusing on women in history！ I love reading historical books about women and their mark on the times they lived in and the paths they forged。 Nathalie Livingstone does a great job in the research and depth of the women she chronicles。 It was clear and well-written and engaging。 I hope there is This was an interesting book about a history that I did not know about！ I've vaguely heard about the Rothschild family， mainly in passing in historical documentaries。 It is great that there is a book now， focusing on women in history！ I love reading historical books about women and their mark on the times they lived in and the paths they forged。 Nathalie Livingstone does a great job in the research and depth of the women she chronicles。 It was clear and well-written and engaging。 I hope there is a follow-up documentary one day！The research is interesting and well developed， if I had one issue it was that there was a lot of women chronicled， and it was hard to keep track！ I have found this in a couple of other non-fiction history books that I've read recently also， so maybe it is forces beyond the historians control。 Regardless， I greatly enjoyed this look into a family of notable women and their impact on the world！I received The Women of Rothschild as an ARC from Netgalley for my honest opinion。 If you are interested in European history or women in history， this is an interesting topic to read！ 。。。more
Kelly
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There’s no doubt that Natalie Livingstone put a lot of time， effort， and research into The Women of Rothschild。 Gathering all of the information and categorizing it into separate family branches and time frames could not have been easy。 And I commend Livingstone for writing a very readable account of the lives of the Rothschild women。 While some of the pages may appear to be filled with dense paragraphs， the writing itself is easy to follow and is not bogged down by unnecessary information， or o There’s no doubt that Natalie Livingstone put a lot of time， effort， and research into The Women of Rothschild。 Gathering all of the information and categorizing it into separate family branches and time frames could not have been easy。 And I commend Livingstone for writing a very readable account of the lives of the Rothschild women。 While some of the pages may appear to be filled with dense paragraphs， the writing itself is easy to follow and is not bogged down by unnecessary information， or obscure academic wording and phrasing。 That being said， however， I did find myself bored throughout the middle section of the book。 This is in no way a reflection on Livingstone’s writing。 In fact， I think she did well for what I’m assuming to be the scant information that was available on the Rothschild women during the 1800s。 A narrative can only be put together from surviving diary entries and correspondences。 Livingstone stated multiple times that pages had been torn away， letters burned， and passages blotted out。 Obviously， the more salacious aspects of these women’s lives are forever lost to history。 Despite knowing this， however， I couldn’t help but want to know more。 It’s great to learn that these women started and headed charitable foundations and were involved in politics （in whatever ways they were allowed to be）， yet， these tidbits of knowledge weren’t engaging enough。 I wanted more of the story。 I guess that’s why I found the latter half of the book more engaging， as it followed the contemporary Rothschild women。 There was more meat to these stories as these women lived in a time where wider types of media and archiving existed。 One smaller note to make is that sometimes it does get a bit difficult to keep track of who’s who， and what branch of the family they come from。 Some of this has to do with certain names being used multiple times throughout the family， but again， Livingstone has no control over this nitpicky complaint of mine。 Perhaps I’m just too dumb to keep names and family trees straight in my head。* I received a copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway。 。。。more
Deborah Cleaves
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A well researched tour de force of the women in the Rothschild family tree， whether the name was assumed on marriage or acquired at birth from the mid 1700s into the 20th century。 Despite the strictures of living in an 18th century ghetto， from the beginning the women were not so different from now， whether rich or poor， working hard despite prohibitions， intellectually stimulated， active personalities unwilling to be limited by social pressures or anti-Semitic actions。 A fascinating examination A well researched tour de force of the women in the Rothschild family tree， whether the name was assumed on marriage or acquired at birth from the mid 1700s into the 20th century。 Despite the strictures of living in an 18th century ghetto， from the beginning the women were not so different from now， whether rich or poor， working hard despite prohibitions， intellectually stimulated， active personalities unwilling to be limited by social pressures or anti-Semitic actions。 A fascinating examination of 200 years of ‘female scribblers’ whose writings have been preserved even though their presence wasn’t noted in the histories written。 。。。more
Jo Berry ☀️
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4。5 stars， rounding up。 This is a thorough overview of the activities of the women of the Rothschild family。 Starting in 1753 in Frankfurt with the birth of Gutle， who would go on to marry Mayer Amschel Rothschild when she was seventeen years old， we soon move with other members of the family to Britain during the industrial revolution。 The book then focuses on the English side of the Rothschild family throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries。Using letters， diaries and books written by 4。5 stars， rounding up。 This is a thorough overview of the activities of the women of the Rothschild family。 Starting in 1753 in Frankfurt with the birth of Gutle， who would go on to marry Mayer Amschel Rothschild when she was seventeen years old， we soon move with other members of the family to Britain during the industrial revolution。 The book then focuses on the English side of the Rothschild family throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries。Using letters， diaries and books written by the family， the author is able to build up a picture of the Rothschild women’s involvement in politics， art， women’s suffrage， scientific research and even the twentieth century’s New York jazz scene。 Alongside this is the family’s own internal politics， births， deaths， illnesses， frustrations and tragedies。 What’s revealed is a collection of dynamic women who weren’t just there when important things happened， but they played an important part in making them happen。The author has clearly put a lot of work into this book and it’s packed with factual information。 Although， I did find it difficult to follow the narrative quite often， as the author would suddenly start talking about another person while discussing someone else。 You really have to concentrate so as not to get mixed up。 I also understand what some other reviewers say about the writing being a bit ‘dry’， but at least the author doesn’t go off at tangents or engage in speculation to liven up the story and/or fill out the blanks。 It’s an honest account。 。。。more
Debra Pawlak
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I received an advance reading copy （arc） of this book from the publisher and NetGalley。com in return for a fair review。 Going into this book， I knew very little about the Rothschild Family other than they were very rich！ I understand that much has been written about the Rothschild men who were responsible for one of the most legendary banking dynasties in Europe。 Begun in Frankfurt， Germany by Mayer Amschel Rothschild in the 1700s， much has been written about Mayer Amschel and his male descendan I received an advance reading copy （arc） of this book from the publisher and NetGalley。com in return for a fair review。 Going into this book， I knew very little about the Rothschild Family other than they were very rich！ I understand that much has been written about the Rothschild men who were responsible for one of the most legendary banking dynasties in Europe。 Begun in Frankfurt， Germany by Mayer Amschel Rothschild in the 1700s， much has been written about Mayer Amschel and his male descendants， but the women have been overlooked。 Author Natalie Livingstone has changed all that by writing this book and focusing on the Rothschild ladies starting with Mayer Amschel's wife， Gutle。 She was instrumental in her husband's success all while raising a family （19 pregnancies with 10 children surviving to adulthood） and running a household。 Known for being frugal， she was smart and cunning， but never got the recognition she deserved。 Her husband even excluded all female family members from their banking business in his will。 Gutle's son， Nathan， settled in England and married Hannah Barent Cohen。 Hannah became his equal and unofficial business partner。 While he continued his father's legacy of excluding the ladies， he also instructed his sons to consult their mother when making any complex business decisions。 The wealthy couple hobnobbed with royalty， raised their own family， and lived lavishly。 Livingstone goes on to detail the lives of several generations of Rothschild women all the way through to modern times。 It is a fascinating look at a fascinating family。 My only complaint was the myriad of characters introduced。 I had a hard time keeping up with who's who。 The book is well-researched and well-written and one thing's for sure。。。there is never a dull moment or a dull character！ 。。。more
Mary-Lisa Russo
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This book carries a detailed plethora of information regarding the Rothschild women and as such， it came across as an encyclopedia。 I appreciate the knowledge I consumed reading this book as I had a vague familiarity with the women of Rothschild or the Rothchilds as a whole as all I knew was that they were a wealthy dynasty。 This book uncovers the essential， influential roles of the females within the Rothchild clan。 They were an instrumental powerhouse， albeit delegated to the background， livin This book carries a detailed plethora of information regarding the Rothschild women and as such， it came across as an encyclopedia。 I appreciate the knowledge I consumed reading this book as I had a vague familiarity with the women of Rothschild or the Rothchilds as a whole as all I knew was that they were a wealthy dynasty。 This book uncovers the essential， influential roles of the females within the Rothchild clan。 They were an instrumental powerhouse， albeit delegated to the background， living in their husbands' shadows when in fact， they were much more than that。 Sadly， their contributions have been overlooked throughout history yet this book sheds a truthful light on the reality of the life that unfolded for these Rothschild women。In addition， I do appreciate the meticulous research that was required to create a detailed book to this extent， spanning a few hundred years。 It is not a light read as the information consumed is abundant。 I do recommend reading it for a history buff or anyone wanting to learn about the Rothschild women in detail。Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC copy of this book。 All opinions are my own。 。。。more
Anne Morgan
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This was a well-written， well-researched dive into the mostly hidden lives of the women behind the Rothschild family。 Since that could cover such an enormous spread， author Natalie Livingstone restricted herself to the English branch of the family。 It was fascinating to watch the changes in social， religious， and political life as the Rothschild women experienced （and influenced） it across the 19th and 20th centuries。 There were definitely times you wished there remained more evidence of persona This was a well-written， well-researched dive into the mostly hidden lives of the women behind the Rothschild family。 Since that could cover such an enormous spread， author Natalie Livingstone restricted herself to the English branch of the family。 It was fascinating to watch the changes in social， religious， and political life as the Rothschild women experienced （and influenced） it across the 19th and 20th centuries。 There were definitely times you wished there remained more evidence of personal feelings or thoughts- as political hostesses how did these women bear it when they had to politely invite openly anti-Semitic MPs to their dinners and sit there listening to them talk？ But it turns out most Rothschild women edited their own diaries and thoughts- whether with an eye to what their husbands or future generations might think if they read it who knows？ （which in itself is interesting to me）。 From politicians like the Duke of Wellington to Disraeli and Queen Victoria to jazz artists like Charlie Parker and Thelonius Monk， Rothschild women knew some of the most influential men and women of their age- in every age。 They took up causes， both social， religious， and political， and often made major differences along the way。 From naturalist Miriam Rothschild to matriarch Gutle Rothschild， this is a book about women-real women with strengths and flaws， doubts and beliefs， supporting their families and their causes， and showing how strong women moving in the shadows of a male dominated world could be。I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Charlene Mccaughey O'Neill
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If you are interested in history and the power of women， this is the book for you。 I knew very little about the Rothschild family， much less the women。 Natalie Livingstone did her research！ This is not a quick read， but it is worth the time。
Eileen Kennedy
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With the exception of Gutle， the foundress， Rothschild women in the past never received the recognition they deserved from the men in the family。 Baby boys were favored。 It is through writers like Natalie Livingstone that we learn of their legacy。 From the beginning their involvement in life reflects the historic events of their day。 They immerse themselves in the family company and establish institutions。 Much time and effort is involved in matchmaking， not necessarily involving love。 The decis With the exception of Gutle， the foundress， Rothschild women in the past never received the recognition they deserved from the men in the family。 Baby boys were favored。 It is through writers like Natalie Livingstone that we learn of their legacy。 From the beginning their involvement in life reflects the historic events of their day。 They immerse themselves in the family company and establish institutions。 Much time and effort is involved in matchmaking， not necessarily involving love。 The decision to “marry out” for love or “marry in” to a loveless relationship has to be made。 The women’s philosophies fall on both liberal and conservative sides。 Earlier on this is reflected in hosting skills; later in actual involvement。 They are friends of prime ministers and royals。 They witness the election of the first Jew to the House of Commons， a family member。 Many have strong social consciences， working for causes。 They live through political movements， social unrest， marrying and raising children， always demonstrating interest in science and the arts and their advancement。 Their common bond is their strength， intelligence and endurance。 。。。more
Amy
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Very detailed book about the Rothschild Women。 I never heard of them before reading this book。 Mainly focuses on them prior to 1900 and mainly in England。 If you want a long and detailed history of these women， this is the book for you。 If you don't， skip it。Thank you Netgalley for an ARC Very detailed book about the Rothschild Women。 I never heard of them before reading this book。 Mainly focuses on them prior to 1900 and mainly in England。 If you want a long and detailed history of these women， this is the book for you。 If you don't， skip it。Thank you Netgalley for an ARC 。。。more
Carol Perreault
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An interesting history of the Rothschild family。 This book details the lives of both the men and women in this family， and how each made their contributions。
Kelly
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Natalie Livingstone’s The Women of Rothschild is a sweeping， multi-general history of the English branch of Rothschild women。 She begins her story in Frankfurt with family matriarch Gutle， and then focuses primarily on the female descendants on Nathan and Henriette， who moved to England。 The book spans multiple centuries and six generations of women， and it is fascinating to see both the different people and historical events that these women met and were a part of。 It also shows the evolving tr Natalie Livingstone’s The Women of Rothschild is a sweeping， multi-general history of the English branch of Rothschild women。 She begins her story in Frankfurt with family matriarch Gutle， and then focuses primarily on the female descendants on Nathan and Henriette， who moved to England。 The book spans multiple centuries and six generations of women， and it is fascinating to see both the different people and historical events that these women met and were a part of。 It also shows the evolving transition of the women in the family。 Outrightly denied the right to participate in the banking legacy of the Rothschild family by patriarch Amschel， the women go from being almost purely homemakers， serving as mothers and wives with occasional assistance in the family business， to actively making financial decisions， to patrons of arts， culture and philanthropy， to women with careers and pursuits of their own。 Also evolving throughout the story is the family’s dedication to Judaism。 With the earlier generations， marrying outside religion can essentially lead to excommunication， whereas the later generations become increasingly ambivalent to being Jewish， despite members of the family being prominent in role of establishing Israel。 It’s quite amazing to see the transformation between Gutle， who grew up in the ghetto and lives her life primarily as a devout homemaker， to Miriam an heir worth millions that forges her own career as an entomologist who wins respect in her industry and country for her work。 And as much historical documentation excluded the history of women， regarding only the work of Rothschild men as important， Livingstone has done an admiral job of researching and pulling together historical information about the women – proceeded by several Rothschild women who decided to speak up and share their stories and perspectives themselves。 Through no fault of the author， following along can get confusing; many of the women， especially in the earlier generations， have the same names and there is quite a bit of marrying within the family。 The reader will have to try and keep multiple Hannahs， Louises， and Emmas straight （as well as Amschels， Nats， James， etc。） as they follow along。 It’s worth it though; the history is fascinating and shows through one family the changing tides of religion and women’s rights and how people attitudes towards both have changed over time。 This story is worth reading both for a previously limited perspective on the women of one of the most well-known families in Europe in the last few hundred years， and for seeing the evolution of beliefs and roles adapt and change across multiple generations of women within the same family。 A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher。 All thoughts and opinions are my own。 。。。more
Wafflepirates
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*Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*This book offers an interesting look at the history of the Rothschild family， from it's humble beginnings to becoming the huge， well-known dynasty it now is。 The author focuses on the women in the family， who， largely due to how strictly patriarchal the family is， have been kept from the spotlight when they're really the most interesting members of the family。 The Rothschild women were not only *Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for providing an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review*This book offers an interesting look at the history of the Rothschild family， from it's humble beginnings to becoming the huge， well-known dynasty it now is。 The author focuses on the women in the family， who， largely due to how strictly patriarchal the family is， have been kept from the spotlight when they're really the most interesting members of the family。 The Rothschild women were not only deeply involved in the family's banking business， but also in various social causes。 As a prominent Jewish family， the Rothschilds often felt that they needed to use their position to assist others， causing them to flock to causes like funding Jewish schools。 I thought it was interesting to hear about everything they did， I had not idea the family was as far-reaching as they are， though I did think that the author focuses too much on the British branches of the family， despite the family getting its start in Germany。 I also think that the discussion of Zionism， which is complex and has greatly changed over time， needed to be much more detailed and nuanced， given how involved the family was in the movement （on both sides）。 。。。more
Amber
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As someone who knew nothing about the Rothschild， I recommend this。 If you have a lot of knowledge you maybe a bit disappointed。 I received an ecopy of this book through Netgalley; however， my opinions are my own。
Jennifer
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Absolutely engrossing book about all these women from the Rothschild family。 The author traces the family roots from Gutle - the matriarch - through her daughters， daughters-in-law， granddaughters and more， right up to the present day。 I learned not only about the family but I was taken on a trip through European history from the 1700s through close to present times， as not only seen but also influenced by these amazing women。 They were involved in so many social and political movements especial Absolutely engrossing book about all these women from the Rothschild family。 The author traces the family roots from Gutle - the matriarch - through her daughters， daughters-in-law， granddaughters and more， right up to the present day。 I learned not only about the family but I was taken on a trip through European history from the 1700s through close to present times， as not only seen but also influenced by these amazing women。 They were involved in so many social and political movements especially in the late 1800's into the 1940's （all the big movements of those times to include rights of women and children， workers， recognizing Jews as citizens， and even the creation of the independent state of Israel）。 If you love biographies or history， you will love this book。 I would even venture that if you love historical fiction， you'd also love this book because it reads like unbelievable （yet true） stories！This would make an excellent book club pick！ 。。。more
Linda
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Although I found this book fascinating and the stories of the Rothschild women extremely interesting， it was also just too broad in scope for me personally。 I would have much preferred to read about one generation of women and how they worked silently behind the scenes influencing society and their own men。 I felt at times that the women were still in the background of this story， that these indomitable females somehow seemed less so because we spent so little time with each one。
Pam
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NetGalley BookI wanted to like this book - but I just didn’t find it interesting。 I made it 75% thru and gave up。
Jill Elizabeth
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What fascinating women this story describes！ I've read a few pieces about the Rothschild family over the years and am continually amazed at the breath and depth of the family's involvement in so many arenas - and across so many generations。 The writing is very detailed， offering narrative about not only the family but the worlds in which it operated， and the wily way that the family members manipulated political， religious， and social events to continue to thrive was magnificent to watch unfold。 What fascinating women this story describes！ I've read a few pieces about the Rothschild family over the years and am continually amazed at the breath and depth of the family's involvement in so many arenas - and across so many generations。 The writing is very detailed， offering narrative about not only the family but the worlds in which it operated， and the wily way that the family members manipulated political， religious， and social events to continue to thrive was magnificent to watch unfold。 。。。more
Cosima demaglie
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An amazing read。 A must read for anyone interested in the lost stories of women throughout the ages。 It a beautiful book to give as a gift。
Andrea A
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My thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's for the invitation to read this very interesting and well researched book。 I thought it a bit slow in parts but fascinating stories of the women behind all the men。 My thanks to Net Galley and St Martin's for the invitation to read this very interesting and well researched book。 I thought it a bit slow in parts but fascinating stories of the women behind all the men。 。。。more
Judith
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In “The Women of Rothschild: the Untold Story of the World’s Most Famous Dynasty，” author Natalie Livingstone explores multiple generations of Rothschild women， both those born into the dynasty and those who married into it。 Starting in 1753 with Gutle Rothschild， the family matriarch and mother of the five sons that would form the basis for the worldwide Rothschild family， the book covers many historical events and their impact on the Rothschild women and the Rothschild women’s impact on those In “The Women of Rothschild: the Untold Story of the World’s Most Famous Dynasty，” author Natalie Livingstone explores multiple generations of Rothschild women， both those born into the dynasty and those who married into it。 Starting in 1753 with Gutle Rothschild， the family matriarch and mother of the five sons that would form the basis for the worldwide Rothschild family， the book covers many historical events and their impact on the Rothschild women and the Rothschild women’s impact on those same historical events。 Wars， political movements， and domestic crises are just some of the areas covered by this book， which concludes with the twentieth century and twenty-first century Rothschild women。 Through Livingstone’s beautiful writing style and extensive research into private letters， diaries and family memoirs， the author brings each woman to vivid life。 She details their contributions to politics， science and culture， as well as their interpersonal relationships with various family members。 My only quibble with the book was that the lengthy period covered made it difficult at times to remember each individual and her relationship within the family。 Although a genealogical chart was provided in the beginning of the book to help identify the women in relation to the family， it is difficult to read the chart in the ebook format as opposed to a print edition。 However， as mentioned previously， the author’s meticulous research and almost poetic language made up for this minor annoyance。 I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in the Rothschilds， Jewish history and women’s impact on historical events。（Thanks to NetGalley and St。 Martin’s Press for providing me an ARC copy of the book in exchange for my honest review）。 。。。more
June Price
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About the only thing I knew about the Rothschild family when I started this book was that they were rich。 Very， very rich。 To be honest， I'd never thought about how they got that way。 This book tells us and， wow， it wasn't easy。 It was even harder for the women of the family given the blatant sexist attitudes of the time Gutle Snapper married Mayer Amschel Rothschild in 1770。 I won't even attempt to summarize this book as it contains exhaustive research and reaches into the early 2000s， so would About the only thing I knew about the Rothschild family when I started this book was that they were rich。 Very， very rich。 To be honest， I'd never thought about how they got that way。 This book tells us and， wow， it wasn't easy。 It was even harder for the women of the family given the blatant sexist attitudes of the time Gutle Snapper married Mayer Amschel Rothschild in 1770。 I won't even attempt to summarize this book as it contains exhaustive research and reaches into the early 2000s， so would direct you to the book blurb for more specific bits of info within。 I have to also admit that I was expecting a drier， more scholarly read。 Thank goodness I was wrong about that。 Yes， it's long， but it also focuses on the people and how they reacted to events， not just the events of their lives。 And， what amazing lives they lived。 From Gutle's days in the surely claustrophobic confines of the Judengasse， a narrow， shadowy， crowded stretch of land on the east side of Frankfurt where Jews were basically confined （and forced to pay）， to Miriam in more modern times as she moves about the world， they had an impact upon not just the family but the world。 Let's just say， modern Israel owes the Rothschild family。 It was interesting to see how each generation moved within the norms of the time， from Gutle's days when Mayer's will cut her and his daughters out of his inheritance and basically turned over their well-being to their brothers， to Miriam's world which spanned the resistance movement of WWII into more modern times as a respected scientist and benefactor。 Famous faces make an appearance， all of which kept me busy aligning my own knowledge of the time （being a history major helped） to movies given appearances by Clark Gable and Alec Guinness。 Bottom line， there's a great deal to take in from this book and I'll admit to reading it in bits and pieces and， gasp， yes， even skimming sections at times。 I also spent some time going back and forth from the index to the topic listed to make sure I hadn't missed anything， wishing I had the time to read the lengthy list of articles and citations at the end。 Admittedly， this isn't a book for everyone， making it difficult to rate， but if you love history， are intrigued at the idea of a woman's place in historic events， or are just simply curious about how this one family that began in dire poverty not only survived but thrived， give it a read。 Yes， it's long but， hey， no one said you have to read it in one day。Thanks #NetGalley and #StMartinsPress for opening my eyes to not only a fascinating family and the role of its women throughout history but introducing me to some bits of history that I had only a passing knowledge of。 Kudos to author #NatalieLivingstone for making that possible。 。。。more
Jann
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I started to read this thinking that it might be dry and possibly boring but it was not in any way either of those。 The biographical details for each individual satisfied my interest and showed how they fit into their respective generations。 I was amazed at the wealth of detail that Natalie Livingstone provided and yet it wasn't just a recitation of facts。 Most of these ladies enjoyed their wealth and all the trappings but they also recognised their responsibility to those less fortunate。 Those I started to read this thinking that it might be dry and possibly boring but it was not in any way either of those。 The biographical details for each individual satisfied my interest and showed how they fit into their respective generations。 I was amazed at the wealth of detail that Natalie Livingstone provided and yet it wasn't just a recitation of facts。 Most of these ladies enjoyed their wealth and all the trappings but they also recognised their responsibility to those less fortunate。 Those might have been the locals working for them or in other cases the poor Jewish community in London。 The practice of marrying within the extended family worked for several generations but eventually， some family members were drawn to choose their spouses outside the family and even married out of their faith。 It must have been difficult to endure the snubs from non-Jewish contemporaries and doubly so when marrying a Gentile which would have brought pressure and censure from both religious groups。 I found it hard to imagine being made to marry a cousin in the second， third， and even fourth generation but I suppose in that era it was quite normal for marriages to be arranged for dowries， wealth， and land consolidation among non-Jewish upper-class women。The blurb above summarises what the book is about but it can't tell you how truly interesting most of these ladies were。 Many of them were quite brilliant and had a good head for business， particularly finance and investment。 Their husbands or fathers controlled the banking empire but I am convinced after reading the book that they couldn't have done it without the input from their womenfolk。 I am so grateful that I was given the opportunity to find out about the women of the Rothschild dynasty。 I have a lot more respect for them now that I have had a glimpse into their lives whereas previously I would have considered them merely spoiled， ridiculously rich wives or daughters of important men if I actually thought of them at all。My thanks to the author， publisher， and NetGalley for making it possible for me to read an advanced copy。 。。。more
Paula B
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Before reading this I knew very little about the Rothschild family， but I was totally absorbed in their history。 The women were absolutely fascinating， each in her own era。 I would have loved to have been able to meet some of them， especially Miriam。In addition， it was a history of antisemitism and how it affected the Jewish families。 And it showed the extra layer of strength required by all of the women。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book。
Aimee Neill
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I absolutely LOVE this type of book and it’s the type of book I absolutely struggle with。 So many names places and facts thrown out my brain starts to feel like mush。 Very worth the read - strong independent women navigating a man’s world （AND family） - this book is full of gripping and enthralling stories。 Sometimes my brain just got distracted by minutiae instead of enjoying the tale so I would have to double back。 This it took me longer than my average read， required a bit more concentration I absolutely LOVE this type of book and it’s the type of book I absolutely struggle with。 So many names places and facts thrown out my brain starts to feel like mush。 Very worth the read - strong independent women navigating a man’s world （AND family） - this book is full of gripping and enthralling stories。 Sometimes my brain just got distracted by minutiae instead of enjoying the tale so I would have to double back。 This it took me longer than my average read， required a bit more concentration and focus。 I may have taken a few extra reading breaks and a bit more time but I never doubted that I would soon pick it back up and dive back in。 。。。more
Pooja Peravali
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