Richard Bassett‘s new book, MARIA THERESA: EMPRESS: The Making of the Austrian Enlightenment, was published by Yale University Press on 25 February 2025. This is a gripping study of one of the world’s most influential leaders, revealing how Maria Theresa confounded gendered expectations and left a lasting mark on Europe.
“Assured and revisionist … an impressively researched book … Maria Theresa emerges as an impressive if absolutist monarch, committed to bringing her Catholic faith to bear on her rule and making things better for those living in her lands. Less Queen of the Night; more Queen of the Light.” The Times
“An absolute tour de force.” Nancy M. Wingfield
