Adam Zamoyski will present a talk on his latest book: 'Izabela the Valiant – The Story of an Indomitable Polish Princess’ at  Ognisko Polskie – The Polish Hearth.

Drawing on a vast family archive Adam Zamoyski has recreated the dramatic life of his great-great-great grandmother. Her aristocratic status enabled her to mix with Frederick the Great, Benjamin Franklin, Rousseau, Joseph II, Marie-Antoinette and Tsar Alexander I, while also earning the enmity of Catherine the Great.

Izabela lived through revolution and five wars, which saw her cherished homes devastated and possessions looted. Her tempestuous love affairs led to a nervous breakdown, but she remained undaunted and travelled extensively across Europe. Fascinated by the power of objects to evoke memories and emotions, she was an avid collector and established two museums. She also developed her own educational methods and pioneered schooling for underprivileged children.

Adam Zamoyski, a British historian of Polish origin, is the author of the best-selling 1812: Napoleon’s Fatal March on Moscow, and its sequel Rites of Peace: The Fall of Napoleon and the Congress of Vienna. His comprehensive history of Poland, The Polish Way, has been in print since it was first published in 1987. He lives in London and Poland.

Copies of this book will be available to buy at the event.

WHERE: Ognisko Polskie – The Polish Hearth, 55 Princes Gate, Exhibition Road, London SW7 2PN

WHEN: Monday, 8 July 2024, 7 p.m. for 7.30 p.m.

TICKETS: here