American Empress is a sweeping history of the dramatic life of heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, daughter of breakfast-cereal magnate C. W. Post. As a young girl growing up in the Midwest, Marjorie Post helped glue cereal boxes in her father's barn, later became a board member of his company, wed a diplomat and by late middle age was widely acknowledged as the unofficial "Queen of Washington, D.C." The glamorous and warm-hearted Mrs. Post was also mother to actress Dina Merrill. Throughout her life, she gave generously to hundreds of civic, artistic and philanthropic causes, among which...

"An artful, sensitive biography... A prerequisite for understanding Isabella is understanding the period and Rubin excels at delineating both." --"Booklist"
"Rubin succeeds admirably in recounting the story of Spain's greatest queen and the impact of her reign on her country and the world... a first rate exposition." --"Kirkus"
"An excellent, well-developed picture of the complex, often contradictory forces of the European scene from which Columbus sailed." --"Washington Times"
"Classic... will make permanent literary history by dispelling many schoolroom myths." --"Tulsa World"