The Book of the Courtesans : A Catalogue of Their Virtues

A provocative study of the life and times of the West's first female power brokers explains how courtesans used their liaisons with some of the world's most powerful and celebrated men to give themselves an extraordinary influence, wealth, and freedom in a male-dominated world and offers profiles of these remarkable women, including Veronica Franco, Madame de Pompadour, and Marion Davies. Reprint.