In 1807, at the height of the Napoleonic wars, the Portuguese prince regent Dom Joao made an extraordinary decision. Although horrified by the idea of sea travel, he opted to transplant his entire court and government to Portugal's largest colony, Brazil. With French troops closing in on Lisbon, aristocrats, ministers, priests and servants - a staggering 10,000 in all - clambered on board the rickety Portuguese fleet. After a rough transatlantic passage they spilled off their ships bedraggled, lice-ridden and dressed in ...
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In 1807, at the height of the Napoleonic wars, the Portuguese prince regent Dom Joao made an extraordinary decision. Although horrified by the idea of sea travel, he opted to transplant his entire court and government to Portugal's largest colony, Brazil. With French troops closing in on Lisbon, aristocrats, ministers, priests and servants - a staggering 10,000 in all - clambered on board the rickety Portuguese fleet. After a rough transatlantic passage they spilled off their ships bedraggled, lice-ridden and dressed in rags, to the astonishment of their new world subjects. Thus began a unique 13-year period of imperial rule from the tropics. Rio de Janeiro was soon graced with a new opera house, lush botanical gardens and a royal palace - a 'tropical Versailles' set against the city's stunning jungle-clad mountains. But this metropolitan facade only partially obscured the brutal workings of what was then the largest slaving port in the Americas. While the court grappled with the dark side of its own empire, Brazil, with its eclectic mix of African, European and indigenous influences, was coming of age. Patrick Wilcken brings this remarkable period to the page, blending vivid contemporary testament with a rich evocation of the one time in history when European royalty went native.
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Add this copy of Empire Adrift. the Portuguese Court in Rio De Janeiro to cart. $23.50, like new condition, Sold by Arapiles Mountain Books rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Castlemaine, VIC, AUSTRALIA, published 2004 by Bloomsbury.
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F in F- jacket. F/F-. 8vo. original black boards gilt in dustwrapper (short closed tear to lower foldover); pp. xiv, 206 (last blank), with illustrations & a map. A fine copy.
Add this copy of Empire Adrift: the Portuguese Court in Rio De Janeiro to cart. $24.66, good condition, Sold by M Godding Books Ltd rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Devizes, WILTS, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2004 by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC.
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Good. Good Jacket. Size: 7x1x10; Previous owner's ink inscription. Posted within 1 working day. 1st class tracked post to the UK, Airmail tracked worldwide. Robust recyclable packaging.
Add this copy of Empire Adrift: the Portuguese Court in Rio De Janeiro to cart. $34.71, good condition, Sold by Baggins Book Bazaar rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Rochester, KENT, UNITED KINGDOM, published 2004 by Bloomsbury.
Add this copy of Empire Adrift: the Portuguese Court in Rio De Janeiro to cart. $38.62, good condition, Sold by Bonita rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Newport Coast, CA, UNITED STATES, published 2004 by Bloomsbury Publishing.
