The Royal Whore, Barbara Villiers, Countess of Castlemaine

Book excerpt: The story of King Charles II and his mistress Barbara Villiers, who was the pacesetter for the court where Charles sampled the ladies of his entourage as freely as he sampled his wines. But Barbara was more than a fair match for the monarch who created dukedoms for his illegitimate sons and saw to it that four of his daughters became countesses--she wound up a long and active life with seven illegitimate children and a title for each one, political power and an income (in those days) to stagger the imagination. Biographer Allen Andrews, with deft characterization and a piercing eye into historical annals, brings the trials, tribulations and loose morals of kings, queens, ladies and gentlemen of the Restoration court vividly into intimate focus.--From publisher description.