Imagined by one of the world's leading experts on Casanova, this
fictionalised conversation presents the essential biography of history's
most famous lover.
A quiet chat with Casanova turns into a catalogue of racy encounters set
in 18th-century Venice and other cities ... and we can even ask
questions! You'll find out just how he got himself both in and out of
some extremely sticky situations, from debt and imprisonment, to
confrontations with jealous husbands and even heartbreak.
Renowned as a great lover and seducer, Casanova was far more than a bed
hopping rake. He founded the world's first national lottery, discussed
theories of taxation with Frederick the Great, debated the merits of the
Gregorian calendar with Catherine the Great, talked theology with Pope
Clement XIII, lectured on Horace and Homer, and gave a public recital of
his own poem on the Passion of the Christ. He was also an accomplished
swindler, an extraordinary wit, a brilliant philosopher, a formidable
duellist, and a notable spy.
The impressive scale of Casanova's many gifts - and vices - is brought
brilliantly to life in this innovative biography. A concise biographical
essay is followed by a scintillating dialogue that is as historically
rigorous as it is entertaining. As Dita Von Teese says in her Foreword:
In my most amorous fantasies, I spend languid days and glittering nights
with a true 'Casanova'-- a man with a heartfelt passion for life, a
thirst for knowledge and adventure, and of course a lust for refined
romance. Be seduced by this brilliant book.
