Una McIlvenna

Una McIlvenna is a literary and cultural historian specializing in early modern and 19th\-century Europe. Her most recent book, _[Singing the News of Death](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://global.oup.com/academic/product/singing-the-news-of-death-9780197551851?lang=en&cc=us__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!Dwmh-EK7wVCaBfaKdbjDMiC8QYwXl3xM0MC2aJwmHaopIh1gCz62SfZxkNPlkMg_swfgJwIqwyN6hGw7U-1AkVIvqXXv7fk$ "https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://global.oup.com/academic/product/singing-the-news-of-death-9780197551851?lang=en&cc=us__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!Dwmh-EK7wVCaBfaKdbjDMiC8QYwXl3xM0MC2aJwmHaopIh1gCz62SfZxkNPlkMg_swfgJwIqwyN6hGw7U-1AkVIvqXXv7fk$")_, explores the phenomenon of execution ballads. She is also the author of _[Scandal and Reputation at the Court of Catherine de Medici](https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.routledge.com/Scandal-and-Reputation-at-the-Court-of-Catherine-de-Medici/McIlvenna/p/book/9781472428219__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!Dwmh-EK7wVCaBfaKdbjDMiC8QYwXl3xM0MC2aJwmHaopIh1gCz62SfZxkNPlkMg_swfgJwIqwyN6hGw7U-1AkVIvXnAtKag$ "https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://www.routledge.com/Scandal-and-Reputation-at-the-Court-of-Catherine-de-Medici/McIlvenna/p/book/9781472428219__;!!CyZMqN24eIU!Dwmh-EK7wVCaBfaKdbjDMiC8QYwXl3xM0MC2aJwmHaopIh1gCz62SfZxkNPlkMg_swfgJwIqwyN6hGw7U-1AkVIvXnAtKag$")_. Una is Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Australian National University, and can be reached at unamcilvenna.com.

Author's socials

Latest from this author

Napoleon Bonaparte depicted in exile on the island of Saint Helena, as he traces the letter "N" in the sand, 1815.

European History

Napoleon’s Life—and Mysterious Death—in Exile

After his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo, the former emperor was placed in a 'wretched' home on a remote island.

European History

Why Napoleon Kidnapped One Pope After Another

Pope Pius VI died in captivity, while his successor Pope Pius VII was held hostage for five years.

European History

Was Napoleon Short? Origins of the ‘Napoleon Complex’

A prominent cartoonist's mocking depiction of the French emperor managed to stick through the centuries.

European History

Napoleon and Joséphine: Their Tumultuous Love Story

As their letters show, Napoleon was love-struck. Joséphine? Not so much. Yet even with affairs on both sides, a deep attachment grew—and endured.

European History

Why Catherine the Great’s Enemies Portrayed Her as a Sex Fiend

Rivals of Russia's powerful empress invented endless sexual myths—including nymphomania, voyeurism and bestiality—that depicted her as having a voracious carnal appetite.

European History

How Bread Shortages Helped Ignite the French Revolution

When Parisians stormed the Bastille in 1789 they weren't only looking for arms, they were on the hunt for more grain—to make bread.

European History

How a Scandal Over a Diamond Necklace Cost Marie Antoinette Her Head

The Diamond Necklace Affair reads like a fictional farce, but it was all true—and would become the final straw that led to demands for the queen's head.