Book cover of The Last Emperor of Mexico: The Dramatic Story of the Habsburg Archduke Who Created a Kingdom in the New World

Book description

The true operatic tragedy of Maximilian and Carlota, the European aristocrats who stumbled into power in Mexico—and faced bloody consequences.

In the 1860s, Napoleon III, intent on curbing the rise of American imperialism, persuaded a young Austrian archduke and a Belgian princess to leave Europe and become the emperor and…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked The Last Emperor of Mexico as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

The Last Emperor of Mexico recounts a story in Mexican history that is both tragic and farcical. For a brief period of time, a member of the Habsburg European royal dynasty reigned as Emperor of Mexico, with the backing of a French army. If that sentence sounds improbable, confusing, and intriguing, then this book is well worth a read. Shawcross will take you through a series of events that are full of arrogance, hubris, willful deception, miscalculation, and bad luck.

If you love The Last Emperor of Mexico...

Book cover of December on 5C4

December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

Want books like The Last Emperor of Mexico?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Last Emperor of Mexico.

Browse books like The Last Emperor of Mexico

Book cover of Nicholas and Alexandra
Book cover of Alix and Nicky: The Passion of the Last Tsar and Tsarina
Book cover of Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine who Launched Modern China

Share your top 3 reads of 2026!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

164

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Last Emperor of Mexico, you might also like...

Book cover of The Delphi Agenda

The Delphi Agenda by Rob Swigart,

Papyrologist Lisa Emmer's world flips when the Sûreté detains her at her Metro station with news of the savage murder of the esteemed Paris historian Dr. Raimond Foix, her friend and mentor in the study of ancient documents.

Horrified, Lisa finds clues at the crime scene left behind for her…

Book cover of The Tao of Poison

The Tao of Poison by Isham Cook,

A poisonous maiden, a Daoist sex cult, and a violent insurgency.

The polyandrous Yan family in China's rural Shaanxi Province takes in two carpenter brothers. When one brother is convicted of murder after killing their neighbor in a dispute, a constable threatens to expose the family's rumored polyandry and extorts…

5 book lists we think you will like!