The book about the private life of Emperor Franz Joseph, who ruled the Austrian monarchy for 68 years, will also appeal to readers who are less interested in history. Who was the man who was trained from a young age to be a leader, who ruled an empire with 56 million inhabitants at the age of eighteen and soon after married the extravagant beauty Elisabeth, popularly known as Sisi? How did he deal with the unrest brought about by the Spring of Nations and the conflicts between his wife and mother? Emperor Franz Joseph was first and foremost a politician, a diligent and hardworking, modest man. He got up early, and his day was strictly organized until the last minute. He did not care about clothes and courtly luxury. He was perhaps happiest in his old age, when he could show his grandchildren the love and affection that his children were deprived of.