Marie Antoinette, Queen of France, lived a life of luxury in the Palace of Versailles. But in 1789, her country erupted into violent revolution. Everywhere, the 1700s were a time of turmoil. New scientific ideas transformed people"s understanding of the world, and prompted explorers to set sail in search of more knowledge. New political ideas led to new forms of government, and in America to independence from Britain. International trade spread goods and people around the globe. Using paintings, manuscripts and pictures of contemporary objects, this book tells the story of Marie Antoinette and gives an account of the world in her time. To help the reader find their way about the book, each chapter has been divided into seven sections. Each section describes a different part of the world, and is headed by a colour bar which indicates which areas are relevant in the text below. There is a time line giving an outline of world events in Leonardo da Vinci"s time, and a map which shows some of the most significant places in this book.