Nigel Cawthorne is the author of over a hundred books, from serious political works such as The Iron Cage to lightweight comic romps such as Sex Lives of the Popes. Sex Lives of the Presidents got him on the Joan Rivers Show. He was hauled in front of a Senate Select Committee for The Bamboo Cage. And "Read this book." was the last line of the Washington Post's review of his book Takin' Back My Name: The Confessions of Ike Turner. So there is plenty for everyone to enjoy.

She was taken to the palace as a concubine for the Emperor. Using her skill in the bedroom, she seduced her way to the throne of the most powerful empire in the world. She executed her enemies without mercy, and even murdered her own children for political gain. She set up her own imperial harem made up of young men. She elected herself a living god and held a ruthless reign of terror for over fifty years. Yet in the end, it was sex that led to her downfall. In this sensational true story, bestselling author Nigel Cawthorne reveals the dark and dramatic story of the only woman ever to rule China; Wu Chao, concubine, manipulator, politician, murderer, Emperor. From her instruction in the art of love by palace officials, to her eventual sticky end, this book opens a window into the colorful world of Tang Dynasty China – a world of sex and of power. Like a cross between Gone with the Wind and Fatal Attraction, you won’t be able to put it down! This is the gripping story of China’s Cleopatra; a story of murder, sex, love, power, and revenge.