From Tyranny to Freedom - "Memoirs of My Life" comprise the reminiscences of Countess Viktoria-Luise of Solms-Baruth, the first wife of Prince Friedrich Josias, youngest son and heir of Duke Carl Eduard of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She was, quite likely, the first German female of royal lineage to marry an American officer, Captain Richard "Dick" Whitten, whom she met early in 1947. Their love affair seemed like a whirlwind and by November the couple joined their destinies and settled down to a long marriage. Viktoria-Luise was an amazing woman. Independent-minded, strong-willed, never easily defeated, she sought to rebuild her life on her own terms, while always keeping in mind the needs of her son, who stood to inherit the sizable legacy of the Dukes of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. She grasped that life had changed for those in her milieu and sought to make the best of it. She fell in love with an US Army Captain, an attractive man who promised to take her on a new adventure in a faraway land. Viktoria-Luise jumped head-in, seized the moment, and built a new life. As with everything she tackled, she was thoroughly successful. Her unique position, provided by background and connections, makes her story even more appealing. Raised in a fairly conventional and old-world environment, she embraced love outside her circle and built a life not only in a new country, but also in a faraway continent. The memoirs provide a candid, detailed and eye-opening window into a world of privilege now gone. They are tribute to a human being who in spite of losing nearly all, rose from the ashes of a destroyed Europe to live a happy, admirable and fulfilled existence.