Blood, Fire and Gold
The story of Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici
-
-
5.0 • 1 Rating
-
-
- £8.99
Publisher Description
'A story told with verve and passion' The Times, Book of the Week
'An alternative and engaging biography...accessible and unpretentious' The Telegraph
'A stunning portrayal of two of the most powerful women in European history' Tracy Borman
'Exciting and compelling, packed full of tantalising details of diplomacy and court life, Paranque succeeds both in bringing history to life, but also in putting flesh on the bones of these two extraordinary women and rival queens' Kate Mosse
'A smart and stylish portrait of two of Europe's most remarkable rulers, a compelling profile of female power and - that rarest of things - a truly original book about the Tudor period' Jessie Childs
In sixteenth-century Europe, two women came to hold all the power, against all the odds. They were Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici.
One a Virgin Queen who ruled her kingdom alone, and the other a clandestine leader who used her children to shape the dynasties of Europe, much has been written about these iconic women. But nothing has been said of their complicated relationship: thirty years of friendship, competition and conflict that changed the face of Europe.
This is a story of two remarkable visionaries: a story of blood, fire and gold. It is also a tale of ceaseless calculation, of love and rivalry, of war and wisdom - and of female power in a male world. Shining new light on their legendary kingdoms Blood, Fire and Gold provides a new way of looking at two of history's most powerful women, and how they shaped each other as profoundly as they shaped the course of history. Drawing on their letters and brand new research, Estelle Paranque writes an entirely new chapter in the well-worn story of the sixteenth century.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Political power and intrigue permeate this immersive dual biography of 16th-century queens by historian Paranque (Elizabeth I of England Through Valois Eyes). Elizabeth I, the only daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, ascended to the English throne in 1558, while Catherine de Medici became "Gouvernante de France" two years later, exercising royal power on behalf of her nine-year-old son, King Charles IX. The book's most fascinating sections reveal how the two queens' efforts toto forge a strong French-English alliance and calm religious conflict through dynastic marriage, trade agreements, and peace treaties were complicated by their constant need to prove "their legitimacy and ability to rule in a male-dominated world." After proposed marriages to King Charles IX and his brother Henry fell apart, Elizabeth was drawn to Catherine's youngest son, Francis, Duke of Anjou, a supporter of French Protestants. Many of her ministers opposed the match, however, and Elizabeth eventually reneged on their engagement. Catherine's power in France declined, and a few months after her death in 1589, her son King Henry III was murdered and Henry III of Navarre, a Protestant, became king, a succession backed by Elizabeth, who by then had become the most feared protector of her faith in Europe and one of the world's most powerful monarchs. Paranque's vivid character sketches and lucid explanations of the political and religious stakes involved result in a certifiable historical page-turner.
