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The Rival Queens: Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal that Ignited a Kingdom Kindle Edition
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Set in magnificent Renaissance France, this is the story of two remarkable women, a mother and daughter driven into opposition by a terrible betrayal that threatened to destroy the realm. Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for thirty years. Her youngest daughter Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control.
When Catherine forces the Catholic Marguerite to marry her Protestant cousin Henry of Navarre against her will, and then uses her opulent Parisian wedding as a means of luring his followers to their deaths, she creates not only savage conflict within France but also a potent rival within her own family.
Rich in detail and vivid prose, Goldstone's narrative unfolds as a thrilling historical epic. Treacherous court politics, poisonings, international espionage, and adultery form the background to a story that includes such celebrated figures as Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, and Nostradamus. The Rival Queens is a dangerous tale of love, betrayal, ambition, and the true nature of courage, the echoes of which still resonate.
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherLittle, Brown and Company
- Publication dateJune 23, 2015
- File size7530 KB
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Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Review
―Brad Hooper, Booklist (Starred Review)
"This is a story of espionage, assassination, intrigue, and chicanery but also one that poignantly reminds readers of the vulnerabilities faced by women of the age....Readers are sure to be captivated by the lush details of these women's lives."―Library Journal
"Goldstone's witty comments make this historical family drama as easy to read as the best fiction, but it's all the more tragic for being true.... Goldstone upends conventional thought with this well-researched and well-written book." ―Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
"A thrilling tale packed with historical details and shocking revelations. Nancy Goldstone writes with cinematic clarity and eloquently brings to life two indomitable women whose ambitions changed the course of European history."―Ivana Lowell, author of Why Not Say What Happened?
"Nancy Goldstone leads her reader with a very sure hand through the most dramatic events of Renaissance France. Her narrative is so gripping that The Rival Queens unfolds like a thriller."―Anka Muhlstein, author of Monsieur Proust's Library
"The Rival Queens is a gripping tale of royal feuds and divided kingdoms. Goldstone has lovingly restored the reputation of Marguerite de Valois; revealing her to be a woman of passion and drive whose fierce loyalties burned bright until the day she died."―Amanda Foreman, author of A World on Fire and Georgiana
"[Goldstone] spins a tangled tale of rivalry, ambition, and, especially--for the rare women leaders of the time--sheer self-preservation...Goldstone has a remarkable handle on these often Byzantine royal machinations. History brought to vivid life in the characters of these women of purpose."―Kirkus Reviews
PRAISE FOR THE MAID AND THE QUEEN:
"A dual biography of two fascinating medieval women with the descriptive energy of a novel."―USA Today
"Attention, 'Game of Thrones' fans: The most enjoyably sensational aspects of medieval politics---double-crosses, ambushes, bizarre personal obsessions, lunacy and naked self-interest-are in abundant evidence."―Laura Miller, Salon
"A lively, fast-paced and fascinating account of Joan's story, weaving together the labyrinthine intrigues of medieval politics, the real story behind a medieval fairy tale and the astonishing events that led a young peasant girl from the command of an army to a fiery death at the hands of the English."
―BookPage
"With compelling storytelling, Goldstone colorfully weaves together the tales of these two women...whose powerful personalities and deep allegiance to France helped shape the country's future."
―Publishers Weekly
"Vivid...astounding....as gripping as ever . . . [A] knowledgeable and accessible account of a turning point in French history."
―Kirkus Reviews
"Goldstone's entertaining narrative will intrigue general readers interested in the Middle Ages...or biographies of royal figures or women in history."
―Library Journal
"Goldstone adds an enlightening new chapter to a legendary saga and rescues another unjustly neglected woman from the dust pile of conventional history."
―Booklist --This text refers to the paperback edition.
Product details
- ASIN : B00O7X62I0
- Publisher : Little, Brown and Company (June 23, 2015)
- Publication date : June 23, 2015
- Language : English
- File size : 7530 KB
- Text-to-Speech : Enabled
- Screen Reader : Supported
- Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
- X-Ray : Enabled
- Word Wise : Enabled
- Sticky notes : On Kindle Scribe
- Print length : 428 pages
- Best Sellers Rank: #180,552 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Nancy Goldstone (www.nancygoldstone.com) has a passion for medieval history and old and rare books. She is the author most recently of three works of non-fiction examining the role of high born women in the Middle Ages: The Maid and the Queen: The Secret History of Joan of Arc, which unravels the mystery of the Joan of Arc by revealing the fascinating role played by Yolande of Aragon, queen of Sicily and the dauphin's mother-in-law in her story; Four Queens, about a family of four thirteenth century sisters, the daughters of the count of Provence, who all became queens; and The Lady Queen, a biography of Joanna I, fourteenth century queen of Naples, Jerusalem and Sicily and countess of Provence, the only woman of her day to rule in her own name. Nancy has also written a number of books with her husband Lawrence, including The Friar and the Cipher, a narrative non-fiction account of the life of the great 13th century scientist Roger Bacon, and Out of the Flames, the story of 16th century theologian and physician Michael Servetus, who was burned at the stake by John Calvin, reputedly with the last copy of his book, in which he had hidden a great medical discovery, chained to his leg. She and her husband have also written three acclaimed humorous memoirs on their experiences in the world of rare and antiquarian books: Used and Rare, Slightly Chipped, and Warmly Inscribed.
The Goldstones are committed to fostering literacy and critical reading skills in elementary school children. To this end, both Nancy and Larry volunteered their time for eight years running parent-child book groups at their local library. Their book, Deconstructing Penguins: Parents, Kids and the Bond of Reading, a guide to developing reading skills in children, grew out of this program.
Nancy Goldstone graduated with honors in history from Cornell University in 1979 and received her MA in International Affairs from Columbia University in 1981. Immediately upon graduation she embarked on a hilariously brief career trading foreign currency options, an adventure which was chronicled in her first book, Trading Up: Surviving Success as a Woman Trader on Wall Street. Since that time, Mrs. Goldstone has written and reviewed for a number of publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Boston Globe Magazine and The Miami Herald. If you are interested in Larry, go to www.lawrencegoldstone.com
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This book gives an understanding of the rivalries among the French royal family, the Guise branch of the family, and the Navarre royal family, all of them contending bitterly either for the throne or to control the direction of the country particularly as to the struggle between Catholicism and Protestantism. Interestingly, the relationships among siblings in the French royal family itself were full of duplicity and jealousy. This history sets all of that out in far more detail than one perhaps ever encounters elsewhere. That is the great value of this book.
Catherine de' Medici is usually depicted as meticulously and malevolently planning her every move, but here she is presented as tacking constantly to adapt to circumstances beyond her control, at first a survivor more than master of her fate. She became duplicitous from necessity rather than from enjoyment of double-dealing, but in the end she became a monster of duplicity.
Particularly interesting is this author's contention that the young King Charles IX did indeed sanction the first, unsuccessful attempt upon Admiral Coligni's life but that he did not wish to order the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre. Heretofore I have always believed that he was not only implicated in that horror but was the chief culprit in collaboration with his mother, Catherine de' Medici. Yet this historian states that the massacre of thousands of Huguenots, though ordered by him, occurred only after many hours of unceasing insistence by his mother.
Many of the details in this book are derived from Marguerite Queen of Navarre herself whose own writings provide so much of the substance and color. She reveals that she had never wanted to marry Henry of Navarre and that he much preferred his many lovers to her. This present biographer's view of the King of Navarre is exceedingly interesting. He is shown as a flawed human being and as a leader with many faults rather than as the peerless champion of Protestantism.
I was totally surprised to learn the true story of Marguerite, so different from the version given in other history books where she is described in a paragraph or two as the center of a circle of cultivated ladies who created a society for poets and courtly lovers. This, in reality, was a relatively brief interlude in a tumultuous life; Marguerite's astonishing and often misguided existence was quite different. The turmoil and danger she suffered through is astonishing, and the fact that at last her own mother, Catherine de' Medici, wanted her to die for political reasons merely adds to the tragic dimensions of Marguerite's life as well as to the horrible reputation of her unnatural mother.
The last quiet, happy years of Marguerite's life fill the reader with gratification. It is surprising and pleasing to learn that after a lifetime of storms and danger she was able to return to Paris, to the dignity she was born to. There she lived peacefully as an honored subject of a king, her former husband, who knew well how to show gratitude when it was richly deserved.
This is a tale of the two queens and the difficulties that they faced--including their own families. Catherine's sons came to rule France or serve as leaders. However, they intrigued often against one another. Her brother once tried to orchestrate the death of his sister--Marguerite. Marguerite's early love was denied her. Later, she married a Huguenot (Protestant) leader, Henry de Bourbon. Given the tensions between Catholics and Huguenots, this did not bode well. Worse, Henry preferred another woman to his queen. Her ability to survive the plots against her shows that she was a woman who did not give up.
Later, she and Henry became good friends (against all odds) and the time they had is poignantly depicted.
The book makes one thing clear--no one among major political figures could expect to live to a ripe old age. Survival was not to be taken for granted. The plotting of individuals against one another is a theme of this book. Yet, within this insidious environment, Marguerite lived a full life after the various attempts to take her life. The interplay between the two queens is well described in this work.
The writing of the author is another plus. This is a very well written work, and the narrative moved along very nicely.
A fascinating examination of the "two queens" in a turbulent time in France of the 16th century. . . .
Mrs. Goldstone succeeds in a hagiography of sorts. Margot the woman is revealed as a romantic heroine surrounded by vipers that are mostly her blood.
*Spoiler*
She succeeds in out living them all.
I'm putting Usson on my places to see before I die. Supposedly, both idyllic and picturesque in the summertime to visit.
Judging by the slew of positive reviews for this work, I seem to be among the few who didn’t love this book. For me, throughout this title there was a distracting odd informal tone and to be quite honest, I finished having the feeling I was on a much anticipated tour with a guide who at times seemed to take advantage of the unfamiliar visitor only sharing information that avoided certain topics and admissions of personal interpretations while at the same time overemphasizing and repeating thoughts and comments as hard facts leaving no opportunities for debate or questions. Although I did learn about personality and supposed characters flaws and royal scandals while on this tour; it became very awkward to try to decipher what was fact or fiction on certain important subjects and historic figures. This may serve as a perfect introduction through the intricate workings of 16th and early 17th-century French court and politics for someone else but for me I think it best I try to find another guide for this fascinating era of history and key opponents.
Some people seem to be annoyed with Goldstone’s humorous approach to some of the narrative but I really enjoy her style. She helps keep the story moving along and points out how absolutely bonkers some of these people were. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of Louis de Bussy d'Amboise and his heroics, which are truly perfect material for a Showtime mini series.
This book made me hate Catherine de Medici. Did she actually have any redeeming qualities? I can’t wait to read more and find out. I couldn’t believe that she would treat Marguerite so terribly—how could a mother plot to have her own daughter murdered? And at the end of it all, she still tried to disinherit her. There are so many twists and turns with this family it’s incredible to think that these were true events and not another Game of Thrones novel.
With all that being said, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I was fully satisfied with the unfolding of events and plot twists, and even towards the end, I was made at ease of how Margot got her royal treatment she deserves. As I was reading this book, I constantly have to remind myself that these are real people who lived hundreds of years ago and not some fictional characters conjured up by the author. Their lives and the choices they made are so intriguing that it really fits to be written as a novel.
I think this book would make for a great movie!
I love it and everybody should read the book.
This historical period is difficult to follow because there is so many political and military changes in a relatively short amount of time. Plus, there are numerous powerful men & women who gain the military advantage through cunning, military talent, diplomatic expertise or downright lying only to lose their advantage due to lack of finances, promoting the wrong leader, or various and many other happenstances.
Margot was no dummy; she constantly suprised me how she came up with a new ally or tactic to survive and she overcame any and all the odds she was up against. When she got backed into a corner she'd quickly rally and find not just a simple lifeline but a powerful alliance that allowed her to trump her opponent~and she had many virtually invincible enemies mainly her mother, Catherine De Medici, and her brother Henry III of France.