{"product_id":"catherine-de-medici-renaissance-queen-of-france-isbn-9780060744939","title":"Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe inspiration for the STARZ original series, \u003ci\u003eThe Serpent Queen \u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e—\u003cb\u003e second season premiering July 12th!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e“A beautifully written portrait of a ruthless, subtle and fearless woman fighting for survival and power in a world of gangsterish brutality, routine assassination and religious mania. . . . Frieda has brought a largely forgotten heroine-villainess and a whole sumptuously vicious era back to life. . . . This is \u003ci\u003eThe Godfather\u003c\/i\u003e meets \u003ci\u003eElizabeth\u003c\/i\u003e.” —Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of \u003ci\u003eStalin: The Court of the Red Tsar\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePoisoner, besotted mother, despot, necromancer, engineer of a massacre: the dark legend of Catherine de Medici is centuries old. In this critically hailed royal biography, Leonie Frieda reclaims the story of this unjustly maligned queen of France to reveal a skilled ruler and master of Renaissance statecraft battling extraordinary political and personal odds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on comprehensive research including thousands of Catherine’s own letters, Frieda unfurls Catherine’s story from her troubled childhood in Florence to her tumultuous marriage to Henry II of France; her transformation of French culture to her reign as a queen who would use brutality to ensure her children’s royal birthright. Brilliantly executed, this enthralling historical biography goes beyond myth to paint a very human portrait of this remarkable figure.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHow did a Florentine merchant’s daughter become the most powerful woman in sixteenth-century France?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePolitical Intrigue:\u003c\/b\u003e Uncover the intricate web of alliances and betrayals Catherine navigated, using her intelligence to survive a court where assassination was commonplace.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eA Woman in Power:\u003c\/b\u003e Explore the story of a queen who, denied power for years, ultimately seized control to protect her children’s legacy and transform French culture forever.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003ePrimary Source Research:\u003c\/b\u003e Draws on thousands of Catherine’s own letters, revealing her personal thoughts and strategies in her own words.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe Woman Behind the Myth:\u003c\/b\u003e Separates fact from the dark legend of the poisoner and necromancer to present a human portrait of a complex and formidable ruler.\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e | \u003cp\u003e“This intelligent and well-researched biography is a worthy testament to Catherine’s formidable strength. Catherine de Medici reveals Frieda, a first-time biographer, to be a writer of tremendous skill and talent.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“As Leonie Frieda relates in this well-researched and immensely readable first biography, from her turbulent home in Florence Catherine found herself presiding over perhaps the nastiest period in all French history. Frieda is much to be praised for painting a wonderfully rich canvas.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLondon Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Intelligent and well-researched . . . Catherine de Medici reveals Frieda, a first-time biographer, to be a writer of tremendous skill and talent.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eAmanda Foreman, author of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Vivid and entertaining. . . . a convincing human portrait against the backdrop of a brutal age.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A carefully nuanced portrait. . . [Leonie Frieda] achieves remarkable balance as she freshly interprets Catherine. . . a revealing biography.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A smart, revisionist biography. . . [Leonie Frieda] does a splendid job unraveling the maddeningly complex political-religious context of Catherine’s time.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eBloomberg News\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“”Riveting and dramatic . . . there is no mistaking the abiding pleasure of this book.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eWashington Times\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“A stunning biography, which brings to vivid life a heroic woman and the tumultuous, cruel and gaudy times in which she lived. An outstanding first book by a newcomer to the ranks of English historians.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePaul Johnson\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Leonie Frieda does this remarkable woman full justice. Refusing to play judge, she reveals her to us through the best of means, which is narrative. The skill with which Frieda finds her way through the maze of this confusing period is exemplary. You read on eagerly. An enthralling book.” - \u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eLiterary Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Harper Perennial","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44887652499685,"sku":"NP9780060744939","price":21.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780060744939.jpg?v=1730227165","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/catherine-de-medici-renaissance-queen-of-france-isbn-9780060744939","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}