The Serpent Queen cover art

The Serpent Queen

Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France

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The Serpent Queen

By: Leonie Frieda
Narrated by: Sarah Le Fevre
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About this listen

What the TV series The Serpent Queen, starring Samantha Morton is based on.

The bestselling revisionist biography of one of the great women of the 16th century.

Orphaned in infancy, Catherine de Medici was the sole legitimate heiress to the Medici family fortune. Married at fourteen to the future Henri II of France, she was constantly humiliated by his influential mistress Diane de Poitiers. When her husband died as a result of a duelling accident in Paris, Catherine was made queen regent during the short reign of her eldest son (married to Mary Queen of Scots and like many of her children he died young). When her second son became king she was the power behind the throne.

She nursed dynastic ambitions, but was continually drawn into political and religious intrigues between Catholics and Protestants that plagued France for much of the later part of her life. It had always been said that she was implicated in the notorious Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre, together with the king and her third son who succeeded to the throne in 1574, but was murdered. Her political influence waned, but she survived long enough to ensure the succession of her son-in-law who had married her daughter Margaret.

©2004 Leonie Frieda (P)2018 Orion Publishing Group 16th Century Historical Modern Politics & Activism Royalty Women Marriage

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Critic reviews

"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." (Allan Massie)

"This masterful and compelling biography delivers 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. I quickly found I could not stop reading. This is narrative history at its best, both scholarly and as captivating as a thriller. Leonie Frieda has brought a largely forgotten heroine-villainess and a whole sumptuously vicious era back to life again. She is equally at home in the royal court as she is in the blood-reeking gutters of Paris: this is The Godfather meets Elizabeth." (Simon Sebag Montefiore)

"A stunning biography, which brings to life a heroic woman and the tumultuous, cruel and gaudy times in which she lived." (Paul Johnson)
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Ive often been interested in Catherine and had watched the series ' The Serpent Queen ' . it was so good I thought I'd then get the book on audible.
I'm blown away with her story and the book gives you so much more insight into her life. Totally brilliant and superbly written. I finished in no time and would highly recommend it 👌

Historically brilliant biography

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B ringing to life the character and achievements of an incredible politician and person overcoming high barriers in difficult circumstances. our values are not hers, but the execution of her fixed purpose despite a the odds is a lesson to us all. Great written well presented.

Amazing story

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This audio version is a little hard to review because the information is interesting and presented in an engaging, narrative way.

I think the narrator has a lovely voice, really nice tone and pace so it’s a huge shame that there seems to have been a bit of a problem with pronunciation. I wouldn’t normally be so picky but when even the name of the person the book is about is not pronounced correctly (the emphasis is supposed to be on the first syllable, not second) it’s very jarring.

I don’t blame the narrator since it’s common to mispronounce Medici in English - but surely someone should have picked up on this as it was recorded and reviewed? Did the author not get a chance to review the material? Did an audio editor not get involved? It’s just disappointing and does spoil the enjoyment of listening a little bit.

Really think the producers of this audiobook need to reflect on this error, because this is meant to be a factual historical piece so getting these facts right is important.

Great book, bit of a shame about pronunciation issues

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Read a few books about women in the middle ages I'm not surprised at the brutality of some of them who managed to achieve and retain positions of power. Brilliant book about a strong woman, one of many. The narration coulda been better.

Having

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Firstly, the book is narrated absolutely brilliantly. The book is one of the best historical biographies I ever read, it offers a balanced assessment on Catherine de Medici life, not only her ruthless side but also her attempts at compromise. A portrait of a strong woman, of a survivor.

A Balanced Biography

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I now can understand why she did some of her terrible actions such as the Bartholomew massacre although looking at it from today’s religious tolerance does not give you the same view as then when the Catholic religion was universal.

The Medici Queen

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A very well researched book which I highly enjoyed as it taught be some of History I knew about BUT not in such detail ….

Very narrated and not boring from start to finish …

Fascinating….

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Excellent narration. A truly interesting book on Catherine, I’ve come away thinking that like all other competent & successful woman in history she was demonized because she was surrounded by men less talented. Yes she did very dodgy things but this was the 16th Century and everyone was playing the game just not with her skill. I particularly enjoyed the revealing of her to be a very well rounded individual, she could be as kind as she could be merciless, a great Grandma and that she could be fun. Highly recommend.

Magnificent

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Enjoyed crispness of book and its narration, funny person with French sounding surname but very anglais with the French prononcé. Very tightly coupled events to dates, people etc... Loved it... don't actually recall refs to Clarissa.. but I might be misremembering.
Would buy more by same author+narrator.. Bourbons maybe Ms Frieda?

Fascinating, enjoyable

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This is a very interesting and bloody part of French history. Well researched and narrated.

Excellent.

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