Catherine de Medici

Renaissance Queen of France

By: Leonie Frieda

Narrated by: Sarah Le Fevre

Poisoner, despot, necromancer - the dark legend of Catherine de Medici is centuries old. In this critically hailed biography, Leonie Frieda reclaims the story of this unjustly maligned queen to reveal a skilled ruler battling extraordinary political and personal odds - from a troubled childhood in Florence to her marriage to Henry, son of King Francis I of France; from her transformation of French culture to her fight to protect her throne and her sons' birthright. Based on thousands of private letters, it is a remarkable account of one of the most influential women ever to wear a crown.

©2018 Leonie Frieda (P)2018 Orion Publishing Group

I wish MY mother had read this book!!

Other than the monotone narration, I would however stay for the conclusion of a revelatory testament of one of histories most intriguing sovereigns, Catherine DeMedici.

Catherine is a badass

Great details; Catherine is one of the most under rated historical figures. Henry was a idiot for choosing Diane. Boo Henry boo!

A good listen

I liked it. It was informative and detailed but not to the point of being too wordy. This is the first book about Catherine de Medici that I’ve listened to, so I can’t say for sure, but I felt it gave a balanced look into her life.
The narrator was pleasant, her speed and pronunciation clear and easy to listen to.

Informative but less engaging personal account

Good narrator and informative account of a political nature. However, less engaging personal account. Worth the time. I'll pursue other biographies about Catherine de Medici for a more well rounded picture of her.

An Excellent Biography, With Excellent Narration

This is an excellent work. I learned a great deal. I purchased a hard copy of this book and also the audiobook. The narration is excellent, however for me as an American, there are a lot of foreign names that I really needed a hard copy in order to read. The hard copy also has maps, family lines, and many notes that really added to the reading and learning experience. However this audiobook is about as good as it can be considering the complicated nature of the work. I suppose I should add that this book is really detailed and may be more than some readers will want. But speaking for myself, I am really glad that I purchased it. Thank You...

What a Woman!

This compelling narrative of the Queen of France, so often portrayed as a villain, shows that people are people- flawed, beautiful, crafty, and loyal-no matter what time period.
It is a long book but we’ll worth the listen to try to understand this incredible yet complicated woman in a time when women were nothing more than political or financial pawns.

I was Surprisingly enthralled !

I enjoyed everything about this book . I decided to give it a try , & I'm happy I did ! It definitely kept my attention ! I had NO IDEA the depths of the religious struggle in France . I've heard about the St . Bartholomew massacre , but never what was behind it & how & why it happened . And the strive it caused within the family and for the throne .
Catherine wasn't an Elizabeth the 1st , but she definitely deserves a look !

Excellent research on Catherine

Compelling historical biography on a misunderstood queen. The history of the entire family lays the groundwork for the reign of the Sun King through the French Revolution

Very engaging but the subject is overwhelming.

I won't lie. I listened to this because of the TV show Serpent Queen. I felt like I needed to know more about Catherine de Medici but it was hard for me to keep up. I realize now how ignorant I am of world history. The author really crams in a lot of information while the story just speeds along and Sarah Le Fevre has a lovely voice. I might try it again with a notebook so I can keep track of everyone.

What a history!

Incredible story however, hard to keep up with who’s who since there are so many names and so many changes in names.