But there is plenty of discussion of Reformation tension, of the political interplay between both France and England and Spain, of Elizabeth's embrace of piracy for war-making, etc. Blood, Fire and Gold is a must-read for anyone interested in not only Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici, but anyone interested in studies of female power more generally! From the bestselling author of Normandy ’44 and Sicily ’43 comes the untold story of the Sherwood Rangers. At its heart are the fascinating figures of Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici, whose tense and nuanced relationship is expertly told.

Parliament was soon in turmoil and government minister Robert Harley launched a hunt for all those involved.

Elizabeth and Catherine were working with a completely different tool set and while we can read all about their lives, the world they lived in, we cannot truly know what it was like to be them.

Political intrigue is the emphasis, so, for example, Shakespeare doesn't play a role, nor do other social developments. The same is true for Elizabeth, who had to decide on the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots (not to be confused with her half-sister). Anyone even remotely interested in the lives of queens, in Renaissance or Reformation politics, or even just in the history of women in politics will find this book fascinating. It was further weird because the author did include (albeit modernized) real quotes from letters/reports, and it was so confusing to have the made up stuff interspersed with this.The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products. A sadly missed epoch of flight: though related in clear and vivid detail by Leslie Dawson in his account of a pre-war Imperial Airways flight from Southampton to South Africa. The letters and diplomatic interplay among the queens is highlighted and makes this book worthwhile. She acknowledges both women for their strengths and their faults, pairing their ruthlessness with a deep understanding of the environment in which they lived and ruled.

This shows such amazing flair, and the ability to put expert knowledge and creative interpretation together is rare.

After all, Elizabeth is the first woman who’s name was named after an age- The Elizabethan Age, or the Golden Age for that matter. This also allowed me to learn more about Catherine life and what was going on at the same time in their respective lives. Here the complexity of Catherine's role is shown as she navigates Mary as representative of the Catholic cause, as having a legitimate claim to the English throne and being a niece/cousin of Catherine’s powerful Guise rivals. Two Queens who are subjected to many legends, and fame, or infamy, depending on which region you are from.

She and the French monarchy itself are weakened by the religious wars and with the execution of Mary because France's heavily Catholic population sees Catherine and King Henry III as helpless because they could not protect her. However, it was in both their interests to oppose the ambitions of Spain, and they had made the Treaty of Blois in 1572, agreeing to send help to the Netherlands in their revolt against Spain which began that year. Blood, Fire and Gold is an utterly absorbing blend of reimagining and scholarly analysis of the profoundly gendered world of power and politics in the 16th century.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. I thought that Paranque showed a persistent and pervasive bias toward Elizabeth to the detriment of Catherine. Elizabeth never met her cousin, and Catherine’s daughter in law, Mary, Queen of Scots, but tons have been written about their relationship. That said, I have no idea who thought it was a good idea to insert dramatic interpretations of what historical figures might have said.