Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France: 9780060744939

The Serpent Queen: A Dark Legend of Catherine de Medici is a captivating biography that brings to life a ruthless, subtle, and fearless woman fighting for survival and power in a world of brutality, assassination, and religious mania.

Leonie Frieda, a first-time biographer, uncovers the largely forgotten heroine-villainess and a whole sumptuously vicious era through comprehensive research and thousands of Catherine's own letters.

This critically acclaimed book reveals a skilled ruler battling extraordinary political and personal odds, from her troubled childhood in Florence to her tumultuous marriage to Henry II of France, and her reign as a queen who would use brutality to ensure her children's royal birthright.

With an outstanding first book by a newcomer to the ranks of English historians, The Serpent Queen is a must-read for anyone interested in historical biographies or the story of Catherine de Medici.