
The Rival Queens
Catherine de' Medici, Her Daughter Marguerite de Valois, and the Betrayal That Ignited a Kingdom
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Narrated by:
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Suzanne Toren
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By:
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Nancy Goldstone
About this listen
The riveting true story of mother-and-daughter queens Catherine de' Medici and Marguerite de Valois, whose wildly divergent personalities and turbulent relationship changed the shape of their tempestuous and dangerous century.
Set in magnificent Renaissance France, this is the story of two remarkable women, a mother and daughter driven into opposition by a terrible betrayal that threatened to destroy the realm.
Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for 30 years. Her youngest daughter, Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control.
When Catherine forces the Catholic Marguerite to marry her Protestant cousin Henry of Navarre against her will and then uses her opulent Parisian wedding as a means of luring his followers to their deaths, she creates not only savage conflict within France but also a potent rival within her own family.
Rich in detail and vivid prose, Goldstone's narrative unfolds as a thrilling historical epic. Treacherous court politics, poisonings, inter-national espionage, and adultery form the background to a story that includes such celebrated figures as Elizabeth I; Mary, Queen of Scots; and Nostradamus. The Rival Queens is a dangerous tale of love, betrayal, ambition, and the true nature of courage, the echoes of which still resonate.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.©2015 Nancy Goldstone (P)2015 Hachette AudioListeners also enjoyed...
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Pacific
- Silicon Chips and Surfboards, Coral Reefs and Atom Bombs, Brutal Dictators, Fading Empires, and the Coming Collision of the World's Superpowers
- By: Simon Winchester
- Narrated by: Simon Winchester
- Length: 14 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
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Best-selling author Simon Winchester offers an enthralling biography of the Pacific Ocean and its role in the modern world, exploring our relationship with this imposing force of nature. Winchester's personal experience is vast and his storytelling second to none. And his historical understanding of the region is formidable, making Pacific a paean to this magnificent sea of beauty, myth, and imagination that is transforming our lives.
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Political Asides Have Become Bombastic Didactic
- By Mark Patterson on 12-25-15
By: Simon Winchester
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The Rebel Empresses
- Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France, Power and Glamour in the Struggle for Europe
- By: Nancy Goldstone
- Narrated by: Tamsin Kennard
- Length: 19 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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When they married Emperors Franz Joseph and Napoleon III, respectively, Elisabeth of Austria and Eugénie of France became two of the most famous women on the planet. Not only were they both young and beautiful—becoming cultural and fashion icons of their time—but they played a pivotal role in ruling their realms during a tempestuous era characterized by unprecedented political and technological change. Fearless, adventurous, and independent, Elisabeth and Eugénie represented a new kind of empress—one who rebelled against tradition and anticipated and embraced modern values.
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Excellent book!
- By Kayleigh on 03-04-25
By: Nancy Goldstone
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The Library
- A Fragile History
- By: Andrew Pettegree, Arthur der Weduwen
- Narrated by: Sean Barrett
- Length: 15 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
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Famed across the known world, jealously guarded by private collectors, built up over centuries, destroyed in a single day, ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes, or filled with bean bags and children’s drawings - the history of the library is rich, varied, and stuffed full of incident.
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Stays on point
- By Alex on 04-29-23
By: Andrew Pettegree, and others
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Blood, Fire & Gold
- The Story of Elizabeth I & Catherine de Medici
- By: Estelle Paranque
- Narrated by: Anna Wilson-Jones
- Length: 10 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
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Sixteenth-century Europe was a hostile world dominated by court politics and patriarchal structures–and yet against all odds, two women rose to power: Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici. Much has been written about these shrewd and strategic sovereigns, but though their l legacies have been heavily scrutinized, nothing has been said of their complicated relationship—thirty years of camaraderie, competition, and conflict that forever changed the face of Europe.
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16th Century Feminists
- By Tommy on 01-23-23
By: Estelle Paranque
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The Holocaust
- A New History
- By: Laurence Rees
- Narrated by: Eric Vale
- Length: 19 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Laurence Rees has spent 25 years meeting the survivors and perpetrators of the Third Reich and the Holocaust. In this sweeping history, he combines this testimony with the latest academic research to investigate how history's greatest crime was possible. Rees argues that while hatred of the Jews was at the epicenter of Nazi thinking, we cannot fully understand the Holocaust without considering Nazi plans to kill millions of non-Jews as well.
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FANTASTIC BOOK, BUT HORRIBLE READING
- By Aspen on 08-31-17
By: Laurence Rees
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A Travel Guide to the Middle Ages
- The World Through Medieval Eyes
- By: Anthony Bale
- Narrated by: Esh Alladi
- Length: 11 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
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In this vivid and alluring history, medievalist Anthony Bale invites listeners on an odyssey across the medieval world. Journeying alongside scholars, spies, and saints, from Western Europe to the Far East, the Antipodes and the ends of the earth, Bale provides indispensable information on the exchange rate between Bohemian ducats and Venetian groats, medieval cures for seasickness, and how to avoid extortionist tour guides and singing sirens.
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Misleading title
- By Ladyethyme on 03-19-25
By: Anthony Bale
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The Middle Kingdoms
- A New History of Central Europe
- By: Martyn Rady
- Narrated by: John Curless
- Length: 22 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Central Europe has long been infamous as a region beset by war, a place where empires clashed and world wars began. In The Middle Kingdoms, Martyn Rady offers the definitive history of the region, demonstrating that Central Europe has always been more than merely the fault line between West and East. Even as Central European powers warred with their neighbors, the region developed its own cohesive identity and produced tremendous accomplishments in politics, society, and culture.
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Marred by the errors in the modern section
- By Paul Boothroyd on 10-20-23
By: Martyn Rady
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The Ladies of the Secret Circus
- By: Constance Sayers
- Narrated by: Emily Lawrence
- Length: 16 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Paris, 1925: To enter the Secret Circus is to enter a world of wonder - a world where women weave illusions of magnificent beasts, carousels take you back in time, and trapeze artists float across the sky. Bound to her family's circus, it's the only world Cecile Cabot knows until she meets a charismatic young painter and embarks on a passionate affair that could cost her everything. Virginia, 2004: Lara Barnes is on top of the world until her fiancé disappears on their wedding day.
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Not a fan of the narrator
- By Anonymous User on 07-01-21
By: Constance Sayers
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The Witch of Willow Hall
- By: Hester Fox
- Narrated by: Lauren Ezzo
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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In the wake of a scandal, the Montrose family and their three daughters - Catherine, Lydia and Emeline - flee Boston for their new country home, Willow Hall. The estate seems sleepy and idyllic. But a subtle menace creeps into the atmosphere, remnants of a dark history that call to Lydia, and to the youngest, Emeline. All three daughters will be irrevocably changed by what follows, but none more than Lydia, who must draw on a power she never knew she possessed if she wants to protect those she loves. For Willow Hall’s secrets will rise, in the end....
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Great concept, soppy heroine, missed the mark
- By JK_ATL on 10-09-18
By: Hester Fox
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The Ottomans
- Khans, Caesars, and Caliphs
- By: Marc David Baer
- Narrated by: Jamie Parker
- Length: 17 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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The Ottoman Empire has long been depicted as the Islamic Asian antithesis of the Christian European West. But the reality was starkly different: the Ottomans’ multiethnic, multilingual, and multireligious domain reached deep into Europe’s heart. Indeed, the Ottoman rulers saw themselves as the new Romans. Recounting the Ottomans’ remarkable rise from a frontier principality to a world empire, historian Marc David Baer traces their debts to their Turkish, Mongolian, Islamic, and Byzantine heritage.
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Great except for pronunt of Turkish names
- By Anonymous User on 11-04-22
By: Marc David Baer
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Istanbul: A Tale of Three Cities
- By: Bettany Hughes
- Narrated by: Bettany Hughes
- Length: 24 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
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From the Koran to Shakespeare, this city with three names - Byzantium, Constantinople, Istanbul - resonates as an idea and a place, real and imagined. Standing as the gateway between East and West, North and South, it has been the capital city of the Roman, Byzantine, and Ottoman Empires. For much of its history it was the very center of the world, known simply as "The City", but, as Bettany Hughes reveals, Istanbul is not just a city but a global story.
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A daunting undertaking pulled off superlatively
- By SGS on 12-24-17
By: Bettany Hughes
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Normal Women
- Nine Hundred Years of Making History
- By: Philippa Gregory
- Narrated by: Philippa Gregory, Clare Corbett, Tania Rodrigues, and others
- Length: 27 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Did you know that there are more penises than women in the Bayeux Tapestry? That the Peasants’ Revolt of 1381 was started and propelled by women who were protesting a tax on women? Or that Charles Darwin believed not just that women were naturally inferior to men, but that they’d evolve to become ever more inferior? These are just a few of the startling findings you will learn from listening to Philippa Gregory’s Normal Women. In this ambitious book, she tells the story of England over 900 years, for the very first time placing women—some fifty per cent of the population—center stage.
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Well researched
- By Tom Masters on 05-31-24
By: Philippa Gregory
What listeners say about The Rival Queens
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- Elizabeth
- 07-01-15
History tells true drama
Loved this book that told the story's accurately yet did not get into gruesome detail.
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15 people found this helpful
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- InkandTea
- 01-10-18
Interesting but of History
very informative. the performance is a bit dry but as its less of a story and more of a fact by fact list it makes sense.
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- Clinton Kippley
- 07-04-15
Two Amazing Woman and Conflicted Women!
Any additional comments?
The Medici Family is a favorite study of mine and this book does a spectacular job at bringing Catherine de Medici and her family to life. Well done and highly recommended!
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13 people found this helpful
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- elizabeth
- 04-30-16
Great read when truth is as entertaining as fiction!
I have read many historical fiction and non fiction recounting a of the story of these two queens and this is by far the best. A non fiction that is as entertaining as fiction. Narration was perfect with the footnotes included as ironic asides for the delight of the contemporary reader. Sorry it's over
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1 person found this helpful
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- HAN
- 03-24-16
Wonderful analysis of two fascinating women.
The subject matter is so compelling, and the juxtaposition of these two misunderstood historical women is truly revelatory.
The performance was so good I contrived to do menial chores to keep listening.
If you like good historical biography and find the era of 16th century Europe as fascinating as I do you will love this!
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- Jennifer DiCarlo
- 05-23-22
Engaging and persuasive
I read this in preparation for visiting the chateaux at Chambord, Blois, and Chenonceau, and Goldstone’s narrative history certainly helps me understand two of the most important French queens who lived there or wished to do so. I learned much more about the 16th-th C. Protestant-Catholic disputes/wars than I anticipated. I highly recommend this book.
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- Robert A. Meyer
- 01-06-23
An excellent historical drama
Well read, with The listener provided a window into the characters and their time in history.
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- Anonymous User
- 01-21-25
Good but judgemental
After visiting many of the key locations in both of these women’s lives I’ve read/listened to quite a lot about both of them and would note the author has a relatively heavy hand on the scale as far as the readers perception of Catherine versus Margot.
I still think it was interesting to learn about more about Margot but would recommend Leonie Frieda’s biography of Catherine to anyone interested in learning more about her as well. There is a narrative established here that takes away the context of a lot of her more controversial actions.
Additionally, I think it could be difficult to keep track of events if I didn’t have that additional context.
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- Jim
- 09-13-16
Fascinating but not what I expected
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed and appreciated learning about history from the point of view of two women since women's stories are far too often overlooked. However, from the description, I was expecting to read about the direct conflict between a mother and daughter who took on unprecedented leadership roles; this book is more a lesson about the 16th century religious conflict in France that happens to explore said conflict through the stories of two women who played key (but not necessarily definitive) roles. Since many of us are familiar with the religious conflict in England through the reigns of Henry VIII, Mary I, and Elizabeth I, it was certainly interesting to learn how the same struggle played out among their French contemporaries.
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27 people found this helpful
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- Stacey Smith
- 07-28-15
great book
I loved this book. it was well written and very informative and engaging. I didn't know much about Margaret de Medici before. the narrator is one of the best I've heard so far.
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8 people found this helpful