I Will Be Queen: 10 Women Whose Lives and Reigns Still Fascinate
Whether they chose the role or not, whether loved or not, steely or flighty, clever or destructive these fascinating women made history just by ascending the throne. What they did when they got there, well that’s the story. These wonderful biographies bring each woman to life in a spectacular way.
Eleanor of Aquitaine: By the Wrath of God, Queen of England
by Allison Weir
An heiress in her own right and a force to be reckoned with, she was the wife of two kings and the mother of two kings and two queens. Her stormy marriage to Henry II was the basis for the wonderful play and Oscar-winning film "Lion in Winter" starring a superb Peter O'Toole and Katherine Hepburn.
Isabella: The Warrior Queen
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The uniter of Spain, sponsor of Columbus, expeller of Moors, instigator of the Inquisition, Isabella ruled Spain with an iron fist and was a fascinating woman. This biography looks at her reign with a fresh eye and brings depth and intimacy to the story of this Warrior Queen.
Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France
by Leonie Frieda
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.
Mary Tudor: Princess, Bastard, Queen
by Anna Whitleock
She was the first woman to ascend the Throne of England. Long over shadowed by her sister, Elizabeth I and her parent's messy marriage, she has also been maligned as "Bloody Mary", the arch-Catholic beheader of Protestants but she was a woman of intellect, pride, courage and sorrow. This biography gives a full picture of this strong woman who fought for her place in history.
The Life of Elizabeth I
by Alison Weir
Elizabeth Rex. A towering figure and perhaps the most influential sovereign England has known. An incredibly cagey and private person she kept her own council and shared secrets with no one. Allison Weir is the biographer extraordinaire who illuminates her life and her court as only she can.
Mary Queen of Scots
by Antonia Fraser
She was the quintessential queen: statuesque, regal, dazzlingly beautiful. Her royal birth gave her claim to the thrones of two nations; her marriage to the young French dauphin promised to place a third glorious crown on her noble head. Instead, Mary Stuart became the victim of her own impulsive heart and, betrayed by those she most trusted, she would be lured into a deadly game of power, only to lose to her envious and unforgiving cousin, Elizabeth I.
Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman
by Robert K. Massie
The extraordinary story of an obscure young German princess who traveled to Russia at fourteen and through sheer determination transformed herself into Empress of Russia and became one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history.
To the Scaffold: The Life of Marie Antoinette
by Carolly Erickson
She didn't want to be Queen and was ill-prepared for the job, even though her mother had raised her to be one from birth. Lost in the French court she was unhappy and appeared frivolous, almost forgettable except for her place in history. Carolly Erickson's biography is psychologically acute, richly detailed, and deeply moving and you come away with a completely new understanding and sympathy for this much maligned Queen.
Victoria: A Life
by A. N. Wilson
When Queen Victoria died in 1901, she had ruled for nearly sixty-four years. She was a mother of nine and grandmother of forty-two and the matriarch of royal Europe through the marriages she made for her children. There have been many biographies of this mysterious, passionate, expressive, humorous and unconventional women. This is one of the best.
The Reluctant Empress
by Brigitte Hamann
Considered at one time to be the most beautiful woman in the world, Empress Elisabeth of Austria was married to Emperor Franz Josef, the most eligible bachelor in Europe, when she was 16. On the surface, it was a fairytale marriage but this book reveals the torment and heartbreak "Sisi" suffered and the magnificent biography details not just her life but the waning of the Habsburg Empire.