Catherine de Medici: The Power Behind the French Throne by Barbara A. Somervill tells the life story of Catherine de Medici, an Italian orphan originally used as a political pawn. Her marriage to King Henry of France was arranged so that France would gain a greater foothold in the Italian peninsula. Her power only grew from there: she bore many sickly children, which meant that she was given the real power of making decisions when these children became king. She would outlive most of her family and despite her struggle to maintain her family’s power in France, she never succeeded. Catherine de Medici was known to be sympathetic to both the Protestants and the Catholics, but could not prevent war between the two groups.
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Review by Ryan D.