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Four Queens: The Provencal Sisters Who Ruled Europe

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Josephine Bailey

11 Hours 30 Minutes

Tantor Media

May 2007

Audio Book Summary

Set against the backdrop of the turbulent thirteenth century, a time of chivalry and crusades, poetry, knights, and monarchs comes the story of the four beautiful daughters of the count of Provence whose brilliant marriages made them the queens of France, England, Germany, and Sicily.

From a cultured childhood in Provence, each sister was propelled into a world marked by shifting alliances, intrigue, and subterfuge. Marguerite, the eldest, whose resolution and spirit would be tested by the cold splendor of the Palais du Roi in Paris; Eleanor, whose soaring political aspirations would provoke her kingdom to civil war; Sanchia, the neglected wife of the richest man in England who bought himself the crown of Germany; and Beatrice, whose desire for sovereignty was so acute that she risked her life to earn her place at the royal table.

A compulsively readable narrative, Four Queens shatters the myth that women were helpless pawns in a society that celebrated physical prowess and masculine intellect. A riveting historical saga for fans of Alison Weir and Antonia Fraser.

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Reviews

  • Anonymous

    Good but not great. Helps to shatter the myth that women were nothing but pawns in the royal marriage game.

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  • Anonymous

    If you enjoy history and especially women in history this one is right up your alley. I had never heard of these ladies but I enjoyed very much learning about them and their families.

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  • Sharon S

    Excellent book! Very well told, lots of detail and never boring!

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  • Anonymous

    I loved this book. The history intrigues me. The lady who read the book had a charming voice that lets you imagine everything in the French language. Hard to believe the world was so crazy back in the 1200's!

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  • nab6215

    "Four Queens" was an excellent book. But, I sure am glad I just read Peter Ackroyd's "Foundation: The History of England from Its Earliest Beginnings to the Tudors" first and am somewhat familiar with European Medival history. I would have loved to have seen a map with the territories coming into their modern shapes because of these four women as the book progressed. Author Nancy Goldstone must have had done a lot of digging due to how long ago the events took place and because she was looking for information about women, even if they were queens. I feel lucky to have come upon this book.

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  • Shelly

    I'm a history buff, but this book just couldn't keep my attention. The author wrote the book so poorly, I couldn't keep track of who was who and I really didn't care what happened to any of them.

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  • Amy

    I LOVE historical novels, love this time period - but this book was simply difficult to get through. It might as well have been written about the MEN that these sisters married - and the mens' lives/families/wars/etc that they were involved in - it was hardly focused on the women themselves.

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