'A story told with verve and passion' The Times Book of the Week'An alternative and engaging
biography...accessible and unpretentious' The Telegraph'A stunning portrayal of two of the most
powerful women in European history' Tracy Borman'Exciting and compelling packed full of
tantalising details of diplomacy and court life Paranque succeeds both in bringing history to
life but also in putting flesh on the bones of these two extraordinary women and rival queens'
Kate Mosse'A smart and stylish portrait of two of Europe's most remarkable rulers a compelling
profile of female power and - that rarest of things - a truly original book about the Tudor
period' Jessie Childs In sixteenth-century Europe two women came to hold all the power
against all the odds. They were Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici. One a Virgin Queen who
ruled her kingdom alone and the other a clandestine leader who used her children to shape the
dynasties of Europe much has been written about these iconic women. But nothing has been said
of their complicated relationship: thirty years of friendship competition and conflict that
changed the face of Europe. This is a story of two remarkable visionaries: a story of blood
fire and gold. It is also a tale of ceaseless calculation of love and rivalry of war and
wisdom - and of female power in a male world. Shining new light on their legendary kingdoms
Blood Fire and Gold provides a new way of looking at two of history's most powerful women and
how they shaped each other as profoundly as they shaped the course of history. Drawing on their
letters and brand new research Estelle Paranque writes an entirely new chapter in the
well-worn story of the sixteenth century.
