The Dark Queens
A Gripping Tale of Power, Ambition and Murderous Rivalry in Early Medieval France
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The Dark Queens
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Narrated by:
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Antonia Beamish
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By:
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Shelley Puhak
About this listen
A vivid double biography of two fearless early medieval queens, and an enthralling journey of discovery across the unfamiliar and blood-soaked historical landscape of sixth-century Merovingian France.
Brunhild was a Visigothic princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law, Fredegund, started out as a lowly palace slave. And yet - in sixth-century Merovingian France, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sport - these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms for decades, changing the face of Europe.
The two queens commanded armies, developed taxation policies, established infrastructure and negotiated with emperors and popes, all the time fighting a gruelling 40-year civil war with each other. Yet after Brunhild and Fredegund's deaths, their stories were rewritten, their names consigned to slander and legend.
From the tangled primary evidence of Merovingian sources - the works of the chronicler Gregory of Tours and the Latin poet Venantius Fortunatus - award-winning writer Shelley Puhak weaves a gripping and intricate tale, its characters driven by ambition, lust and jealousy to acts of treachery and murderous violence. The Dark Queens resurrects these two women in all their complexity, painting a richly detailed portrait of a shadowy era and dispelling some of the stubbornest myths about female power.
©2022 Shelley Puhak (P)2022 Head of ZeusListeners also enjoyed...
Critic reviews
"Brings the Merovingian empire to thrilling, bewildering, horrifying life." (Helen Castor)
"Restores two half-forgotten and much-mythologized queens to their proper place in medieval history." (Dan Jones)
"A story of scheming and savagery to make Game of Thrones look tame." (Sarah Gristwood)
What listeners say about The Dark Queens
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Kindle Customer
- 14-10-22
Really interesting
I recommend this book to all history lovers. I liked how the author helps readers and listeners keep all the similar names in order. I'll be reading next about this era's England. It's mentioned once or twice.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- lenka vlckova
- 21-11-22
Fascinating read
Brilliantly written, thoroughly fascinating and gripping, would recommend the book to anyone whom is interested in history.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- P.
- 19-05-22
fascinating!
fascinating book! loved it! early medieval #me too! Proves how women could also be strong and powerful rulers in early medieval Europe.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Nomenclature
- 08-07-23
Fascinating
Beautifully told, deeply fascinating history that is illuminating in both wider European geopolitics AND gender roles. It’s exploration of these queens lives reveals so much about the flimsy constructs (law, religion, monarch etc.) that we perceive as eternal.
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