Ralph Roeder (1890–1969)

If anyone is lucky enough to come across a copy of this book. I would definitely recommend purchasing it ...if not for yourself..as a gift to someone. It is written as if you might be privy to each man's thoughts as decisions are made and the surrounding time period intact. It is not boring but, thought provoking and bringing to light the world as it unfolds. It enlightens us to how each stage of man's purpose in life continues to repeat ,even today. Humanity struggles with a complexity of show more issues that are really never solved. In this book, you will find reality as these men did and what they each thought was a basic idea to live by; Each man having different virtues.
It is a book to be savored and not rushed through. Time has not outdated this book but, made it far more interesting. Good Luck if you find a copy! show less

This older biography of Catherine does not bear up well against more modern scholarship. It should not be one's only source when reading about this fascinating and complex woman.

Finally finished this one. It took me longer mostly due to the number of characters involved during Queen Catherine's regency. This aroused my interest in French history. For me it was a hard read at time. The Appendix and Bibliography may be useful in the pursuit of a rounded understanding of what is taking place in Catherine's time. This book was a good intro for me to the Medici family of Italy. I look forward to readiing more about the various players in Queen Catherine's life. She had show more been presented to me as a manipulator (politician?), but with the final paragraphs I came to respect her as a mother looking out for the welfare of her children just like some moms do today. show less

1659 Catherine de' Medici and the Lost Reformation, by Ralph Roeder (read 1 Sep 1981) Only after I had read this whole book did I notice on the front page "Second Edition, Abridged." I never knowingly read abridged books and if I had noticed those words I never would have read this book. The book itself says "it is not intended as a book of reference"--it is just a retelling, from a biased point of view, of the events which occurred in France during the life of Catherine de Medici, who was show more born Apr 13, 1519, and died Jan 5 1589. After reading this I am surfeited so far as the period from 1540 to 1589 is concerned. It was really a mess--and religion was only a pretext for many of the things that went on. This book was tedious, opinionated, and turgid (what more would have been in the unabridged edition?) but I read it with interest. show less