Both men and women are monarchs with distinctive personalities, ambitions, dreams and unique personality charm. They have made great achievements in different countries. At the top of the pyramid of power, countless men kneel to them. In fact, it is not their destiny to be born in the royal family, and the step-by-step plan is not made in a day. To this end, they have made far more efforts than ordinary people. If you want to know the world of these queens, the following five books should not be missed.
1. Cleopatra: a lifetime
Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Seaver.
Cleopatra seems to be the best image ambassador of "femme fatale". When people mention her name, the first thing that comes to mind is all kinds of fragrant stories. In the works of Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Seaver, the love-hate relationship with Caesar and Anthony is only a small part of Cleopatra's life, which is different from Shakespeare's "sexy witch". The author tries to restore her to the real last Pharaoh of Egypt, a shrewd politician, strategist and soldier.
Cleopatra is the darling of heaven. Besides wealth, power and wisdom, her greatest magic weapon is to assess the situation and know how to use various resources to build the most favorable alliance for herself. This biography uses a lot of historical facts, perhaps less legendary psychedelic color, but it is still fascinating. After reading this book, you won't think that Cleopatra just won men's support by her beauty, but will be deeply impressed by her unpredictable political skills.
2. Foley's tigress
(Foley's tigress) Elizabeth River.
In Renaissance Italy, Katrina Sforza was synonymous with Tigress. She is a wife, a mother, a leader and one of the most misunderstood queens. As the ruler of Italy's Frei province, her ups and downs of life are staggering, and she has made achievements that modern women dare not imagine. This book, published by Elizabeth Lev, a scholar who studies Italian Renaissance art and culture, records Katrina's extraordinary life.
Katrina married the Pope's nephew at the age of 10 and came to Rome with her husband four years later. Although banned from politics, thanks to her extroverted and sociable personality, she quickly integrated into the upper class of Rome and was recognized by dignitaries. After the death of Pope Sistus IV, she went to a foreign land to start a business. In troubled times, Katrina's army failed to defend its territory in the end, but her indomitable spirit always inspired countless successors.
3. Catherine the Great: A Portrait of a Woman
Catherine the Great: A Portrait of a Woman by Robert K Marcy.
1744, 14-year-old German princess was taken to Moscow. As a mother, she covets the tickets of the upper class, and she shoulders the heavy responsibility of carrying on the family line for the Russian royal family. After some competition, Sophia Augusta frederica, who even contracted pneumonia in order to learn Russian, won the favor of most people and stood out from the aristocratic family, and was immediately named Catherine.
The author Robert K. Marcy studied the history of Tsarist Russia for half a century. Following his pen, you can witness how a girl who lacks maternal love uses her wisdom and tricks to eradicate dissidents and enemies step by step, and finally becomes a political star who has ruled the Russian Empire for 34 years and shines all over Europe.
This book has been praised as a "magical initiative" by book critics, and every detail can stand scrutiny.
4. The Biography of Elizabeth I
The Biography of Elizabeth I by Alison Weil.
Whether she is regarded as a "wise queen" or a great dictator on the world stage, it is certain that the British Empire under the leadership of Elizabeth I (1533 ~ 1603) has reached an unprecedented peak in both material and spiritual civilization. Thanks to her efforts, Britain has become one of the strongest and richest countries in the world.
Elizabeth I, a lifelong unmarried woman, has always been cautious in her words and deeds and rarely shared her thoughts with others. Alison's works boldly interpret the Queen's private world and explore the causes of her personality. It is believed that the Queen's cousin robert dudley, the Earl of Leicester, is the only one she really wants to marry. Did Elizabeth I have anything to do with the bizarre death of the countess? She calls herself "the virgin queen". Is the biggest reason why she has never been married related to the tragic experience of her mother anne boleyn? If you have these questions hidden in your mind, you can find the answers in Alison's book.
5. Queen Isabel: She and her time.
Queen Isabel: Life and Times by Peggy K. Alice
She was a visionary woman, and her private life with Ferdinand, king of Aragon, helped her win the civil war. In order to finance Columbus' voyage, Queen Isabel did not hesitate to sell the crown jewels and take out private money, which created a prerequisite for Spain to open up new routes and become a maritime hegemon. The queen is also a religious fanatic. She and her husband fully combined kingship and theocracy, and the religious trial system established had a far-reaching impact on Europe.
Alice's works opened the curtain of Queen Isabel's legendary life, giving readers a chance to see what made this woman dedicated her life to God, her country and her ambition.
In addition:
Zhengbang 20, IsabelI (Spanish Queen) Head _3
IsabelI (1451-1504), Queen Caster (1474-1504), Queen of Spain (1479-15004).
In 1492, Spain suddenly became the center of the world. This year, one miracle after another appeared in this vicissitudes-stricken country on Iberian Peninsula. All this is obviously due to the efforts of Queen IsabelI and her husband Ferdinand II.
In the Middle Ages, there were many small Islamic and Catholic countries on the Iberian Peninsula. After hundreds of years of merger, by the middle of15th century, there were mainly three kingdoms left: Portugal in the west, castel in the middle and Aragon in the east, plus Grenada, a small Muslim country at the southernmost tip of the peninsula, of which castel was the most powerful. Isabel is the daughter of King Juan II of Castel and Princess Portugal. Juan II died in 1996, and Isabel's half-brother Enrique IV (nicknamed "incompetent") succeeded to the throne.
Isabel's girlhood was not smooth. After Enrique succeeded to the throne, she moved to a claustrophobic castle in arevalo with her mother and brother Alfonso. His mother (also named Isabel after her daughter) suffers from mental illness and sometimes has seizures. However, this did not affect Isabel's good education from the teachers of the University of Salamanca for many years. The nobles who were dissatisfied with Enrique IV made Alfonso king, and a civil war began. Alfonso died suddenly soon, and the nobles who opposed Enrique IV carried Princess Isabel out to continue their opposition. Finally, the two sides reached a peace agreement to stop the civil war. All nobles must swear allegiance to Enrique IV, and Princess Isabel becomes the heir to the throne, but it is stipulated that her marriage must be approved by her brother.
Princess Isabel, who is very scheming, sent her cronies and followers to various countries to visit the young prince privately. The conclusion of feedback is that Ferdinand, Prince of Aragon, is outstanding in appearance and brave and good at fighting. Isabel wrote to Ferdinand and finally got married for life. However, Enrique IV wanted to marry her to the widowed Portuguese King Affonso V in an attempt to arrest Isabel. So, from 65438 to 0469, Isabel quickly got engaged to Prince Ferdinand, and then used Aragon's army to resist B-brother's interference. This seemingly dramatic love affair with Liu finally completed the unification of Spain as a country.
Enrique IV deprived Isabel of her inheritance because she didn't keep the agreement, and framed her daughter Juana. However, because Enrique has the name of impotence, most nobles think that Juana's lineage is doubtful. After Enrique's death, Isabel and Juana both announced their succession to the throne. With the help of her husband Aragon and Portugal, she won the support of some domestic nobles. After four years of war, the Portuguese army was defeated, Isabel finally ascended the throne, and Ferdinand succeeded Aragon. The two countries merged into one and became the Kingdom of Spain (but the two countries still maintained their own independent parliamentary, legal and tax systems).
Isabel was born of a psychotic queen, and her daughter also has Juana, a "crazy girl", but she is quick-thinking and strong-willed. She and Ferdinand are kings, which is a typical example of strong alliance. Most of the opposition nobles in China were wiped out in the civil war, which enabled Isabel to strengthen centralization smoothly. She returned the right to appoint the mayor to the king, set up a holy brotherhood to control municipal life, made the parliament exist in name only, destroyed the noble castle, confiscated the royal territory acquired by the noble in the era of Enrique IV, and maintained a strong standing army on the grounds of fighting Grenada. Spanish kingship has reached an unprecedented level.
The history of Spain from 1 1 century is the history of Christian vassals constantly seizing territory from small Islamic kingdoms, which is called the "reconquest movement". By Isabel's time, only the southernmost last stronghold, the Kingdom of Grenada, was left for Muslims in Spain. History has awarded this honor to Isabel and his wife. 1490, two kings led troops to conquer the border, Ferdinand II fought at the front, Isabel was responsible for logistics supply, and a field hospital was established. After eight months of siege, Grenada ran out of ammunition and food, and the last king Baladur surrendered, and the peninsula was finally unified under the protection of Christ.
On this day, the bells of all Catholic churches in Europe are ringing.
However, as a devout Catholic husband and wife king, they persecuted pagans, including Jews and Muslims, and set up an inquisition. 1492,200,000 Jews with wealth and technology were deported, and the Moors suffered the same fate after 10. This may be the shortcoming of all pious kings in the Middle Ages. They are widely respected in the Catholic world, but they have a clear conscience to commit crimes against pagans. Their religious policy was continued by their successors and reached its peak in the era of Carlos I and Philip II. Under the inquisition system, Spain lost its aura and gradually became a dead corner (at the same time, the brilliant Renaissance movement was spreading in other European countries).
But Isabel's greatest influence on history lies not in the above, but in her sponsorship of Columbus's feat. 10 years later, the prodigal son finally got an ideal new life in Isabel's court. Columbus's great idea was appreciated and generously funded by the Queen. It is said that Isabel even gave her private money. Columbus was appointed commander of the ocean fleet and governor of the land to be discovered. This is the greatest year in Spanish history. After 70 days' voyage, Columbus' expedition finally reached the Bahamas in North America. The discovery of the new continent has brought Spain a vast future space. In the following century, Spain established its world hegemony with its vast overseas territory and endless gold imports.
Isabel's own marriage influenced history, and the marriage she arranged for her children was also based on political considerations. Her daughter Juana, a "crazy girl", married Philip, the son of Maximilian, the emperor of the Holy Roman Empire, and the monarch of the Netherlands. Their son Carlos I (also known as the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) inherited a huge empire including Spain, Holland and Austria.
Isabel worked hard all her life, and all five children were born on the journey. She may be a neat freak, always wearing white clothes, and is known as the "queen in white".
For every couple of kings in history, it is difficult to strictly distinguish their roles. She and Ferdinand II are a "powerful combination", but traditionally, her role is more prominent. At the same time, I may also put many of Ferdinand II's efforts in Isabel's name.
Just by sponsoring Columbus' voyage, she was enough to rank among the most influential emperors in the world. It has been speculated that people from the old continent arrived in America before Columbus, but in any case, only Columbus's feat opened up a new route connecting the old and new continents. On the other hand, Spain, rather than other countries, took the lead in letting Zhan create America, and branded the culture of most parts of America with Spain, which continues to this day.
Besides, Isabel laid the foundation for Spain's political unification and tried to unify Spain ideologically. Since Spain established its hegemony in the following year 100, its influence has gone beyond the Iberian peninsula and reached as far as Latin America and the Netherlands. Isabel ranks first among the female emperors in this book.