Boccaccio wrote about her. So did Dumas, pEre. But the last biography of Joanna I, Francesca Steele's The Beautiful Queen, appeared in 1910. Joanna ruled Naples as sole sovereign for almost four decades (1343-82). Her husband, Prince Andrew of Hungary, was strangled in 1345: three years later, Joanna had to defend herself in person before the pope in Avignon against the charge of his murder. Ultimately, she was captured and strangled by a rival for the Neapolitan throne. There's too much glitter in Goldstone's (Four Queens: The ProvenAal Sisters Who Ruled Europe) account, but Joanna's life merits attention as it highlights the difficulties confronting a medieval woman, no matter how able, who tried to rule on her own. Insufficiently critical but useful; for history lovers. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Court intrigue, the murder of a member of a royal house, and a sensational trial: many authors use these elements in combination to forge page-turning medieval mysteries. Goldstone, author of Four Queens (2007), proves once again that truth is often stranger and more intriguing than fiction. Choosing as her subject Joanna, the notorious queen of Naples and titular queen of Jerusalem and Sicily from 1343 to 1382, she chronicles the fascinating life of one of the few women in her time who ruled in her own name. Accused of murdering her husband and rival for the throne Prince Andrew of Hungary, Joanna stood trial, successfully defending herself in a male-dominated arena. In addition to trumping the system, she managed to navigate political turmoil, military invasions, charges of heresy, the great schism in the church, and multiple marriages during the course of her long reign. Unfortunately, she herself was murdered in the end, but not before she lived a full and illustrious life well worthy of historical examination.--Flanagan, Margaret Copyright 2009 Booklist

Resilient Queen Joanna of Naples (1326-1382) weathered overwhelming political challenges, financial ruin and a papal-run murder trial for the death of her Hungarian husband-all by age 22. Veteran author Goldstone (Four Queens) expertly describes bloodthirsty 14th-century politics and the complex family entanglements that encouraged siblings and cousins to clash over kingdoms like toddlers brawling over toys. Adding to the fray was Joanna's military support for "anti-pope" Clement VII against Pope Urban VI, ultimately helping create the Great Schism. Although primarily set in pre-Renaissance Naples, familiar contemporaries such as England's Black Prince and St. Catherine of Siena appear. Joanna repeatedly suffered violently jealous consorts, intrusive popes and envious relatives. Goldstone effectively proves Joanna's innate leadership through the queen's mastery of complex legal arguments and her formidable resilience through four husbands and relentless challenges to her royal status. Packed with action and effortless to read, Goldstone's account will satisfy scholars and entertain book clubs with a heroine who had persistence and unbounded dedication to her realm. 16 pages of color illus; 3 maps. (Nov.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved