European history: Renaissance Books

Book Synopsis''This brilliant book is a bombshell! Jane Seymour the shy mouse type? Think again!'' Kate WilliamsAlison Weir, historian and author of the Sunday Times bestsellers Katherine of Aragon: The True Queen and Anne Boleyn: A King''s Obsession, draws an enthralling portrait of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII''s third queen, as you''ve never seen her before. Essential reading for fans of Philippa Gregory and Elizabeth Chadwick.''This six-book series looks likely to become a landmark in historical fiction'' The TimesTHE WOMAN HAUNTED BY THE FATE OF HER PREDECESSOR. Eleven days after the death of Anne Boleyn, Jane is dressing for her wedding to the King.She has witnessed at first hand how courtly play can quickly turn to danger and knows she must bear a son . . . or face ruin.This new Queen must therefore step out from the shadows cast by Katherine and AnTrade ReviewThis six-book series looks likely to become a landmark in historical fiction * The Times *Alison Weir gives a fresh take on Jane Seymour's life . . . A brilliant and engaging read * Good Housekeeping *Gripping and utterly compelling . . . Henry VIII's third and - allegedly - best-loved wife is brought vividly to life . . . Not to be missed -- Tracy BormanWritten with the verve of fiction and the authority of history, this is a Jane who is neither a puppet, a pious victim nor a po-faced schemer, but a living, breathing woman, launched on her own emotional journey. Meticulous research is magically transformed into a riveting narrative which takes us into the places non-fiction history cannot reach. It's what Alison Weir does better than anybody - and what historical fiction was created to do -- Sarah GristwoodDeft, authoritative biographical fiction * Kirkus Reviews *This brilliant book is a bombshell! Jane Seymour the shy mouse type? Think again! . . . She is vibrant, determined and she sets the King's court on fire . . . A magnificent novel - you'll never forget her! -- Kate WilliamsHugely enjoyable . . . Alison Weir knows her subject and has a knack for the telling and textural detail * Daily Mail *Combining her authority as a historian with her skill as a novelist, in telling Jane Seymour's story Alison has once again brought the past enthrallingly to life, as only she can. The Haunted Queen is another classic - in the great tradition of historical fiction -- Josephine RossVivid characters and a wonderful sense of time and place combine with the story of a gentle, kind heroine who I really cared about, the more so because she was so cruelly robbed of her life at the moment of her greatest happiness -- Barbara ErskineWeir does an excellent job of bringing the pages of history to life; creating living, breathing characters with flaws and weaknesses like our own * Bookbag *Weir's impressive novel shows why Jane deserves renewed attention . . . This third volume in Weir's exceptional Six Tudor Queens series offers new angles on its earlier subjects [Katherine and Anne] . . . Weir keeps the tension high, breathing new life into a familiar tale and making us wish for a different ending * Booklist *This retelling portrays Jane as a lady of principle. Meticulously researched and richly rewarding * Candis Magazine *A triumph of fine detail and research and offers a complex depiction of an endlessly fascinating woman -- Elizabeth FremantleAlison Weir's wonderfully detailed novel offers a spellbinding solution to the mystery of Anne [Boleyn's] true nature . . . Enthralling -- Sarah GristwoodWell researched and engrossing * Good Housekeeping *Alison Weir makes history come alive as no one else -- Barbara Erskine

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Book SynopsisBefore reaching the tender age of 30, Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475–1564) had already sculpted Pietà and David, two of the most famous sculptures in the entire history of art. As a sculptor, painter, draftsman, and architect, the achievements of this Italian master are unique—no artist before or after him has ever produced such a vast, multifaceted, and wide-ranging œuvre. This fresh TASCHEN edition traces Michelangelo’s ascent to the cultural elite of the Renaissance. Ten richly illustrated chapters cover the artist’s paintings, sculptures, and architecture, including a close analysis of the artist’s tour de force frescoes in the Sistine Chapel. Full-page reproductions and enlarged details allow readers to appreciate the finest details in the artist’s repertoire, while the book’s biographical essay considers Michelangelo’s more personal traits and circumstances, such as his solitary nature, his thirst for money and commissions, his immense wealth, and his skill as a property investor.Trade Review“If a visit to the Sistine Chapel is not on the cards, this magnificent book is the next best thing…” * The Sunday Express Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'This forensic study of the Renaissance banking dynasty conjures up a world of art, literature, philosophy – and brutality' Telegraph 'Likely to become the standard work of reference on the members of the family that dominated Florence' TLS 'A lucid and beautifully illustrated family history' The Times Wealthy bankers, wise politicians, patrons of the arts, glittering dukes... so runs the traditional telling of the story of the Medici, the family that ruled Florence for two hundred years and inspired the birth of the Italian Renaissance. In this definitive account of their rise and fall, Mary Hollingsworth argues that the idea that the Medici were wise rulers and enlightened fathers of the Renaissance is a fiction. In truth, she says, the Medici were as devious and immoral as the Borgias – tyrants loathed in the city they illegally made their own and which they beggared in their lust for power.Trade ReviewThis forensic study of the Renaissance banking dynasty conjures up a world of art, literature, philosophy – and brutality * Telegraph, Book of the Year *Likely to become the standard work of reference on the members of the family that dominated Florence * TLS *A lucid and beautifully illustrated family history * The Times, Book of the Week *A beautifully illustrated and scholarly survey of five centuries of the Medici family * Literary Review *A vital acquisition for anyone who studies the Renaissance and seeks the true role of the Medici in the history of Florence * Kirkus *An excellent study of the Medici... A careful, understated book... [It] is never short on drama' * Telegraph *Drawing on impeccable documentary research [this] is a lively and accessible new account of the House of Medici * Country Life *A well-illustrated history of the rise and fall of the House of Medici * The Times *The Medici family dominated political and cultural life in Florence for three centuries, but the received wisdom, that they were beneficent, enlightened rulers, is challenged by Renaissance scholar Mary Hollingsworth in this engrossing, fully illustrated account * Choice Magazine *

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Book SynopsisJohn of Gaunt's illegitimate line whose role in the Wars of the Roses led to the capture of the crown.Trade Review‘The Beauforts were key players in the dramatic history of late medieval England, taking their place centre stage long before Margaret Beaufort’s son Henry Tudor won the crown at Bosworth in 1485. Here, Nathen Amin puts them in the spotlight, telling their remarkable story with insight, passion and verve’ -- Helen Castor, Author of SHE WOLVES'Puts the Beauforts in the spotlight, telling their remarkable story with insight, passion and verve.' -- Dr Helen Castor, author of She-Wolves and Elizabeth I'This book is a must for any student of English history in the fifteenth century.' -- Matthew Lewis, author of Survival of the Princes and Richard of York, King by Right'A compelling, captivating and fascinating book' -- Sarah Bryson, author of La Reine Blanche

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Book Synopsis''The experience of insecurity, it turned out, would shape one of the most remarkable monarchs in England''s history'' In the popular imagination, as in her portraits, Elizabeth I is the image of monarchical power. But this image is as much armour as a reflection of the truth. In this illuminating account of England''s iconic queen, Helen Castor reveals her reign as shaped by a profound and enduring insecurity that was a matter of both practical politics and personal psychology.Trade ReviewA triumph of history -- Janet Nelson * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisAn authoritative, richly illustrated history, and affectionate celebration, of Siena, one of the best-loved and most-visited cities in Italy. Occupying a hilltop site in the midst of a vast, undulating landscape, Siena is as much a magnet for contemporary tourism as Florence. However, its proud republican past presents an intriguing contrast with its Medici-dominated northern Tuscan rival, with which it tussled for local supremacy for much of the High Middle Ages. From the twelfth century, profiting from its advantageous position on a major pilgrim route, the Republic of Siena developed into a major European power and remained an important commercial, financial and artistic centre for four centuries. Jane Stevenson charts the changing fortunes of a city that rose to an astonishingly productive cultural heyday in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, suffered a catastrophic late medieval decline in the aftermath of the Black Death, but transcended the loss of its wider political power to enjoy a prosperous civic afterlife. Siena today enjoys a cherished position as a uniquely well-preserved medieval city, crammed with world-class art and architecture, furnished with appealing and intriguing traditions, and set in a heavenly landscape.Trade ReviewI loved this book. Its narrative is rich, tasty, dramatic and full of surprises, exactly like the astonishing Tuscan city it evokes. Jane Stevenson is not content to stand back and admire Siena's manifold beauties but dwells fascinatingly on its various contexts and after-lives, endlessly alert to the place's singularity within the wider world of Italian history, culture and experience. The whole work, lavishly illustrated, does honour to its theme -- Jonathan KeatesJane Stevenson has written a perfect history on this most beautiful of Italian cities -- James StourtonInformed history with a personal touch. An enchanting intimate and knowledgeable evocation of the history of Siena, from its Etruscan beginnings, through its medieval and renaissance glories and travails, its long rivalry with Florence, to the present-day financial shenanigans of the world's oldest bank, the Monte dei Paschi di Siena -- Paul StrathernIn her sumptuously illustrated history of Siena, Jane Stevenson celebrates a proud, hard-working Italian city state, ruled by the church on one side and by bankers, traders and artists on the other... Siena, "one of the best-loved cities" in the world, has found an ideal chronicler in Stevenson, who brings her history up to fascism under Mussolini' * Spectator *PRAISE FOR THE LIGHT OF ITALY: 'Painstakingly researched and yet unfailingly readable' Ross King. 'An insight into one of Renaissance Italy's most glamorous courts' Catherine Fletcher. 'In a narrative matching her book's sumptious illustrations, Jane Stevenson celebrates Urbino as an essential place of pilgrimage for all lovers of Italian art and literature' Jonathan Keates. 'A fascinating account of the patrons and artists behind the creation of one of Italy's hidden treasures' -- Mary Hollingsworth

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Book SynopsisIn his bestselling book 1421:The Year China Discovered the World, Gavin Menzies revealed that it was the Chinese that discovered America, not Columbus. Now he presents further astonishing evidence that it was also Chinese advances in science, art, and technology that formed the basis of the European Renaissance and our modern world.In his bestselling book 1421: The Year China Discovered the World, Gavin Menzies presented controversial and compelling evidence that Chinese fleets beat Columbus, Cook and Magellan to the New World. But his research has led him to astonishing new discoveries that Chinese influence on Western culture didn't stop there.Until now, scholars have considered that the Italian Renaissance - the basis of our modern Western world - came about as a result of a re-examining the ideas of classical Greece and Rome. A stunning reappraisal of history is about to be published.Gavin Menzies makes the startling argument that a sophisticated Chinese delegation visited Italy inTrade Review‘Menzies has come up with something entirely new…it is a startling claim.’ Guardian

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Book Synopsis'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 ChildsIn 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.Trade ReviewBursting with fresh perspectives, this is a vibrant retelling of a story you thought you knew. * Dan Snow *Excellently told, this thrilling, lyrical story of two extraordinarily powerful women offers the missing piece in our understanding of Tudor England and Renaissance France. * Suzannah Lipscomb *Blood, Fire and Gold is a treasure house of historical detail that transports readers back to a time when court intrigue was quite literally a matter of life and death-especially for the women thrust into its dark heart. Spellbinding in its scope; cinematic in its rendering. Estelle Paranque is the perfect guide to this world, and an exciting, new voice in narrative history. * Lindsey Fitzharris *Utterly absorbing and beautifully crafted, Estelle Paranque navigates her way through the intrigues and power struggles of the English and French courts with an expert hand. Through her gripping narrative, she brings two extraordinary women who experienced love, heartbreak, triumph and disaster masterfully to life. Blood, Fire and Gold is pacy, colourful, and above all compulsively readable. A stunning debut. * Nicola Tallis *

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Book Synopsis'A marvel of storytelling and a masterclass in the history of the book' WALL STREET JOURNALThe Renaissance in Florence conjures images of beautiful frescoes and elegant buildings - the dazzling handiwork of the city's artists and architects. But equally important were geniuses of another kind: Florence's manuscript hunters, scribes, scholars and booksellers. At a time where all books were made by hand, these people helped imagine a new and enlightened world. At the heart of this activity was a remarkable bookseller: Vespasiano da Bisticci. His books were works of art in their own right, copied by talented scribes and illuminated by the finest miniaturists. With a client list that included popes and royalty, Vespasiano became the 'king of the world's booksellers'. But by 1480 a new invention had appeared: the printed book, and Europe's most prolific merchant of knowledge faced a formidable new challenge.'A spectacular life of the book trade's Renaissance man' JOHN CAREY, SUNDAY TIMESTrade ReviewIf you want to celebrate the place that bookmaking and bookselling still have in our lives . . . immerse yourself in Ross King's rich history of Vespasiano da Bisticci, "the king of the world's booksellers," in 15th-century Florence . . . wonderful -- Simon Schama * New York Times *Excellent . . . a fascinating read . . . Though ostensibly a biography of Vespasiano, he is less the book's subject than its method: a window on to the intellectual, political and technological developments of a time in radical ferment . . . entertaining, witty and expert -- Tim Smith-Laing * Daily Telegraph *A brilliant narrative that seamlessly weaves together intellectual debate, technological exploration and the excitement of new ways of thinking about ethics, politics and human capability -- Rowan WilliamsA terrific and utterly absorbing read, full of narrative pace and remarkable breadth and depth of scholarship. It deserves to make the bestseller lists . . . I haven't enjoyed a history book as much for years -- John GuyThe Bookseller of Florence is a way of entering the world of Renaissance humanism and its fascination with the writings of the past at a time when these were still - but not for much longer - handwritten -- Charles Saumarez Smith * Oldie *

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Book SynopsisBetween the birth of Dante in 1265 and the death of Galileo in 1642 something happened which completely revolutionized Western civilization. Painting, sculpture and architecture would all visibly change in a striking fashion. Likewise, the thought and self-conception of humanity would take on a completely different aspect. Sciences would be born - or emerge in an entirely new guise.In this sweeping 400-year history, Paul Strathern reveals how, and why, these new ideas which formed the Renaissance began, and flourished, in the city of Florence. Just as central and northern Germany gave birth to the Reformation, Britain was a driver of the Industrial Revolution and Silicon Valley shaped the digital age, so too, Strathern argues, did Florence play a similarly unique and transformative role in the Renaissance.While vividly bringing to life the city and a vast cast of characters - including Dante, Botticelli, Machiavelli, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Galileo - Strathern shows how these great Florentines forever altered Europe and the Western world.Trade ReviewA thought-provoking re-examination of the great Florentine artists, scientists and business wizards of the Renaissance... Strathern has an engaging habit of dwelling on the close connection in the Florentine cultural sphere between art and money, matters seldom so intimately juxtaposed...His prose glimmers with the spark of rekindled discovery. * Wall Street Journal *Strathern keeps readers engaged throughout with a sprinkling of colourful anecdotes, often taken from contemporary (or slightly later) sources... Those coming to the period for the first time will be able to sense the flavour of the social, political and cultural life that shaped a city that still attracts so many tourists. * BBC History Magazine *[Strathern] has a knack for conveying in pleasing prose, spiced with anecdotes, the essentials of an argument, an interesting juxtaposition, or the importance of an episode or person. * Times Literary Supplement *Vivid biographical sketches cast famous Florentines in a more dynamic light than most modern portrayals... Buoyed by incisive details and a brisk pace, this is a welcome introduction to the city and the personalities behind the Renaissance. * Publishers Weekly *If Vanity Fair magazine had existed during the Renaissance, every issue might have brought tales of Florentine A-listers and their power plays, artistic triumphs, sexual exploits, and financial chicanery. Strathern aims to show how such Florentines paved the way for a global humanism focused on people's lives on Earth instead of on the medieval view that existence was only preparation for an afterlife. Strathern is an intellectually agile writer who covers four centuries briskly - and serves up occasional surprises. * Kirkus Reviews *Strathern meticulously guides readers through the lives of famous Renaissance visionaries... this book doesn't just describe each individuals' accomplishments, but also shows how their lives full of shared experiences and unique circumstances were intricately intertwined in a way which positioned them to lead Europe into the Renaissance. Bringing the Renaissance into better focus, this well-researched work is highly recommended for readers with an interest in the era, art history, and Italian history. * Library Journal *Very occasionally we are offered an entirely new perspective on a body of detail with which we already seem entirely familiar but which has the effect of transforming our understanding. Paul Strathern's The Florentines is such a work... Powerfully argued and very carefully researched... A major commentary on the development and evolution of the Renaissance. * Historical Association *A marvelous, wide-ranging, and accessible history of Florence and the historical giants from the city that have influenced the course of western civilization. There should be more history books like The Florentines to delve in specific time periods and geographic locations. It is not just the intrinsically interesting period that Strathern delves into that makes this a truly excellent book, but his skill at understanding and connecting the people and ideas of the time. * The Interim, ‘Book of the Week’ *Well-written and exhaustively researched... It is a page-turner, and on that presents a fascinating new perspective on the stories and people of Florence. * All About History *Table of Contents1: Dante and Florence 2: Wealth, Freedom and Talent 3: A Clear Eye Amidst Troubled Times 4: Boccaccio and Petrarch 5: War and Peace 6: The Dome 7: The Mathematical Artists 8: Those Who Paid the Bills 9: The Renaissance Spreads Its Wings 10: Medici Rising 11: A Medici Artist 12: Il Magnifico 13: Leonardo 14: Shifting Ground 15: Undercurrents 16: The Bonfire of the Vanities 17: Machiavelli 18: Michelangelo 19: Galileo 20: Epilogue

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Book SynopsisThe first ever biography of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII's third wife, who died in childbirth giving the king what he craved most - a son and heir. Jane Seymour is often portrayed as meek and mild and as the most successful, but one of the least significant, of Henry VIII's wives. The real Jane was a very different character, demure and submissive yet with a ruthless streak - as Anne Boleyn was being tried for treason, Jane was choosing her wedding dress. From the lowliest origins of any of Henry's wives her rise shows an ambition every bit as great as Anne's. Elizabeth Norton tells the thrilling life of a country girl from rural Wiltshire who rose to the throne of England and became the ideal Tudor woman.Table of ContentsChapter 1: The Seymours of Wolfhall: c.1508 - late 1520s Chapter 2: Carried up to Court: Late 1520s - 1529 Chapter 3: A Time of Solitude: 1529 - 1533 Chapter 4: Mistress Seymour: August 1533 - January 1535 Chapter 5: Stealing the King's Affection: January 1535 - January 1536 Chapter 6: The King's Love and Desire: January 1536 - April 1536 Chapter 7: Queen Anne Lack-Head: 1 May 1536 - 19 May 1536 Chapter 8: Bound to Obey and Serve: Summer 1536 Chapter 9: Full of Motherly Joy: Summer - Autumn 1536 Chapter 10: An Enemy of the Gospel: Autumn 1536 Chapter 11: A Pilgrimage of Grace: October 1536 - December 1536 Chapter 12: Jane the Queen: December 1536 - Spring 1537 Chapter 13: Delivered of a Son: February 1537 - 15 October 1537 Chapter 14: The Death of Queen Jane: 16 October 1537 - 13 November 1537 Chapter 15: Continued a Widower Notes Bibliography List of illustrations Index

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Book SynopsisNew B-format paperback - The definitive history of the virulent and fatal plague outbreaks that wiped out half of London's populations from the medieval Black Death of the 1340s to the Great Plagues of the seventeenth century.

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Book SynopsisThomas Gresham was arguably the first true wizard of global finance. He rose through the mercantile worlds of London and Antwerp to become the hidden power behind three out of the five Tudor monarchs. Today his name is remembered in economic doctrines, in the institutions he founded and in the City of London's position at the economic centre of the earth. Without Gresham, England truly might have become a vassal state. His manoeuvring released Elizabeth from a crushing burden of debt and allowed for vital military preparations during the wars of religion that set Europe ablaze. Yet his deepest loyalties have remained enigmatic, until now. Drawing on vast new research and several startling discoveries, the great Tudor historian John Guy recreates Gresham's life and singular personality with astonishing intimacy. He reveals a calculating survivor, flexible enough to do business with merchants and potentates no matter their religious or ideological convictions. Yet his personal relationships were disturbingly transactional. He was a figure of cold unsentimentality even to members of his own family. Elizabeth I found herself at odds with Gresham's ambitions. In their collisions and wary accommodations, we see our own conflicts between national sovereignty and global capital foreshadowed. A story of adventure and jeopardy, greed and cunning, loyalties divided, mistaken or betrayed, this is a biography fit for a merchant prince.Trade ReviewGuy's handling of this story offers an often vivid picture of the private world in which Gresham moved. -- Matthew Adams * The Observer *'Certain to be a bestseller, and deservedly so. Rarely have first-class scholarship and first-class storytelling been so effectively combined.' -- John Adamson * Daily Telegraph *a serious, but entertaining study built on exceptional scholarship ... a riveting account of the life and legacy of a significant figure -- Iain Martin * the Times *[Shows] that Tudor kings and queens were nothing without their bankers. -- Jerry Brotton * FT *[Guy] is an expert guide ... [through] Gresham's personal archives -- Tim Smith Laing * Telegraph *Praise for My Heart is My Own: The Life of Mary Queen of Scots: Fascinating... A book based on gold-standard research, the kind of thing that puts most popular history writing to shame. -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *An absorbing biography ... meticulously researched... scholarly and intriguing. -- Peter Ackroyd * The Times *

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Book Synopsis· · A Daily Mail Book of the Week · ·The sensational story of the rise and fall of one of the most notorious families in history.____________________ 'A wickedly entertaining read' The Times____________________The Borgias have become a byword for evil. Corruption, incest, ruthlessness, avarice and vicious cruelty - all have been associated with their name. But the story of this remarkable family is far more than a tale of sensational depravities - it also marks the golden age of the Italian Renaissance and a decisive turning point in European history. From the family's Spanish roots and the papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, to the lives of his infamous offspring, Lucrezia and Cesare - the hero who dazzled Machiavelli, but also the man who befriended Leonardo da Vinci - Paul Strathern tells the captivating story of this great dynasty and the world in which they flourished.'A vivid insight into the hothouse world of papal politics in the tumultuous years before the Reformation.' Daily Telegraph'Authoritative and well-written' Wall Street JournalTrade ReviewStrathern strikes a successful balance between gorblimey Horrible Histories and the reverence due to Renaissance men. Don't be beside a pool or under a loggia in Italy this summer without a copy from which to read (luridly) aloud... This history of ruthlessness, intrigue and men broken on Fortune's Wheel is a wickedly entertaining read. * The Times *A vivid insight into the hothouse world of papal politics in the tumultuous years before theReformation. * Daily Telegraph *Authoritative and well-written... Strathern has an admirable talent for the biographical sketch, particularly of artists and writers. * Wall Street Journal *The Borgias, Mr Strathern explains, did not merely acquire their reputation through roistering and making the bureaucracy run on time. They also earned it through the ruthless elimination of their enemies - and friends... This is a book rich in such telling details. * The Economist *Strathern's latest venture into Renaissance Italy proves just as exciting as his previous histories... One of the author's great strengths has always been his ability to keep the many assorted players from confusing readers, and that holds true in his latest. Strathern's smooth narrative and comprehensive insight bring the Borgias to life. * Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review) *Engaging and informative... To be immersed in this group biography is to visit a particularly exciting and consequential period in European history in all its high drama and richness of character... Outstanding * Booklist *In this accessible look behind the curtain, Strathern lays out the history of the infamous Italian clan. Strathern makes a tangled and thorny history readable. * Publishers Weekly *Highly recommended for readers interested in the drama surrounding the Borgias that spurred a number of scandalous rumors that continue to circulate today. * Library Journal (Starred Review) *Table of Contents0: Prologue: The Crowning Moment 1: Origins of a Dynasty 2: The Young Rodrigo 3: Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia Emerges in His True Colours 4: The Way to the Top 5: A New Pope in a New Era 6: 'The Scourge of God' 7: The Best of Plans... 8: A Crucial Realignment 9: A Royal Connection 10: Il Valentino's Campaign 11: Biding Time 12: The Second Romagna Campaign 13: The Borgias in excelsis 14: Cesare Strikes Out 15: Changing Fortunes 16: Cesare Survives 17: Borgia's 'Reconciliation' 18: Lucrezia in Ferrara 19: The Unforeseen 20: Desperate Fortune

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Book Synopsis''A ripping read ... fascinating, charming, enjoyably unorthodox'' Daily TelegraphWas Niccolò Machiavelli really the cynical schemer of legend - or was he a profound ethical thinker, who tried to save the democratic freedom of Renaissance Florence as it was threatened by ruthless dynasties? This revelatory biography shows us a man of fox-like dissimulation: a master of disguise in dangerous times. ''A gripping portrait of a brilliant political thinker, who understood the dangers of authoritarianism and looked for ways to curb them'' The New Yorker''Compelling ... this unconventional biography questions whether the philosopher deserves his reputation as an advocate for tyranny'' Julian Baggini, Financial TimesTrade ReviewLively, compulsively readable, fluently written and unshowily erudite—Terry Eagleton, GuardianCompelling, unconventional—Julian Baggini, Financial TimesA ripping read . . . fascinating, charming, enjoyably unorthodox—Tim Smith-Laing, TelegraphA remarkable work of imaginative engagement backed by scholarly learning. . . can be read with pleasure by anyone interested in the craft of politics and the life of ideas.—Edmund Fawcett, The New York TimesEngaging, clever, entertaining . . . Benner brings to life a Machiavelli who's a man of considerable political principle . . . a creative, lively and very readable book with more than a little contemporary resonance.—Catherine Fletcher, Literary ReviewA gripping portrait of a brilliant political thinker, who understood the dangers of authoritarianism and looked for ways to curb them even though independent speech had become impossible.—The New YorkerA rich, vivid and endlessly surprising portrayal of the man and his times—Tracy Borman, BBC History MagazineErica Benner succeeds brilliantly in overturning centuries-old received views of a seminal but misunderstood writer and thinker. Her enthralling and moving evocation of Machiavelli's turbulent career, set in the milieu in which he lived, also reveals how much he is our contemporary—Rosamund BartlettTimely, dramatic . . . an eye-opening, captivating portrait. Benner succeeds at what every biographer tries to do: she brings her subject to life for her readers.—KirkusA readable and excellent book . . . In our world of new princes and divided societies, with increasing confrontations that can seem in constant danger of escalating to conflict, Be Like the Fox reads like a cautionary call from the past—General Sir Rupert SmithFascinating, remarkable . . . Erica Benner illuminates not only the life of Machiavelli but the complex and cruel political world in which he operate—Avi ShlaimVividly drawn . . . biography at its best—Times Higher Education SupplementEnjoyably revisionist . . . Benner deserves great praise for dragging this much-maligned man's reputation at least partly out of the mud—Andrew Lynch, Sunday Business PostA lively and engaging study told with empathy, passion and imagination . . . well-researched, forceful and thought-provoking—Historical Writers' Association

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Book Synopsis''What a wonderful storyteller Maitland is'' THE TIMESDANIEL PURSGLOVE BOOK THREEFrom the stark Yorkshire landscape to the dark underbelly of Jacobean London, Daniel Pursglove''s new mission sees him fall prey to a ruthless copycat killer...London, 1607. As dawn breaks, Daniel Pursglove rides north, away from the watchful eye of the King and his spies.He returns, disguised, to his childhood home in Yorkshire - with his own score to settle. The locals have little reason to trust a prying stranger, and those who remember Daniel do so with contempt.When a body is found with rope burns about the neck, Daniel falls under suspicion. On the run, across the country, he is pursued by a ruthless killer whose victims all share the same gallows mark. Are these the crimes of someone with a cruel personal vendetta - or has Daniel become embroiled in a bigger, and far more sinister, conspiracy?A new river of treason is rising, flTrade ReviewBrimful of malice, machinations and gruesome deaths, this is a shadowy novel of spies and double-agents, underworld brothel keepers and religious dissenters, where nothing is as it seems and no one can be trusted * Daily Mail *

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Book Synopsis2023 ENNIE NOMINATED FOR BEST WRITINGA roleplaying game of fantastical inventions and Machiavellian politics in Renaissance Italy.It is the Year of Our Lord 1510, and one has to wonder how differently history could have played out if Niccolò Machiavelli, the military commissioner of the Republic of Florence, had not understood the true scale of Leonardo da Vinci's genius. In such a world, the visionary might simply have wasted his time painting portraits of women and doodling in a sketchbook. Instead, he unleashed a technological revolution where primitive computers, decorated with delicately painted cupids, run on water clocks; spring-powered tanks whir across the battlefield, cannons thundering from their flanks; and gliders flit across perfectly blue Tuscan skies.Gran Meccanismo is a roleplaying game of swashbuckling adventure in a Renaissance Italy where Florence''s winding alleys play host to spies, scholars, and sell-swords alike. Players are nobles, mercenaries, in

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Book SynopsisA beautifully illustrated history of the Renaissance told through the lives of its most important and influential patrons. 'Exceptionally sumptuous... This vivid history brings to life the vices and virtues of the feuding ruling families of Italy.' Michael Prodger, The Times 'Full of treasures to be uncovered... A chance to visit a glittering, at times rather gory, world that is different and yet dreamily familiar to our own.' BBC History Revealed From the late Middle Ages, the independent Italian city-states were taken over by powerful families who installed themselves as dynastic rulers. Inspired by the humanists, the princes of fifteenth- and sixteenth-century Italy immersed themselves in the culture of antiquity, commissioning palaces, villas and churches inspired by the architecture of ancient Rome, and offering patronage to artists and writers. Many of these princes were related by blood or marriage, creating a web of alliances that held society together but whose tensions sometimes threatened to tear it apart; thus were their lives dominated as much by the waging of war as the nurture of artistic talent. In a narrative that is as rigorous and closely researched as it is accessible and informative, Mary Hollingsworth sets the princes' aesthetic achievements in the context of the volatile, ever-shifting politics of a tumultuous period of history.Trade ReviewExceptionally sumptuous... This vivid history brings to life the vices and virtues of the feuding ruling families of Italy' -- Michael Prodger, The TimesFull of treasures to be uncovered... A glittering, at times rather gory, world that is different and yet dreamily familiar to our own' * BBC History Revealed *Dense politics relieved by dazzling art * Kirkus *An accessible and entertaining introduction to a groundbreaking period in world and art history * Publishers Weekly *A significant addition to Renaissance studies, and a delicious deep dive for those fascinated by the era * Foreword Reviews *[A] sweeping tour of Renaissance century Italy... Princes of the Renaissance [is] a celebration of this fascinating moment in Italian history that is both beautifully designed and bursting with incredible colour images' * Travels Through Time Podcast *This beautifully illustrated history tries to make sense of the many rulers and governing dynasties of Italy in the 15th and 16th centuries, a squabbling, treacherous bunch who through their patronage and hunger for grandeur powered the artistic efflorescence of the Renaissance * The Times *A head-scrambling epoch that Mary Hollingsworth, the author of books on the Medici and the Borgias, has done wonders to make comprehensible * The Times *

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Book SynopsisArtemisia Gentileschi is by far the most famous woman artist of the pre-modern era. Her art addresses issues that resonate today, such as sexual violence and women's problematic access to political power. Her forceful paintings with their vigorous female protagonists have excited modern audiences, especially feminists. This book breaks new ground by placing the artist in the context of women's political history, and the feminist protest that was bubbling in early modern Europe. Mary D. Garrard discusses recently discovered paintings, offers fresh perspectives on known works and examines the artist anew in the context of early modern feminism. This beautifully illustrated book, now in paperback, gives a full portrait of a strong woman and a great artist who fought back through her art.Trade Review'Artemesia Gentileschi deserves a place in the canon of art history not merely because she was a successful artist in a man's world, but also because she was an exceptionally good painter. This book is more about her place in women's political history than about her art per se, but her art inevitably illuminates her status, life, and career.' - The Art Newspaper; 'The full-scale rediscovery of the artist began with Garrard's monograph of 1989, Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art. In the three decades that have followed, Artemisia's reputation has continued to grow. In a new book, Artemisia Gentileschi and Feminism in Early Modern Europe, Garrard says it's perfectly legitimate to refer to the artist by her first name, partly to distinguish her from her artist father, Orazio Gentileschi, and partly because we have no qualms in speaking familiarly of Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael or Titian . . . Did Artemisia ever think of herself as a 'feminist?' In her new book Garrard has addressed this question directly. She argues that feminism, like science, should be seen as 'a continuum that has evolved over time, from the fourteenth century to the present.' - Sydney Morning Herald; 'Compelling . . . There's not a little irony in reading Garrard's lively account of a seventeenth-century artist's life wherein plague is plentiful - Artemisia likely died of it - when a plague (or at least pandemic) is back on the table. How strange that a book about the late Renaissance and Baroque would now prove so very much of our time. It's timely in the sense of the aforementioned deadly and contagious illness, but also features tyranny, religious persecution and reaction. And it is timely in its exploration of feminist outrage at patriarchal power, of men's control over women's bodies, and in the exploration of an art of anger, accusation, and even great wit. It's a lot and it's awesome . . . Much more than an exploration of a singular female artist of the Italian Baroque, it's a map of interconnected traditions, intellectual conversations, inspirations and leapfrogging, a whole network of early modern European feminists in conversation with one another, and with us, across time.' - Hyperallergic; 'No in-depth study of Artemisia's artistic achievements can ignore the fact that Artemisia was a woman in a man's world. Placing Artemisia's life and work in the context of early modern feminism, Garrard's handy-sized book builds on her groundbreaking study Artemisia Gentileschi: The Image of the Female Hero in Italian Baroque Art . . . Her feminist perspective frequently offers considerable food for thought.' - 'Five must-read books about Artemisia Gentileschi', The Art Newspaper; 'Garrard's strategy of situating Gentileschi's paintings within the contemporary writing and patronage of women avoids the shallows, contextualising the paintings within a broad and lively field of female authorship, creativity and crucially, feminism avant-la-lettre. This does not render the emotion in Gentileschi's paintings insubstantial, but rather rebalances it against a feminist intellectual ballast, recuperating this extraordinary artist's richness and range. It reframes Gentileschi's work as a deliberate intervention in public debate.' - Women's Studies Group; 'an important study that furthers our understanding of the Italian Baroque painter . . . As well as being informative and extending Garrard's previous theories about feminism in Early Modern Europe, the book is visually stunning with sixty-nine illustrations, sixty-five of them in color.' - Religion and the Arts; 'Garrard artfully contextualizes Artemisia's life and works into a facet of early modern cultural consciousness that was full of gendered struggles and misogynistic presumptions . . . should be read, felt, and loved by many.' - Comitatus; 'Mary Garrard's return to the great Artemisia Gentileschi is uniquely rich in knowledge and reflection. It is not only an authoritative study of the historical Artemisia and the ways - whether openly brutal, subtly injurious or beneficial - in which her art and life were affected by her sex. It also places her in the "transhistorical community of women" that Garrard brings to life. The book is moreover a heartfelt appeal to writers and readers of art history to account for their own attitudes and experiences. And with all that, it is a pleasure to read.' - Gary Schwartz, art historian; 'Mary Garrard's exciting new book on the Italian painter Artemisia Gentileschi marks another formidable contribution to the field by this ground-breaking scholar. Garrard weaves a rich tapestry of women's voices, arguing that the shared vision of remarkable women of the period reflects a pervasive and influential feminist phenomenon in Europe. This book will provide a provocative source for understanding the pan-European phenomenon of what Garrard aptly terms the "woman on top."' - Babette Bohn, professor of art history, Texas Christian University and author of Women Artists, Their Patrons, and Their Publics in Early Modern BolognaTable of ContentsPreface 1 Artemisia and the Writers: Feminism in Early Modern Europe 2 Sexuality and Sexual Violation: Susanna and Lucretia 3 The Fictive Self: Musicians and Magdalenes 4 Women and Political Power: Judith 5 Battle of the Sexes: Women on Top 6 The Divided Self: Allegorical and Real 7 Matriarchal Succession: The Greenwich Ceiling References select Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisThe Elizabethan court was a vibrant and colourful place, where the inherited traditions and technological skill that had characterised the Middle Ages came face to face with the decorative techniques of the Renaissance. This book shows how the Royal Armouries' collections can be studied to gain insight into this creative and dynamic period.

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Book SynopsisIn 1691, a Livonian peasant known as Old Thiess boldly announced before a district court that he was a werewolf. Yet far from being a diabolical monster, he insisted, he was one of the hounds of God, fierce guardians who battled sorcerers, witches, and even Satan to protect the fields, flocks, and humanitya baffling claim that attracted the notice of the judges then and still commands attention from historians today. In this book, eminent scholars Carlo Ginzburg and Bruce Lincoln offer a uniquely comparative look at the trial and startling testimony of Old Thiess. They present the first English translation of the trial transcript, in which the man's own voice can be heard, before turning to subsequent analyses of the event, which range from efforts to connect Old Thiess to shamanistic practices to the argument that he was reacting against cruel stereotypes of the Livonian werewolf a Germanic elite used to justify their rule over the Baltic peasantry. As Ginzburg and Lincoln debate t

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Book SynopsisA sumptuous guide to the art of Henry VIII – and what his collection of paintings and artworks reveal about the man and his reignTrade ReviewThe era of Henry VIII was a time of cultural ferment, and King and Collector captures the vivacity and boldness of those years in a fashion that is succinct, well-judged and clear, illuminating the visual culture and placing it in a nuanced context. If you are visiting Tudor England, this book will be a sure guide to what to look at and how to look at it -- Hilary MantelI was gripped from the first paragraph. This is a lively, fascinating and, above all, sound account of Henry VIII as sitter and patron. His turbulent reign is mirrored in art and it is brought to life for a broad audience in this wonderful, beautifully crafted book. Packed with absorbing detail and brilliant insights, this is a must for anyone with an interest in the Tudor period -- Alison WeirExquisite ... Paints a vivid picture of the splendour of Henry VIII’s court and the art treasures within it, and in so doing brings the king himself dazzlingly to life. Beautifully written and impeccably researched, it casts fresh light upon the most famous monarch in British history -- Tracy BormanThis is a book about Tudor art, but also the stories within and around each artwork ... In their account, the authors have succeeded where many others have failed. Art has not been reduced to mere illustration; it becomes an immersive gateway into an exploration of Tudor culture, political symbolism and spirituality. We also have a well-matched account of Henry himself – the nature of his kingship, his ambitions, achievements, failures, frustrations and insecurities – and we follow his path from ebullient masquer and triumphant jouster to the crippled, irascible tyrant ... Through the text and the artworks, we can glimpse a lost world of bejewelled courtiers and palaces drenched in the colour and symbolism of 16th-century art and craftsmanship, as well as understand what it meant to Henry VIII and the Tudor art of kingship -- Brett Dolman, Curator (Collections), Historic Royal PalacesLearning about the arts should always be an enriching and satisfying experience. Crucial to that experience are inspiring narrators who can breathe life into the stories of the past that are captured in art and material culture. It is a real joy to be in the presence of experts who not only understand their subject matter but also the audience they are sharing their knowledge with ... Linda Collins and Siobhan Clarke bring a magnificent and dreadful king to life through the visual medium of his paintings, and in doing so create an impression of knowing the man more intimately. The Art of Kingship is indeed an apt title for this little book that offers us an enormous visual slice of Henry’s life -- Florian Schweizer, CEO of the Arts SocietyA brisk, useful introduction to the king as collector, full of intriguing detail about the ways in which Henry went about altering the common European conception of his country as culturally backward and lacking interest in the visual arts -- Mark Bostridge, The Spectator

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Book SynopsisA fresh take on the Wars of the Roses and the establishment of the Tudor Dynasty through the actions of two of the most powerful figures of the age - father and son.

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Book SynopsisIn the bestselling tradition of The Swerve and A Distant Mirror, The Verge tells the story of a period that marked a decisive turning point for both European and world history. Here, author Patrick Wyman examines two complementary and contradictory sides of the same historical coin: the world-altering implications of the developments of printed mass media, extreme taxation, exploitative globalization, humanistic learning, gunpowder warfare, and mass religious conflict in the long term, and their intensely disruptive consequences in the short-term.As told through the lives of ten real people-from famous figures like Christopher Columbus and wealthy banker Jakob Fugger to a ruthless small-time merchant and a one-armed mercenary captain-The Verge illustrates how their lives, and the times in which they lived, set the stage for an unprecedented globalized future.Over an intense forty-year period, the seeds for the so-called "Great Divergence" between Western Europe and the rest of the globe would be planted. From Columbus's voyage across the Atlantic to Martin Luther's sparking the Protestant Reformation, the foundations of our own, recognizably modern world came into being.For the past 500 years, historians, economists, and the policy-oriented have argued which of these individual developments best explains the West's rise from backwater periphery to global dominance. As The Verge presents it, however, the answer is far more nuanced.

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Book SynopsisThe Danish aristocrat and astronomer Tycho Brahe personified the inventive vitality of Renaissance life in the sixteenth century. Brahe lost his nose in a student duel, wrote Latin poetry and built one of the most astonishing villas of the period, as well as the observatory Uraniborg, while virtually inventing team research and establishing the fundamental rules of empirical science. This illustrated biography presents a new and dynamic view of Tycho's life, reassessing his gradual separation of astrology from astronomy, and his key relationships with Johannes Kepler, his sister, Sophie, and his kinsmen at the court of King Frederick II.Trade Review"This fascinating and rich biography successfully explains the aims of Tycho's startling and ambitious enterprise, to rebuild the sciences of heaven and earth in a new vision of organized inquiry and the accumulation of nature's treasures. With gripping detail and brilliant illustrations, this book will be essential reading for anyone interested in the cosmos and culture of early modernity."--Simon Schaffer, Professor of History of Science, University of CambridgeTable of ContentsPreface: Denmark and the Renaissance 1 Birthright Challenged, 1546-70 2 Cloister into Observatory: The New Star, 1570-73 3 Finding a New Life, 1573-6 4 Treasures of the Sea King: Kronborg and Uraniborg, 1576-82 5 Star Castle: Going Down to See Up, 1582-8 6 On the Move, 1588-99 7 The Emperor's Astrologer and His Legacy, 1599-1687 References Further Reading Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisThe story of the Renaissance city and palace of Urbino, and the life of the extraordinary man who created it: Federico da Montefeltro. 'Painstakingly researched and yet unfailingly readable' Ross King 'An insight into one of Renaissance Italy's most glamorous courts' Catherine Fletcher 'The perfect tour guide to the past' Literary Review 'A fabulous merging of seductive design with bravura scholarship' Alexandra Harris 'A superior study... Packed with detail' TLS The one-eyed mercenary soldier Federico da Montefeltro, lord of Urbino between 1444 and 1482, was one of the most successful condottiere of the Italian Renaissance: renowned humanist, patron of the artist Piero della Francesca, and creator of one of the most celebrated libraries in Italy outside the Vatican. From 1460 until her early death in 1472 he was married to Battista, of the formidable Sforza family, their partnership apparently blissful. In the fine palace he built overlooking Urbino, Federico assembled a court regarded by many as representing a high point of Renaissance culture. For Baldassare Castiglione, Federico was la luce dell'Italia – 'the light of Italy'. Jane Stevenson's affectionate account of Urbino's flowering and decline casts revelatory light on patronage, politics and humanism in fifteenth-century Italy. As well as recounting the gripping stories of Federico and his Montefeltro and della Rovere successors, Stevenson considers in details Federico's cultural legacy – investigating the palace itself, the splendours of the ducal library, and his other architectural projects in Gubbio and elsewhere.Trade ReviewSumptuous illustrations... Jane Stevenson's loving biography [is] the perfect tour guide to the past' * Literary Review *An insight into one of Renaissance Italy's most glamorous courts. The lords of Urbino are not nearly so well-known as the Medici or Borgias, but their architectural and art patronage, and book-collecting, deserve to be recognised – as do their military skills and bloodthirsty intrigues -- Catherine FletcherIn a narrative matching her book's sumptuous illustrations, Jane Stevenson celebrates Urbino as an essential place of pilgrimage for all lovers of Italian art and literature -- Jonathan KeatesJane Stevenson shows us the man – warts, battle scars, collapsed vertebrae and all – behind the myth of one of the most fascinating characters in Renaissance Italy... Painstakingly researched and yet unfailingly readable' -- Ross KingA fabulous merging of seductive design with bravura scholarship -- Alexandra HarrisA revelatory study of Federico da Montefeltro * Choice Magazine *A fascinating account of the patrons and artists behind the creation of one of Italy's hidden treasures -- Mary HollingsworthStevenson conjures the marvellous, intoxicating, brutal and beautiful world of Renaissance Italy with a lightness of touch and an eye for complexity and contradiction, bringing to life the battered, potent and panegyricised figure of a Christian prince, Renaissance patron and ruthless mercenary * Tablet *A splendid series of illustrations ... A superior study packed with detail * TLS *

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A Choice Outstanding Academic Title of the Year""[Pastoureau] traces the use and significance of the color from the walls of the Lascaux caves and liturgical robes to medieval chess boards and heraldry, to engraving and photography, and the work of the Impressionist painters and contemporary designers. . . . Thorough research and abundant illustrations." * Library Journal *"A rich and encyclopedic exploration of the manifold ways in which Westerners have conceptualized the color white."---Jesse Russell, New Criterion"The book is full of fascination and is as abundant in unusual images as in revealing facts."---Michael Prodger, New Statesman"Magisterial. . . .The book is full of striking contextualised images from antiquity to the present day, so readers gain vivid impressions of the role of white and its symbolism. The series is an extraordinary achievement." * Paradigm Explorer *"The book is a good introductory resource on the significance and symbolism of the color white in Western European culture. Pastoureau's volume is a valuable addition to his introduction to the history of color in the West." * Choice *

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Book SynopsisIntrigue, double-dealing and conspiracy in the Eternal City. 'A fascinating narrative of the intermingling of secular and religious power' New Statesman 'A highly enjoyable and thrilling read... Hollingsworth has peeled back the veil of secrecy surrounding papal conclaves' History Today 'Full of lively detail and colour' Literary Review August 1559. As the long hot Italian summer draws to its close, so does the life of a rigidly orthodox and profoundly unpopular pope. The papacy of Paul IV has seen the establishing of the Roman Inquisition and the Index of Prohibited Books, an unbending refusal to open dialogue with Protestants, and the ghettoization of Rome's Jews. On 5 September 1559, as the great doors of the Vatican's Sala Regia are ceremonially locked, the future of the Catholic Church hangs in the balance. Mary Hollingsworth offers a compelling and sedulously crafted reconstruction of the longest and most taxing of sixteenth-century papal elections. Its crisscrossing fault lines divided not only moderates from conservatives, but also the adherents of three national 'factions' with mutually incompatible interests. France and Spain were both looking to extend their power in Italy and beyond and had very different ideas of who the new pope should be – as did the Italian cardinals. Drawing on the detailed account books left by Ippolito d'Este, one of the participating cardinals, Conclave 1559 provides remarkable insights into the daily lives and concerns of the forty-seven men locked up for some four months in the Vatican.Trade Review[A] rich, full history of the politicking and personalities of the conclave... A fascinating narrative of the intermingling of secular and religious power' -- Michael Prodger, New StatesmanMary Hollingsworth is an entertaining guide... Brings to life not only the political dimension, but the fascinating material detail' -- Catherine Fletcher, BBC History MagazineA highly enjoyable and thrilling read... Hollingsworth has peeled back the veil of secrecy surrounding papal conclaves' * History Today *Full of lively detail and colour... Readers of history who are both passionate and patient will enjoy it' * Literary Review *PRAISE FOR MARY HOLLINGSWORTH: 'Exceptionally sumptuous... This vivid history brings to life the vices and virtues of the feuding ruling families of Italy' The Times, on Princes of the Renaissance. 'A chance to visit a glittering, at times rather gory, world that is different and yet dreamily familiar to our own' BBC History Revealed, on Princes of the Renaissance. 'Dense politics relieved by dazzling art' Kirkus, on Princes of the Renaissance. 'This forensic study of the Renaissance banking dynasty conjures up a world of art, literature, philosophy – and brutality' Telegraph, on The Medici. 'Lavishly illustrated, clearly written and meticulously edited' * TLS, on The Medici *

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Book SynopsisDoomed queen of Henry VIII, mother to Elizabeth I, the epic story of Anne Boleyn.Anne Boleyn was the most controversial and scandalous woman ever to sit on the throne of England. From her early days at the imposing Hever Castle in Kent, to the glittering courts of Paris and London, Anne caused a stir wherever she went. Alluring but not beautiful, Anne's wit and poise won her numerous admirers at the English court, and caught the roving eye of King Henry. Anne was determined to shape her own destiny, first through a secret engagement to Henry Percy, the heir of the Earl of Northumberland, and later through her insistence on marriage with the king, after a long and tempestuous relationship as his mistress. Their love affair was as extreme as it was deadly, from Henry's 'mine own sweetheart' to 'cursed and poisoning whore' her fall from grace was total.Table of ContentsIntroduction 1. Sir Thomas Boleyn's Daughter 2. So Pleasing in Her Youthful Age 3. Mademoiselle Boleyn 4. A Secret Love 5. Fair Brunet 6. For Caesar's I Am 7. A King's Great Matter 8. The Night Crow 9. The Concubine 10. Pope in England 11. The Most Happy 12. Queen Anne 13. Rebels & Traitoresses 14. No More Boys by Her 15. Sick & Tired of the Concubine 16. Turned Trust to Treason 17. The Lady in the Tower 18. Out of Hell into Heaven Notes Bibliography List of Illustrations Index

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Book SynopsisThink of the Renaissance and you might only picture the work of fine artists such as Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo and Van Eyck. Or architecture could spring to mind and you might think of St Peter’s in Rome and the Doge’s Palace in Venice. Or you might consider scientists like Galileo and Copernicus. But then let’s not forget the contribution of thinkers like Machiavelli, Thomas More or Erasmus. Someone else, though, might plump for music or poets and dramatists – after all, there was Dante and Shakespeare. Because when it comes to the Renaissance, there’s an embarrassment of riches to choose from. From art to architecture, music to literature, science to medicine, political thought to religion, The Renaissance expertly guides the reader through the cultural and intellectual flowering that Europe witnessed from the 14th to the 17th centuries. Ranging from the origins of the Renaissance in medieval Florence to the Counter- Reformation, the book explains how a revival in the study in Antiquity was able to flourish across the Italian states, before spreading to Iberia and north across Europe. Nimbly moving from perspective in paintings to Copernicus’s understanding of the Universe, from Martin Luther’s challenge to the Roman Catholic Church to the foundations of modern school education, The Renaissance is a highly accessible and colourful journey along the cultural contours of Europe from the Late Middle Ages to the early modern period.Table of ContentsIntroduction 15th century Europe Some historians dispute the term ‘Renaissance’ and its dates. The Mediterranean Trade revived with the crusades. Looting of Constantinople in 1204. Influx into western Europe of Byzantine scholars and scholarly texts after the fall of Constantinople in 1453. How western Europe benefited from Arabic copies of ancient Greek texts: after the Fall of the Roman Empire in the West, much ancient Greek though was lost, or at least overlooked, in the West. Decline in feudalism. Impact of the plague on the Renaissance. Chapter One: Origins Florence – how Italian city-states, led by Florence, unencumbered by heavy Papal influence or empire, and growing rich on wool production and east-west, north-south Mediterranean trade, were well placed to leap ahead intellectually and artistically. From Florence, the Renaissance reached Venice. Medici. Banking. Chapter Two: Art and Architecture Fine Art – laws of perspective. Giotto, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli Pigments – Titian’s blue. How Venetian Mediterranean trade enabled Architecture: Brunelleschi’s Duomo in Florence, Doge’s Palace in Venice, St Peter’s Basilica, Rome. Papal patronage Northern Renaissance: Van Eyck, Pieter Brueghel the Elder, Albrecht Durer, Hieronymus Bosch Chapter Three: Science and Medicine How studies in anatomy advanced figurative art Understanding blood flow in the body Copernicus. Galileo. Inquisition. Chapter Four: Exploration Wealth, advances in shipbuilding and navigation skills, as well as the pioneering zeal of some Renaissance minds, enabled travellers to sail far further by sea. Age of Discovery. The Americas. Mapmaking. Amerigo Vespucci, Christopher Columbus. Chapter Five: Literature and Music Tallis, Taverner and Byrd. Polyphony in the Netherlands. Boccaccio, Petrarch, Dante. Elizabethan and Jacobean Theatre. Shakespeare and the English stage. Chapter Six: Humanism, Political Thought and Religion Machiavelli’s The Prince. Thomas More’s Utopia. Erasmus. Martin Luther, Vasari. Bookkeeping: Luca Pacioli Chapter Seven: Legacy Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisThe hugely acclaimed, best-selling life of Hawkwood, one of the outstanding figures of English and European history. John Hawkwood was an Essex man who became the greatest mercenary in an age when soldiers of fortune flourished - an age that also witnessed the first stirrings of the Renaissance. When England made a peace treaty with the French in 1360, during a pause in the Hundred Years War, John Hawkwood, instead of going home, travelled south to Avignon, where the papacy was based during its exile from Rome. He and his fellow mercenaries held the pope to ransom and were paid off. Hawkwood then crossed the Alps into Italy and found himself in a promised land: he made and lost fortunes extorting money from city states like Florence, Siena, and Milan, who were fighting vicious wars between themselves and against the popes. This man of war husbanded his use of violence, but for all his caution he committed one of the most notorious massacres of his time - an atrocity Trade Review"'Superb and quite unputdownable... Addictively readable, handsomely produced and compellingly intelligent' Miranda Seymour, Sunday Times"

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Book SynopsisAn original new biography of Henry VIII's last wife, Katherine Parr, which shows the strength of the Queen's devotion to protestant beliefs over and beyond her political and personal fortunes.

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"Fascinating."---David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer"A book of great depth and insightfulness, Knowledge Lost is a must read for anyone interested in the Enlightenment."---Dr. Cliff Cunningham, Sun News Austin

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Book SynopsisIn the bestselling tradition of The Swerve and A Distant Mirror, THE VERGE tells the story of a period that marked a decisive turning point for both European and world history. Here, author Patrick Wyman examines two complementary and contradictory sides of the same historical coin: the world-altering implications of the developments of printed mass media, extreme taxation, exploitative globalization, humanistic learning, gunpowder warfare, and mass religious conflict in the long term, and their intensely disruptive consequences in the short-term.As told through the lives of ten real people -- from famous figures like Christopher Columbus and wealthy banker Jakob Fugger to a ruthless small-time merchant and a one-armed mercenary captain -- THE VERGE illustrates how their lives, and the times in which they lived, set the stage for an unprecedented globalized future.Over an intense forty-year period, the seeds for the so-called "Great Divergence" between Western Europe and the rest of the globe would be planted. From Columbus's voyage across the Atlantic to Martin Luther's sparking the Protestant Reformation, the foundations of our own, recognizably modern world came into being.For the past 500 years, historians, economists, and the policy-oriented have argued which of these individual developments best explains the West's rise from backwater periphery to global dominance. As THE VERGE presents it, however, the answer is far more nuanced.

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Book SynopsisPetrarch fashioned so many different versions of himself for posterity that it is an exacting task to establish where one might start to explore. . . . Hainsworth's study meets this problem through examples of what Petrarch wrote, and does so decisively and succinctly. . . . [A] careful and unpretentious book, penetrating in its organization and treatment of its subject, gentle in its guidance of the reader, nimble and dexterous in its scholarly infrastructure—and no less profound for those qualities of lightness. The translations themselves are a delight, and are clearly the result of profound meditation and extensive experiment. . . . The Introduction and the notes to each work form a clear plexus of support for the reader, with a host of deft cross-references. --Richard Mackenny, Binghamton University, State University of New YorkTrade ReviewHainsworth's translations from the Italian are first-rate, both in terms of accuracy to the intent of the originals . . . and in terms of conveying the force of Petrarch’s imagery. The translations from the Latin read freshly and easily . . . they are sure-footed, managing to capture the mix of pride and playfulness which characterizes Petrarch's composite prose style. The notes to the individual poems are well-judged, just enough to keep the reader on track without parading off-putting erudition. --Jonathan Usher, Emeritus, University of EdinburghA judicious selection of the varied writings of the great humanist, translated from both Latin and Italian. The Introduction is admirably structured, clear, and coherent, and presents Petrarch to the reader without didacticism or oversimplification. Hainsworth has a light editorial touch. . . . All in all, a luminous portrait of the 'father of humanism'. --David Marsh, Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyTable of ContentsIntroduction: Mending a Broken Lineage: Women, Writing, Theology; Fear & Women's Writing: Choosing the Better Part; 'A Wretched Choice?': Evangelical Women & the Word; 'My God Became Flesh': Angela of Foligno Writing the Incarnation; Speaking Funk: Womanist Insights into the Lives of Syncletica & Macrina; 'A Moor of One's Own': Writing & Silence in Sara Maitland's "A Book of Silence"; With Prayer & Pen: Reading Mother E J Dabney's "What It Means to Pray Through"; Writing a Life, Writing Theology: Edith Stein in the Company of the Saints; Writing Hunger on the Body: Simone Weil's Ethic of Hunger & Eucharistic Practice; The Body, to be Eaten, to be Written: A Theological Reflection on the Act of Writing in Theresa Hak Kyung Cha's "Dictee"; Not with One Voice: The Counterpoint of Life, Diaspora, Women, Theology, & Writing; Embodying Theology: Motherhood as Metaphor/Method; Postscript: Wounded Writing / Healing Writing.

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Book SynopsisA spectacular, elegant, brilliant portrait of skulduggery, murder and sex in Renaissance Florence' Simon Sebag Montefiore, Evening Standard, Books of the Year 1531 after years of brutal war and political intrigue, the bastard son of a Medici Duke and a half-negro' maidservant rides into Florence. Within a year, he rules the city as its Prince. Backed by the Pope and his future father-in-law the Holy Roman Emperor, the nineteen-year-old Alessandro faces down bloody family rivalry and the scheming hostility of Italy's oligarchs to reassert the Medicis' faltering grip on the turbulent city-state. Six years later, as he awaits an adulterous liaison, he will be murdered by his cousin in another man's bed.Nothing in sixteenth-century history is more astonishing' Hilary MantelTrade ReviewA spectacular, elegant, brilliant portrait of skulduggery, murder and sex in Renaissance Florence -- Simon Sebag Montefiore * Evening Standard, Books of the Year *Nothing in sixteenth century history is more astonishing to our era than the career of Alessandro de’ Medici. His story, told by an exact and fluent historian, challenges our preconceptions. Catherine Fletcher’s eye for the skewering detail makes the citizens of renaissance Florence live again: courtesans and cardinals, artists and assassins -- Hilary Mantel, author of Wolf HallAstonishing … gripping and original … a compelling portrait -- Matthew Lyons * Financial Times *Packed with intrigue … Fletcher describes with cool menace the plotting and politicking that dominated Alessandro’s rule … brought splendidly to life in this excellent book -- Dan Jones * Sunday Times *A scintillating book that glisters and gleams with stabbings, poisonings, adultery and intrigue – and a startling reminder of how visceral and dangerous Renaissance Florence was. The drama of events is perfectly complemented by careful scholarship and lucid writing. This is everything a historical biography should be -- Ian Mortimer, author of The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval EnglandIn this brilliantly written and impeccably researched biography, Catherine Fletcher brings Renaissance Florence vividly to life. The story of Alessandro de' Medici's brief and bloody ascendancy reveals the darker side of this most dazzling and cultured of cities, beset by intrigue, violence and betrayal. A stunning book. -- Tracy Borman, author of Thomas Cromwell: The untold story of Henry VIII's most faithful servantBold, breathless and full of suspense -- Daisy Dunn * The Times *A seductive, shimmering and significant retelling of a man whose rise to power was ... as unlikely as it was extraordinary -- Thomas Penn * Guardian *Engrossing … bursts with stabbings, poisonings, duels, eye-gougings, arquebus shootouts and people being run through with swords. Fletcher’s approach is scholarly yet dramatic, immersed in Renaissance glamour … a tremendous step forward in our knowledge of this intriguing man -- Alex von Tunzelmann * Spectator *More than just a forensic reconstruction of the period … Like a detective, Fletcher interrogates her witnesses … But it is among the detailed records of Alessandro’s wardrobe-keepers that she finds her treasure … These lend her narrative a sensuous vividity -- Frances Wilson * Sunday Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisVenice''s Secret Service is the untold and arresting story of the world''s earliest centrally-organised state intelligence service. Long before the inception of SIS and the CIA, in the period of the Renaissance, the Republic of Venice had masterminded a remarkable centrally-organised state intelligence organisation that played a pivotal role in the defence of the Venetian empire. Housed in the imposing Doge''s Palace and under the direction of the Council of Ten, the notorious governmental committee that acted as Venice''s spy chiefs, this ''proto-modern'' organisation served prominent intelligence functions including operations (intelligence and covert action), analysis, cryptography and steganography, cryptanalysis, and even the development of lethal substances. Official informants and amateur spies were shipped across Europe, Anatolia, and Northern Africa, conducting Venice''s stealthy intelligence operations. Revealing a plethora of secrets, their keepers, and their seekers, Venice''s Secret Service explores the social and managerial processes that enabled their existence and that furnished the foundation for an extraordinary intelligence organisation created by one of the early modern world''s most cosmopolitan states.Trade ReviewThis book includes many of the kinds of stories one hopes to find in a history of espionage: state-ordered poisonings; letter interceptions and invisible ink ... This is an intriguing twist on recent works. * Rosa Salzberg, Jahrbuch für Kommunikationsgeschichte *I found much to admire in this work, and I expect I will find myself returning to it repeatedly. Iordanou has done a great service to the field in parsing the complexity of the Venetian intelligence system. * Eric R. Dursteler, Journal of Modern History *This is a book that will fascinate anyone interested in intelligence services, the history of information management, the development of cryptography, or the history of Venice. * Professor Tom Wilson, Information Research *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Venice and Venetian Intelligence in the European Panorama 2: State Secrecy, a Venetian Virtue 3: Renaissance Venice's Intelligence Organisation 4: Venice's Department of Cryptology 5: Venice's Secret Agents 6: Extraordinary Measures Epilogue: Venice's Secret Service: An Evaluation

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Book SynopsisPadrón reveals the evolution of Spain's imagining of the New World as a space in continuity with Asia. Narratives of Europe's westward expansion often tell of how the Americas came to be known as a distinct landmass, separate from Asia and uniquely positioned as new ground ripe for transatlantic colonialism. But this geographic vision of the Americas was not shared by all Europeans. While some imperialists imagined North and Central America as undiscovered land, the Spanish pushed to define the New World as part of a larger and eminently flexible geography that they called las Indias, and that by right, belonged to the Crown of Castile and León. Las Indias included all of the New World as well as East and Southeast Asia, although Spain's understanding of the relationship between the two areas changed as the realities of the Pacific Rim came into sharper focus. At first, the Spanish insisted that North and Central America were an extension of the continent of Asia. Eventually, they cTrade Review"It should be essential reading for anyone seeking a fresh approach to understanding Spain’s imperial ambitions during the Age of Discovery." * The Portolan *"Columbus thought that Cuba was an appendage of Asia, and, though it may surprise readers, it would be more than a century before more accurate accounts of the Pacific Ocean and the distinctions between the landforms of Asia and North America emerged. Padrón relays this story with comprehensive knowledge and a skillful interpretation of cartographic and narrative sources, which often rationalized Spanish imperial aims to show that the Spanish Empire had Asian components thanks to the world-encompassing meridian line that divided Spanish and Portuguese zones for exploitation. . . . This highly recommended book clarifies the history of seemingly naïve but at times politically useful sets of flawed assumptions." * CHOICE *"This is a salutary book. . . . it is immensely valuable in making us see how sixteenth-century Spaniards conceptually framed the Americas, the Pacific and beyond; it literally takes us into another world." * The Globe: Journal of the Australian and New Zealand Map Society *"Historian Ricardo Padrón’s The Indies of the Setting Sun: How Early Modern Spain Mapped the Far East as the Transpacific West attempts to understand how, in discursive and visual terms, the Spanish crown sought to project its geopolitical and historical influence in the world from the sixteenth century forward. . . . The book is a valuable contribution not only because of its rigorous and intelligent interpretations, but also because it invites us to think about two major issues. First, it shows that territories such as the Americas were not 'invented' once and for all but were revised and reinvented over time and from different places and communities. Second, the book reminds us that we must decenter our gaze from the battles of conquest and pay attention instead to the voyages and ways of understanding vast spaces such as the oceans that were key in politically configuring our modern experience of the globe." * Terrae Incognitae *"In The Indies of the Setting Sun, Ricardo Padrón explores the spatial imaginaries of elite Spaniards in the period bookended by Balboa’s “discovery” of the Pacific Ocean in 1513 in present- day Panama and the 1606 Spanish conquest of the Moluccas. " * Early American Literature *"With this work, Padrón demonstrates that the Pacific has been a fundamental issue in the invention of America, a process that, as he firmly asserts, 'has been repeatedly revised and reinvented over the course of the years, and has meant different things at different times in different discursive communities.' Padrón encourages readers to view the geopolitical imagination of Habsburg Spain in a different light and to rethink the possibilities offered by new approaches to consider the Pacific not as marginal, but as a central location of the Spanish empire." * Bulletin of the Comediantes *"The Indies of the Setting Sun is an original and thoughtful study of the ‘invention’ and subsequent reinventions of the Pacific Ocean as part of the Spanish empire. Padrón brings to this project the same lucid, elegant prose and methodology that characterized his earlier monograph, and again he provides an argument supported by a careful study of sources employing the best historical approaches, closely contextualized reading, and an expansive definition of cartography. This is a much needed intervention, highlighting the importance of Spanish Asia in the history of Spanish imperial expansion." -- María M. Portuondo, author of The Spanish Disquiet: The Biblical Natural Philosophy of Benito Arias Montano"The Indies of the Setting Sun examines the way that Spanish knowledge about the South Sea—now known as the Pacific Ocean—was developed. Challenging the historical idea that Magellan's circumnavigation had established Europeans' understanding of the Americas as divided from Asia by the vast Pacific, Padrón reveals an 'alternative European cartography' that persisted across the sixteenth century. In this odd parallel universe, America was merely the forecourt to Asia, and the South Sea was a small basin within the larger Indies, then Spain's overseas empire. This is the first book I've ever read that colors the larger 'Indies' so vividly." -- Barbara Mundy, author of The Death of Aztec Tenochtitlan, the Life of Mexico City"The author’s aim. . . is ambitious but the reader will not be disappointed. Padrón, in fact, leads his audience on a real journey through time, dismantling many commonplaces and prejudices about the modern perception of the way the world has been thought of and represented on maps at the dawn of modernity. The author breaks the patterns in the way we think about historical cartography between rigid categories of ‘right and wrong’, ‘precise and approximate’. Instead, Padrón highlights a complex historical process in which different cultural and political theories competed with each other in a dialectic that shaped our way of understanding geography. . . . Ricardo Padrón’s book: The Indies of the Setting Sun should be welcomed as a useful and much needed book. . . . I believe that today, in an era of redefinition of the balance between global powers with enormous interests in the Pacific area, this book is of great usefulness and relevance." * Rutter Project *"A nuanced reading of Spanish cartographic literature about the Pacific region in the sixteenth century. . . . The book’s central strength is in its analytical acuity, which dredges up tensions, contradictions, ironies and ambivalence from multivalent cartographic and written texts." * Imago Mundi *Table of ContentsList of Figures Introduction 1 The Map behind the Curtain 2 South Sea Dreams 3 Pacific Nightmares 4 Shipwrecked Ambitions 5 Pacific Conquests 6 The Location of China 7 The Kingdom of the Setting Sun 8 The Anxieties of a Paper Empire Conclusion Acknowledgments Notes Works Cited Index

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Book SynopsisThe first monograph on Italian Renaissance painting in Perugia, its focus is on Pietro Perugino, Raphael Santi, and artists in their circles. Richly illustrated in color, it will interest readers of books on the Renaissance and Renaissance art history, Italian art, European cultural history, Economic history of Art, and Art Patronage.Table of Contents1. Pietro Perugino and his Perugian workshop; 2. Giannicola di Paolo, case study of a prominent local painter; 3. Berto di Giovanni, Eusebio da San Giorgio, and the Società del 1496; 4. Raphael Santi and the Perugians; 5. Domenico Alfani, the next generation.

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Book SynopsisStarting with Anne Boleyn, wife of Henry VIII, Amanda Harvey Purse looks at significant Boleyns through history, shining a spotlight on how their story has been entwined with that of the British monarchy for almost 500 years.Trade Review‘The Boleyns provides a fascinating summary of the lives of some of the Boleyns’ descendants. With adulteresses, soldiers, statesmen, and queens numbered amongst their progeny, it provides a great overview of the later history of a family usually overshadowed by their most famous member.’ -- Elizabeth Norton‘A glittering evocation of the Boleyn family’s rise.’ -- Dr Owen Emmerson, Castle Historian, Hever Castle‘In taking the long view of the Boleyns, this wonderful book offers a genuinely fresh perspective on one of the most famous families in British history. The executioner’s sword might have brought Anne’s story to a brutal close, but her bloodline would endure far beyond that of Henry VIII and is still part of the royal family today.’ -- Tracy Borman

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable progress of the Beaufort dynasty and how they seized the opportunity for wealth, power and influence in an era of instability and bitter feuding.

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Book SynopsisNew in paperback - An original new biography of Henry VIII's last wife, Katherine Parr, which shows the strength of the Queen's devotion to protestant beliefs over and beyond her political and personal fortunes.Trade Review'I'm happy to recommend this book to anyone looking for a new perspective on the thinking of this extraordinary woman.' -- Tony Riches, The Writing Desk

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Book SynopsisThe genius behind Leonardo da Vinci''s artwork is introduced in this deluxe silkbound guide with full-colour illustrations. Leonardo da Vinci''s desire for accuracy and realism in his work drove him to take an almost forensic approach to recording the world around him, and to produce an enormous number of paintings, drawings, plans and diagrams.Selected from the entire range of Leonardo''s finest drawings, this book presents a comprehensive and inspiring collection that is testament to Leonardo''s accurate eye and unfailing hand, showcased with breathtaking full-color images.Once you have studied these images you will begin to understand why Leonardo believed the eye was the perfect instrument for absorbing all the laws of nature, and that the artist was the perfect instrument for their expression.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Silkbound Classics series brings together deluxe gift editions of literary classics, present

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Book SynopsisWho really wrote the plays of Shakespeare?Trade Review‘A major contribution to the greatest literary puzzle of all. This is a revealing, scrupulous, carefully documented historical work. It devastates the crumbling claims for the man of Stratford, and offers a realistic and persuasive case for a credible candidate.’ * Dr John Spiers, Senior Research Fellow, Institute of English Studies, University of London *‘Casson and Rubinstein reveal remarkable discoveries in the margins of Henry Neville’s books, in his letters and handwriting, linking him to the works of Shakespeare. This documentary evidence shifts the ground: in our search for Shakespeare we should look to Neville.’ * Greg Thompson, award-winning theatre director and Entrepreneur in Residence, University College, London *‘With meticulous and jaw-dropping discoveries, all the pieces of the authorship puzzle have been slotted into place – and the fit is impeccable.’ * John O’Donnell, Monash University, Melbourne *

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Book SynopsisA myth-busting biography of Henrietta Maria, wife of Charles I, which retells the dramatic story of the civil war from her perspectiveA TIMES BOOK OF THE YEARSHORTLISTED FOR THE ELIZABETH LONGFORD PRIZEHenrietta Maria, Charles I's queen, is the most reviled consort in British history. Condemned as the 'Popish brat of France' and a 'notorious whore', she remains in popular memory the woman who turned the king Catholic - so causing a civil war - and a cruel and bigoted mother.Leanda de Lisle unpicks these myths to reveal a very different queen. We meet a new bride who enjoyed annoying her uptight husband, who was a passionate advocate for the female voice in public affairs and who, when civil war came, proved crucial to Charles's campaign. The image of the Restoration queen as an irrelevant crone is replaced with Henrietta Maria as an influential 'phoenix queen'. It is time to look again at this despised queen and judge if she is not in fact one of our most remarkable.'Brilliantly written, mesmerising, superb scholarship and totally immersive... A total game changer' KATE WILLIAMS, author of Rival Queens'This is revisionist history at its absolute best' ANDREW ROBERTS author of Churchill'Beautifully written and endlessly fascinating' ALEXANDER LARMAN author of The Crown in Crisis'Popular history of the finest kind' RONALD HUTTON author of The WitchTrade ReviewA thrilling biography -- DANIEL BROOKS * The Daily Telegraph *Competent, intelligent, fun... de Lisle...has a visceral understanding of the complex emotions that swirled inside Henrietta Maria * The Times, *Books of the Year* *A shrewd and elegant reassessment of Charles's I consort and widow... She was certainly a fighter -- Clare Mulley * Spectator, *Books of the Year* *Brilliantly written, mesmerising, superb scholarship and totally immersive . . . a total game changer -- KATE WILLIAMS, author of Rival Queens: the Betrayal of Mary Queen of ScottsWith grace and sensitivity, de Lisle cuts through the misogyny to reveal a different Henrietta Maria . . . De Lisle understands that history is a story of people; she possesses a visceral understanding of the emotions that swirled inside Henrietta Maria . . . she was not England's greatest queen, but she was probably the most remarkable -- GERARD DEGROOT * The Times * Book of the Week * *De Lisle has made a speciality of bringing Tudors and Stuarts back to blazing life... The result is deeply satisfying and makes an excellent companion to her earlier much-admired biography of Charles I, White King -- Kathryn Hughes * Sunday Times *A captivating, richly detailed historical tale that shines a light on the hidden genius of an extraordinary woman * Literary Review *de Lisle turns her attention to [Charles I's] wife, Henrietta Maria, similarly shading with nuance a character who can sometimes be reduced to primary-colour simplicity * History Today *A glorious resurrection of one of the most misrepresented queens of England . . . finally, thanks to Leanda de Lisle's meticulous research, she has a biography worthy of her fascinating life -- AMANDA FOREMAN, author of A World on FireHenrietta Maria's remarkable life is recounted with gusto in this sharp, sparky book... it makes vivid use of recent work on her court and queenship, brings people and personalities to the fore and will be a particular delight to those new to the period -- ANNA KEAY * Spectator *Leanda de Lisle has brilliantly overturned nearly four centuries of misogynistic, religiously bigoted and politically motivated myths about Henrietta Maria, who now emerges as a fascinating, fearless, but ill-fated woman, wife and mother. This is revisionist history at its absolute best -- ANDREW ROBERTS, author of George III: The Life of Britain's Most Misunderstood MonarchA formidable historian -- ALLAN MALLINSON * Country Life *With supreme skill and style, Leanda de Lisle provides not only a welcome revision of Henrietta Maria's reputation, but also a revival of her fierce energy and a reanimation of the entire age. A superb and vital biography -- JESSIE CHILDS, author of The Siege of Loyalty HouseA captivating, richly detailed historical tale that shines a light on the hidden genius of an extraordinary woman * Woman's Own *This is popular history of the finest kind, vivid, immediate, well researched and telling a compelling story. It is also serves the first duty of biography, by making its subject more wholly understandable than before -- RONALD HUTTON, author of The WitchLeanda de Lisle's beautifully written and endlessly fascinating new biography of Henrietta Maria brings one of the 17th century's most misunderstood women to glorious life . . . This salutary and important book restores her to her rightful place as one of the most important figures of her time -- ALEXANDER LARMAN, author of The Crown in CrisisIf the Stuarts are having their time in the sun at last, then Leanda de Lisle is one of the reasons they are. Masterful and pleasurable about a transformative century and a neglected, underestimated woman's role in it -- what more can one want from history? -- SARAH FRASER, author of The Prince Who Would Be King: The Life and Death of Henry StuartA fascinating book about a fascinating woman -- Henrietta Maria's story deserves to be better known, and this book brings her completely alive -- FRANCES QUINN, author of The Smallest ManHenietta Maria's perspective allows this book to become something much more than mere analysis of politics and war. De Lisle understands that history is a story of people; she possesses a visceral understanding of the emotions that swirled inside Henrietta Maria * The Times, *Book of the Week* *[A] thrilling story... a revisionist life of one of the most compelling and controversial women in British history... a book, like a life, should be measured against its own mission. And in this - to tell the story of Henrietta Maria's extraordinary life from her own perspective - Leanda de Lisle triumphs where her subject could not * The Critic *

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Book Synopsis'We're all now self-makers, whether we like it or not - and this witty, sceptical book is the thought-provoking story of how we got here'GUARDIAN'A fast-moving train of a book'NEW YORK TIMES'Gripping'TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT'Funny, startling . . . a must read'PETER POMERANTSEV, author of This Is Not Propaganda'Revelatory'FRANCIS FUKUYAMA, author of The Origins of Political OrderAs the forces of social media and capitalism collide, cultivating our 'personal brands' has become the norm. But this phenomenon is not new: Instagram culture is part of a story that goes back centuries. From the Renaissance genius to the Regency dandy, Hollywood's Golden Age to today's Silicon Valley and reality TV stars, Self-Made takes us on a dazzling tour of modern history's most prominent self-makers, uncovering both self-making's liberatory power, and the dangers this idea can unleash.Trade ReviewA fun, insightful romp . . . we're all now self-makers, whether we like it or not - and this witty, sceptical book is the thought-provoking story of how we got here -- Rachel Aspden * Guardian *A fast-moving train of a book . . . Burton is a confident conductor * New York Times *Throughout her gripping account Burton homes in on the tensions at the heart of all self-making acts: between authenticity and artificiality, and between the self that is given and the self that is desired * Times Literary Supplement *This funny, startling, insightful story of the selfie, from Dürer to the Kardashians, is a must read if you want to understand how we reinvent ourselves every time we reveal ourselves -- Peter Pomerantsev, author of This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against RealitySelf-Made takes the reader on an incredible journey that begins in the Renaissance and ends with the Kardashians, Donald Trump, and Silicon Valley's extropians, tracing the peculiarly modern phenomenon of people who make themselves the objects of their life's work. It is both revelatory and a warning about the ways that focus on the self distorts our individual lives and the broader society -- Francis Fukuyama, author of The Origins of Political OrderTara Isabella Burton's thoughtful, beautifully written book charts the engrossing history of the self-made man (and woman) from the geniuses of the Renaissance to present-day reality TV stars. Philosophical, ethical and pragmatic by turns, Burton urgently interrogates the culturally dominant myths of individualism and self-realisation, asking what we lose when we gain what we think we really want: when we make ourselves into gods -- Carolyne Larrington, author of The Norse Myths: A Guide to Viking and Scandinavian Gods and HeroesBurton is that rare cultural critic who delivers insight with sass and wears her deep knowledge of history and philosophy with a lightness and grace. A dazzling cast of characters struts across these pages, but Burton is always fully in control; every case study and example accretes to build her argument, for we are not merely self-stylists but shapeshifters, not just makers, but gods -- Marina Benjamin, author of InsomniaRanging from Aristotle to OnlyFans by way of the Marquis de Sade and Frederick Douglass, Tara Isabella Burton delights, infuriates and instructs while offering some of the sharpest and most insightful social commentary being written today. This is a book you will not forget -- Walter Russell Mead, author of The Arc of a Covenant: The United States, Israel, and the Fate of the Jewish PeopleLooking around at the strange terrain of American politics, religion, culture, and media, almost everyone is asking, "What happened?" and "What's next?" This book tells us the story behind those questions. Those who wonder why almost every aspect of life seems to be, at best, a reality television series and, at worst, a dark science fiction drama, will need this important work. This book will shift the conversation, at perhaps just the right time -- Russell Moore, author of Losing Our Religion: An Altar Call for Evangelical AmericaWhat does the Marquis de Sade have to do with David Bowie? Oscar Wilde with Oprah Winfrey? Montaigne with Donald Trump? Learn the fascinating historical and philosophical connections over the past five centuries in this erudite and wildly entertaining study on the fine art of self-creation, one of the modern era's defining cultural traits long before Instagram made it a daily universal habit -- Tony Perrottet, author of The Sinner’s Grand Tour: A Journey Through the Historical Underbelly of EuropeIn the spirit of Kurt Andersen's Fantasyland and Barbara Ehrenreich's Bright Sided, Tara Isabella Burton delivers a fascinating intellectual and cultural history of our never-ending quest to reinvent ourselves. She masterfully balances high and low culture, ranging from Renaissance sculptors and Parisian Dandies, to American hucksters and Instagram selfies. Self-Made clears through the fog of our current moment and lets us see the methods behind our collective madness. An essential read for our era of Late-Stage Everything -- Jamie Wheal, author of Recapture the RaptureSince the rise of Instagram and Facebook, how we present ourselves to the world has become a contemporary obsession. But as Tara Isabella Burton shows in her new book, Self-Made, it has a long history, from Beau Brummel to the Kardashians. The result is a fascinating, deeply researched and entertaining tour de force -- Simon Worrall, author of Starcrossed: A True Romeo and Juliet Story in Hitler’s ParisWide-ranging . . . With clarity and authority, Burton sheds light on how the self-made indulge in the profitable "fantasy of selling yourself" and provide an escape from reality for their followers. It's an eye-opener * Publishers Weekly *Burton concludes that our search for self-definition is ultimately a search for what it means to be human: vulnerable and inextricably interconnected. A thoughtful, well-grounded cultural history * Kirkus *It's a remarkable journey we humans have been on . . . The heights of self-aggrandisement Burton encounters are dizzying . . . she does not condemn outright the modern urge for self-expression. Bounding from one historical anecdote to the next, she reveals the human ingenuity that is unleashed when God's plan for us is taken out of the equation -- Rachel Cunliffe * New Statesman *Burton is right and brave to surmise that hollow self-making offers the wrong kind of answers to the modern bourgeois or digital peasant who wants to live a happy or meaningful life * Wall Street Journal *

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