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Four Princes: Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Obsessions that Forged Modern Europe Paperback – April 17, 2018
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Francis I of France was the personification of the Renaissance, and a highly influential patron of the arts and education. Henry VIII, who was not expected to inherit the throne but embraced the role with gusto, broke with the Roman Catholic Church and appointed himself head of the Church of England. Charles V, the most powerful and industrious man at the time, was unanimously elected Holy Roman Emperor. Suleiman the Magnificent―who stood apart as a Muslim―brought the Ottoman Empire to its apogee of political, military, and economic power.
Against the vibrant background of the Renaissance, these four men collectively shaped the culture, religion, and politics of their respective domains. With remarkable erudition, John Julius Norwich delves into this entertaining and layered history, indelibly depicting four dynamic characters, and how their incredible achievements―and obsessions with one another―changed European history.
- Print length304 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherGrove Press
- Publication dateApril 17, 2018
- Dimensions5.4 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
- ISBN-100802128092
- ISBN-13978-0802128096
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Editorial Reviews
Review
“The major achievement of the book is the very fact that Norwich takes each of the four rulers to be a piece of the same story . . . written with often humming literary verve.” ―New York Times Book Review
“In prolific historian Norwich’s well-articulated appraisal, these four giant figures can, and should be, perceived as a ‘single phenomenon’ that deeply imprinted sixteenth-century Europe. Through Norwich’s perceptive eyes, we see that the four monarchs certainly did not exist in a vacuum, that each one was not a completely separate entity . . . A superb group portrait.” ―Booklist
“Norwich’s long career as a historian has given him a definite assurance of style, which allows him to present historical detail in a thoroughly engaging manner without sacrificing clarity. An entertaining history covering the highlights of four of the most significant rulers of the 16th century.” ―Library Journal
“A fascinating quadruple biography of four of the greatest monarchs of the Renaissance by this true master of narrative history.” ―Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Romanovs and Jerusalem: The Biography
“As we have come to expect from John Julius Norwich, Four Princes is filled with surprising details about these familiar figures, as well as revealing insights into the seminal events of this rich period. But the great value of the book is putting Suleiman the Magnificent on an equal plain with Henry VIII, Francis I, and Charles V, and thereby, providing an expanded view of Europe during this turbulent era, a better understanding of the clashes between their empires, and the personal aspirations and foibles of these giants that shaped the continent’s history.” ―James Reston, Jr., author of Defenders of the Faith: Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent, and the Battle for Europe, 1520-1536
“With characteristic deftness of touch, Norwich brings each character vividly to life and skillfully weaves their stories together . . . a genuinely inspired idea for a book, and Norwich executes it with typical aplomb.” ―Tracy Borman, BBC History Magazine
“Wonderful . . . This was indeed a glorious age and Norwich has made a brilliant decision to study four idiosyncratic rulers as an interacting quartet . . . A lively and charming book.” ―Times (UK)
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Product details
- Publisher : Grove Press; Reprint edition (April 17, 2018)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 304 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0802128092
- ISBN-13 : 978-0802128096
- Item Weight : 11.2 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.4 x 0.9 x 8.2 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #374,964 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #123 in Turkey History (Books)
- #492 in England History
- #599 in Royalty Biographies
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Norwich writes classic narrative, personality-centered--dare I say, Carlylean?--history, and after reading his introduction to the person of the future Emperor Constantine, I was hooked.
And in this work, he does not disappoint. Norwich once again covers a period about which I know quite a lot, in an amateurish way, but brings a new perspective by integrating all of European history in the relevant period by framing it as the story of the four dominant monarchs of the era--Henry VIII, Francis I (whom I originally encountered in my schoolboy years in France and Belgium as "Francois 1er"), Charles V ("Charles-Quint"), and an unexpected fourth, Suleiman the Magnificent. It is a well-structured and clearly-written, sprightly and entertaining, integrated history of Europe in the first half of the 16th century.
Norwich moves with ease from the grand sweep of international relations--the impact of the Reformation, the constant pressure on Latin Christendom from the Turks, the ever-changing alliances of the Big Four--to intimate details of the private lives of the participants. And he does this in a way that clearly integrates what had always been for me several separate streams of history--Henry and the Papacy; Francis and his Italian campaigns; Charles and the multiple headaches of the Turks on one side and the Reformers on the other; and of course, Suleiman's continued attempts to relight the flame of Muslim conquest of Europe, including of course the well-known siege of Vienna but also his encounters with the Knights-Hospitaller, first on Rhodes and later on Malta.
Perhaps the only area that feels a bit neglected--to this American reader at least--is the larger global conflicts from the Americas to the Spice Islands. But those stories merit their own volume, which perhaps Norwich will someday wrote! :-)
Though perhaps not: one of the interesting--and somewhat surprising--aspects of Norwich's work is his focus on the Med as the center of the action in almost all his works: Byzantium, Venice, Sicily, "the Middle Sea," and of course, this volume. At least for the others it is understandable, but in this one it is a bit surprising. I've not yet read his recent work on France, so I reserve judgment, but...I expect it, too, will spend a lot of time in and around the Med.
Interesting because the received wisdom--at least when I was a lad--was that the Med ceased being at the heart of Europe with the decline of the Roman Empire and particularly the end of the Empire in the West in the late 5th century: the view then being that the center of mass of European affairs moved north--which, somewhat surprisingly for an Englishman, Norwich implicitly rejects.
If you've read Norwich's other works, you won't be disappointed. If you think history is dry or boring, prepare to be pleasantly surprised.
If you subscribe to the Marxist or Annaliste view that history is about larger forces and that individuals don't matter, find out how wrong that is.
If you disdain history as being about "kings and battles," prepare to be instructed that kings have lives, too, and that battles matter: you'll never see the world the same way after reading about Mohacs 1526.
Highly recommended.
Norwich call them all mediocrities but I think he was mistaken about Charles. After reading his book, I was motivated to read a biography of Charles V of Austria and First of Spain. I felt he didn't give him enough credit. He had the most difficult task. He had 3 or 4 empires as it were. Austria, the low countries, Spain and the New World. Given how difficult it was to communicate in that period, it is no wonder he decided to spin off parts of his empire.
This book is a pleasure to read.
The only issue I have with this history is that the author, in discussing Henry VIII's successors (his children), he made a rather harsh remark about Mary I (nicknamed Bloody Mary) executing 280 individuals. Shall we compare Mary's numbers to the other Tudor rulers?
Henry VII executed 287 (including 7 children/babies)
Henry VIII executed over 57,000
Edward VI executed 234
Mary I executed 280
Elizabeth I executed about 630
So poor Mary, on the low end of the Tudor execution scale, is once again slurred by historians! Norwich could have been a bit more honest about that!
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L'écriture est agréable, l'anglais est facile à lire.
I enjoyed it