Four princes: Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the obsessions that forged modern Europe

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Varies, see individual formats and editions
Publication Date
2017.
Language
English

Description

John Julius Norwich—“the very model of a popular historian” (Wall Street Journal)—is acclaimed for his distinctive ability to weave together a fascinating narrative through vivid detail, colorful anecdotes, and captivating characters. Here, he has crafted a bold tapestry of Europe and the Middle East in the early sixteenth century, when four legendary rulers towered over the era.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 was the most powerful industrious man of the time, and 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.

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ISBN
9780802126634
9781541420496

Table of Contents

From the Book - First Grove Atlantic hardcover edition.

The hollow of their hands
The flower and vigour of youth
All is lost, save honour
Enough, my son!
Like a brother to the Sultan
Noisome to our realm
A reasonable regret
Fray Carlos and "the drum of conquest"
Worth celebrating.

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Published Reviews

Choice Review

Norwich is a professional writer who has published nearly two-dozen books on a variety of topics, primarily historical. Here, he weaves together the biographies of the four great princes of early-16th-century Europe, reflecting on their personalities, characters, appearances, and health. He also sketches verbal portraits of dozens of courtiers, advisors, lovers, wives, and progeny. After describing the youth of his four main characters, Norwich begins in 1513 with Henry VIII's campaign in France as an ally of Maximilian I, and concludes with Suleiman's failed siege of Malta in 1565. The four monarchs were acutely aware of one another, and the three Christian princes had personal encounters. The sultan was the last survivor, whose death at the siege of Szeged in Hungary was kept secret from his Janissaries to ensure the peaceful succession of his "worthless" son, Selim II. Readers familiar with the historical period will find few new insights. Major historical developments, such as the Reformation, appear as backdrops. Nevertheless, Norwich writes with flair and makes a complex historical era fascinating and accessible to a general audience. Maps, color plates, illustrations, discursive footnotes. Summing Up: Recommended. All general, public, and undergraduate libraries. --Peter G. Wallace, Hartwick College

Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
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Booklist Review

What did King Henry VIII of England, King Francis I of France, Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, and Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire have in common besides ruling contemporaneously? In prolific historian Norwich's (Absolute Monarchs, 2011) 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. Their awareness of one another was constant, and in some instances they met face-to-face. Their personal relations at any one time could range from friendship to bitter rivalry. (Even as large a stage as Europe could barely contain these four larger-than-life personalities.) Their exertions to find accord with one another and, on other occasions, to attempt to best each other either by diplomatic negotiations or sending their armies into the field dictated European affairs for a century. A superb group portrait.--Hooper, Brad Copyright 2017 Booklist

From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
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Publisher's Weekly Review

Norwich (Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History), a British popular historian descended from royalty, regales readers with tales of the exploits, speculations on the psyches, and anecdotes from the eventful lives of the title's four rulers. The quartet of the title, who were born within a decade of one another and ruled contemporaneously during the first half of the 16th century, were larger-than-life leaders who collectively created the political geography of their era. Each leader came to see his crown as a crushing burden and agonized over his succession; Henry VIII famously changed the course of history in his quest for an heir, but even Holy Roman Emperor Charles V for decades longed for the freedom to abdicate, and would have, except that "Charles's only legitimate son had been something of a disappointment." The tales are frequently punctuated by what today might be called the rulers' failures of cultural sensitivity, and though entertaining, the book has a disconcertingly indifferent attitude toward accuracy. Those able to overlook faults in terminology and interpretation will be rewarded with tales of the rivalries and tortured friendships of the four rulers. Agent: Felicity Bryan, Felicity Bryan Associates (U.K.). (Apr.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
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Library Journal Review

In his introduction to this book, Norwich (The Popes: A History) admits to it being a project of personal interest, born out of the coincidence that the four titanic personalities on which it focuses-Henry VIII of England, Francis I of France, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, and Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire-were by some miraculous chance alive to dominate the landscape of Europe and western Asia during the same period during the first half of the 1500s. By necessity of space, the information on each man is streamlined into key points, touching when possible on their spouses, relatives, hangers-on, and most especially their shifting alliances and enmities with each other. 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. VERDICT An entertaining history covering the highlights of four of the most significant rulers of the 16th century, although the author's fervor for his subjects sometimes sweeps ahead of the facts.-Kathleen McCallister, Tulane Univ., New Orleans © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Kirkus Book Review

In the decades after 1500, four energetic rulers jockeyed for pre-eminence in a turbulent Europe.In fact, their energy and Europe's turbulence were nothing new, but they were fascinating figures: France's King Francis I, England's King Henry VIII, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and Suleiman the Magnificent, leader of the Ottoman Empire. British polymath, TV personality, and historian Norwich (Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History, 2015, etc.) delivers lively biographies of all four characters. All of them reigned long and died in their beds. Neither overly intelligent nor humane, they promoted the well-being of their subjects if it didn't interfere with their personal desires. The most powerful was Suleiman the Magnificent. Though an "outsider" and the sole non-Christian, he shared their aims: expanding his realm through a bankrupting series of wars, persecuting dissenting sects, and killing rivals. His main European opponent, Charles V, ruled the Spanish and Holy Roman empires and had designs on Italy, which were shared by France's Francis I. Preferring power to faith, Francis had no objection to cooperating with Suleiman, which outraged Christian Europe without bringing much benefit. Henry VIII preferred fighting England's traditional enemy, France. His religious quarrels are well-known, but Norwich emphasizes that Henry always considered himself a good Catholic. His fight with the pope was personal; he wanted a divorce, and then he wanted money from dissolving the monasteries. Scholars consider all four effective rulers, yet they were also cruel, selfish, and grotesquely macho. The author labels them men of their times, but it's likely that awfulness comes naturally to rulers with absolute power (readers can think of many recent examples). Bad behavior makes for entertaining history, and age has not diminished Norwich's skills, so readers may gnash their teeth but will continue to turn the pages. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
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Booklist Reviews

What did King Henry VIII of England, King Francis I of France, Emperor Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, and Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent of the Ottoman Empire have in common besides ruling contemporaneously? In prolific historian Norwich's (Absolute Monarchs, 2011) 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. Their awareness of one another was constant, and in some instances they met face-to-face. Their personal relations at any one time could range from friendship to bitter rivalry. (Even as large a stage as Europe could barely contain these four larger-than-life personalities.) Their exertions to find accord with one another and, on other occasions, to attempt to best each other either by diplomatic negotiations or sending their armies into the field dictated European affairs for a century. A superb group portrait. Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.

Copyright 2017 Booklist Reviews.
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Library Journal Reviews

In his introduction to this book, Norwich (The Popes: A History) admits to it being a project of personal interest, born out of the coincidence that the four titanic personalities on which it focuses—Henry VIII of England, Francis I of France, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, and Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire—were by some miraculous chance alive to dominate the landscape of Europe and western Asia during the same period during the first half of the 1500s. By necessity of space, the information on each man is streamlined into key points, touching when possible on their spouses, relatives, hangers-on, and most especially their shifting alliances and enmities with each other. 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. VERDICT An entertaining history covering the highlights of four of the most significant rulers of the 16th century, although the author's fervor for his subjects sometimes sweeps ahead of the facts.—Kathleen McCallister, Tulane Univ., New Orleans

Copyright 2017 Library Journal.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal.
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Publishers Weekly Reviews

Norwich (Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History), a British popular historian descended from royalty, regales readers with tales of the exploits, speculations on the psyches, and anecdotes from the eventful lives of the title's four rulers. The quartet of the title, who were born within a decade of one another and ruled contemporaneously during the first half of the 16th century, were larger-than-life leaders who collectively created the political geography of their era. Each leader came to see his crown as a crushing burden and agonized over his succession; Henry VIII famously changed the course of history in his quest for an heir, but even Holy Roman Emperor Charles V for decades longed for the freedom to abdicate, and would have, except that "Charles's only legitimate son had been something of a disappointment." The tales are frequently punctuated by what today might be called the rulers' failures of cultural sensitivity, and though entertaining, the book has a disconcertingly indifferent attitude toward accuracy. Those able to overlook faults in terminology and interpretation will be rewarded with tales of the rivalries and tortured friendships of the four rulers. Agent: Felicity Bryan, Felicity Bryan Associates (U.K.). (Apr.)

Copyright 2017 Publisher Weekly.

Copyright 2017 Publisher Weekly.
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