The best books on Henry VII, recommended by Thomas Penn
He was the Machiavelli of English kings – a chancer and usurper with a highly dubious claim to the throne. But Henry VII ruled for 25 years and founded a dynasty. His biographer, Thomas Penn, tells us...
View ArticleThe best books on Life in the Tudor Era, recommended by Ian Mortimer
History is not about understanding the past for the sake of it, it's about understanding human nature, says the historian and novelist Ian Mortimer. This interview appeared first on Five Books.
View ArticleThe best books on The Renaissance, recommended by Jerry Brotton
A century-and-a-half ago the Swiss art historian, Jacob Burckhardt, popularized the idea of a 'Renaissance' in 14th century Italy. For most people, the term still conjures up works of art by the likes...
View ArticleThe best books on The Mughal Empire, recommended by Richard M. Eaton
The Mughals ruled the Indian subcontinent for three centuries, a multicultural empire that brought together an extraordinary mix of Mongol, Islamic, Persian and Indian practices, religious beliefs and...
View ArticleThe best books on The Great Divergence, recommended by Davis Kedrosky
After a slow start, why did northwest Europe move ahead of the rest of the world in the early modern period and establish an economic dominance whose effects are felt to this day? Davis Kedrosky, a...
View ArticleThe best books on The Venetian Empire, recommended by Georg Christ
The Venetian Republic was one of the mightiest empires of early modern Europe, with its Terraferma dominions on land and a maritime empire, the Stato da Màr, that stretched across the Mediterranean....
View ArticleThe best books on The Dutch Golden Age, recommended by Maarten Prak
The Netherlands witnessed a flourishing in the late 16th and first half of the 17th century, leading the world in technology, commerce and the arts, particularly painting. Historian Maarten Prak...
View ArticleThe best books on Sultan Süleyman, recommended by Kaya Şahin
The Ottoman ruler Süleyman was one of the most powerful men in early modern Europe and highly adept at building his reputation for posterity. In European languages, he is still often graced with the...
View ArticleThe best books on Henri IV of France, recommended by Vincent Pitts
At a time of bitter division, Henri IV succeeded to the French throne and managed to bring the country together after decades of civil war. He converted to Catholicism but brought in toleration for...
View ArticleThe best books on The Body, recommended by Karen Harvey
We assume that many of our bodily functions—sleeping and smiling, for example—are 'natural' and culturally invariant. But their characteristics and expression are heavily influenced by their cultural...
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