Description
Francis I of France used to be the personification of the Renaissance, and a highly influential patron of the arts and education. Henry VIII, who used to be 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 used to be probably the most powerful industrious man of the time, and used to be 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 colourful background of the Renaissance, these four men collectively shaped the culture, religion, and politics in their respective domain names. With remarkable erudition, John Julius Norwich delves into this entertaining and layered history, indelibly depicting four dynamic characters and how their improbable achievements―and obsessions with one any other―changed European history.