Showing titles in Renaissance

Do you know the whole story of the House of Borgia—from their rise from obscurity to the highest echelons of European society? The family produced two popes and a saint, but they are more known for stories of murder, debauchery, and incest. What is accurate, and what is just slander? Were the Borgias worse than any other powerful family of the time? Was Rodrigo Borgia, who became Pope Alexander VI, a monster? Was his son Cesare a psychopath? Was his daughter Lucrezia a murderous temptress?

If you had to name the most destructive conflicts in human history, you likely wouldn’t put the Thirty Years’ War near the top of that list, but in fact, this conflict resulted in more than eight million fatalities throughout Europe. It resulted in widespread destruction, and it bankrupted the majority of the powers involved. For such a destructive war, the Thirty Years’ War is not well-known, and yet it changed the geopolitical face of Europe as well as the role of religion and nation-states in society. This audiobook tells the compelling story of the Thirty Years’ War.

Now celebrated as one of the great painters of the Renaissance, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio fled Rome in 1606 to escape retribution for killing a man in a brawl. Three years later he was in Naples, where he painted The Seven Acts of Mercy. A year later he died at the age of thirty-eight under mysterious circumstances. Exploring Caravaggio's singular masterwork, in The Guardian of Mercy Terence Ward offers an incredible narrative journey into the heart of his artistry and his metamorphosis from fugitive to visionary.

this exciting story illuminates the captivating world of the late Renaissance - in this case its plagues, remedies, and alchemy - through the life of Leonardo Fioravanti, a brilliant, remarkably forward-thinking, and utterly unconventional doctor. Fioravanti's marvelous cures and talent for self-aggrandizement earned him the adoration of the people, the scorn of the medical establishment, and a reputation as one of the age's most colorful, combative figures.

Delve into the sprawling saga of the Habsburg dynasty, whose influence was felt across Europe for over six centuries. From their humble beginnings to their dramatic decline during World War I, this audiobook provides a captivating look at the rulers who sat at the heart of European power and intrigue.

Listen to this audiobook now and unlock the door to Europe's magnificent past, vibrant present, and promising future!

In this Very Short Introduction audiobook, Jeroen Duindam connects the earliest history of kings and queens to contemporary examples of family-based leadership. His sweeping overview of five millennia of dynastic rule brings to light recurring predicaments of families on the throne.

.“Here's a marvelous treat, the wittiest historical mystery … introducing the unlikely sleuthing team of Leonardo da Vinci and a young dwarf, this novel deftly intertwines fact and fiction in a deliciously clever tale”. Review from National Advertising A black banner flies from Leonardo’s tower room, warning everyone he is dissecting the latest victim in a series of murders. In the bustling halls of the Sforza Castle in Milan amidst the looming threat of French invasion in 1498, a series of gruesome murders shatter the façade of opulence and revelry. At the heart of the intrigue ...

In the vibrant era of the Renaissance, a hidden world of ancient wisdom and profound magic stirred within the hearts of philosophers, scholars, and audacious thinkers. Whispered teachings attributed to the legendary Hermes Trismegistus promised to unlock the secrets of the cosmos, the power hidden within the human spirit, and the pathways to divine transformation. Journey back to the dazzling age of the Renaissance and delve into the minds of brilliant figures like Marsilio Ficino and Pico della Mirandola. Explore the Hermetic revival of Plato, a philosophy intertwined with the belief in a ...

If ever a catharsis in Western European Civilization occurred, it had to have been the period we refer to as the Renaissance. After a thousand years of theocracy, manorialism, feudalism and narrow economic development, Europe was ripe for change. She got it with a vengeance.

Al-Hasan al-Wazzan - born in Granada to a Muslim family that in 1492 went to Morocco - became famous as the great Renaissance writer Leo Africanus, author of the first geography of Africa to be published in Europe (in 1550). He had been captured by Christian pirates in the Mediterranean and imprisoned by the Pope; when he was released and baptized, he lived a European life of scholarship as the Christian writer Giovanni Leone....

Embark on a captivating voyage through the ages with (The Great Guardian), a meticulously crafted exploration into the enthralling history of the Cane Corso dog breed. Authored by Cole B. Brodoski, this compelling narrative weaves together the threads of loyalty, strength, and the indomitable spirit that characterize this magnificent guardian.

In all of human history there has never been an era as richly endowed with human creativity as the Italian Renaissance. When the economic boom of the Late Middle Ages had allowed a flourishing and wealthy merchant class to emerge, a plethora of artists, sculptors, architects, and thinkers followed in their wake. In an astonishingly short period of time, Italy was transformed mentally, physically, and spiritually.

Penguin presents the audiobook edition of Thomas Cromwell by Diarmid MacCulloch, read by David Rintoul. Thomas Cromwell is one of the most famous - or notorious - figures in English history. Born in obscurity in Putney, he became a fixer for Cardinal Wolsey in the 1520s. After Wolsey's fall, Henry VIII promoted him to a series of ever greater offices, and by the end of the 1530s he was effectively running the country for the King.

Queen Elizabeth I was all too happy to play on courtly conventions of gender when it suited her “weak and feeble woman’s body” to do so for political gain. But in Elizabeth, historian Lisa Hilton offers ample evidence why those famous words should not be taken at face value. With new research out of France, Italy, Russia, and Turkey, Hilton’s fresh interpretation is of a queen who saw herself primarily as a Renaissance prince—an expert in Machiavellian statecraft.

Esta historia de los Reyes Católicos, que no solo se centra en los aspectos más curiosos y extravagantes de su reinado, trae una visión renovada y amena sobre la vida de los monarcas y todo lo que les rodeó desde que eran solo unos niños. Sus relaciones familiares, su educación, su llegada al trono y la construcción de las bases de un imperio que perduraría durante varios siglos tras el descubrimiento de América.

The Tudor era encompasses some of the greatest changes in our history. But while we know about the historical dramas of the times, what was life really like for a commoner? To answer this question, the renowned 'method historian' Ruth Goodman has slept, washed and cooked as the Tudors did. She is your expert guide to this fascinating era, drawing on years of practical historical study to show how our ancestors coped with everyday life, from how they slept to how they courted.

This is a performance of the very first English translation of Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince. This translation, published by Edward Dacres, first appeared in 1640. Machiavelli's original Italian edition was printed in 1532, five years after his death. Due to the evil associated with Machiavelli's book, it took 108 years for The Prince to be published in the English language.

When we think of Venice, we think of masks, canals, murals and frescoes, and little “gondoliers” with picturesque boats. Venice, indeed, has an impressive artistic history. But did you know that Venice was also, for a while, a considerably sized empire? Although no enduring historic records associate with the creation of Venice, the Republic of Venice's history is typically said to start at 12 a.m. on Friday, March 25th, AD 421, when authorities from Padua established the city to develop a trading center in that area of northern Italy.

Die Archäologie ist ein faszinierendes Abenteuer, das uns die Türen zur Vergangenheit öffnet und die Geschichten längst vergangener Zivilisationen ans Licht bringt. Dieses Buch nimmt dich mit auf eine Reise, die weit über staubige Ausgrabungsstätten hinausgeht. Es zeigt dir, wie die Werkzeuge der Vergangenheit unsere Gegenwart formen und warum die Geschichte kein statisches Gebilde, sondern ein lebendiges Puzzle ist.