Books on 15th to 17th century

[Slade Wilson]

Are there any good books on this period that relate military campaigns in italy, france, germany, etc in this period? Mercenary leaders like Francesco Sforza are also of interest. AKA the early to midgame of EU2. The games events made me want to learn more, all i have is WW2 books atm.

If you dont know any but feel like plugging your current favourite or some classic from any time around then, plug away.

[molly bloom]

There are good general resources, such as the LaRousse encyclopaedias, the Fontana series on European history, and individual biographies of the Medicis, Francis I of France and the Borgias.


I'll have a look through my shelves and see what I can recommend to you.

Are you interested in the cultural/artistic side too ? The competing cities and states and courts in Italy and elsewhere vied to attract the best artists, scientists and architects and writers too.

[Slade Wilson]

Are you interested in the cultural/artistic side too ? The competing cities and states and courts in Italy and elsewhere vied to attract the best artists, scientists and architects and writers too.

Sure, that ties in to understanding whats going on.

[Zkribbler]

Machiavelli's The Prince

Mac also wrote a book on democracies...was it The Discourses? I think so...

[lord of the mark]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
Machiavelli's The Prince

Mac also wrote a book on democracies...was it The Discourses? I think so...

Republics. I dont think any of the Italian republics of his time would qualify as democracies, even by ancient standards.

[Slade Wilson]

If western countries are democratic, why is the majority so often upset with the goverment?

Originally posted by Zkribbler
Machiavelli's The Prince

Mac also wrote a book on democracies...was it The Discourses? I think so...

The Prince though widely misunderstood

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Slade Wilson
The Prince though widely misunderstood

True. At one point, Mac says somethiing like, "It's best to be wise, virtuous, loved [etc.] But if you can't be wise, virtuous, loved [etc.], then you should strive to be perceived as being wise, virtuous, loved [etc.]"

Machiavelli wasn't as machiavellian as he is believed to have been.

[Slade Wilson]

Also chapter 17 ''concerning cruelty and clemency, and whether it is better to be loved than feared'' probably rubs alot of people the wrong way.

[molly bloom]

O.k., Terminator, here you go:

Empire, War And Faith In Early Modern Europe: Geoffrey Parker (Penguin Books)

Europe And A Wider World, 1415-1715: J. H. Parry (Hutchinson University Library)

The Old World And The New, 1492-1650: J. H. Elliott (Canto Books)

The Reformation: Owen Chadwick (Pelican Books)

American Colonies- The Settling Of North America: Alan Taylor

The Thirty Years War: C.V. Wedgwood

Renaissance Exploration: J. R. Hale


These are excellent general books which give a wide-ranging overview of developments in Europe and the wider world:

The LaRousse Encyclopaedia Of Modern History, 1500 To The Present Day

The Encyclopaedia Of The Renaissance edited by Bergin & Speake

The Atlas Of Mediaeval Man by Colin Platt (its title is accurate, but I think it is the best single work to show you what the world outside Europe looked like and how it interacted with Europe from 1100-1500)

Expanding Horizons: 1415-1516 and Reform And Revolt: 1517-1600 in the Milestones of History series by Newsweek Books. Many excellent individual essays on aspects of history and particular countries in each volume.

Europe Unfolding 1648-1688: John Stoye (Fontana Books History of Europe series)


Individual countries:

The Netherlands-

The Dutch Revolt: Geoffrey Parker

The Dutch Seaborne Empire, 1600-1800 : C. R. Boxer

The Iberian Peninsula-

Moorish Spain: Richard Fletcher

The Conquest Of The Incas: John Hemming

The Spanish Armada: Colin Martin & Geoffrey Parker

Charles V: Manuel Alvarez

The Portuguese Seaborne Empire, 1414-1825: C. R. Boxer

Italy-

The Imperial Age Of Venice, 1380-1580: D.S. Chambers

The Italian Renaissance: J. H. Plumb

The Medicis, Godfathers Of The Renaissance: Paul Strathern

The Borgias: Michael Mallett

The Merchant Of Prato: Iris Origo


The United Kingdom-

Drake's Voyages: K. R. Andrews

The Defeat Of John Hawkins: Rayner Unwin

My Heart Is My Own, The Life Of Mary, Queen Of Scots: John Guy

Peace, Print & Protestantism, 1450-1558: C. S .L. Davies

God's Englishman- Oliver Cromwell & The English Revolution: Christopher Hill

France-

Prince of the Renaissance, The Life of Francois I : Desmond Seward

The French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629 : Mack P. Holt

The science of the period (and how it had developed, and outside influences on it) is discussed in the two-volume work:

Augustine To Galileo - The History of Science A.D. 400-1650: A. C. Crombie


I'd also recommend Cambridge University Press's Illustrated History Of Science too.

Worldly Goods by Lisa Jardine examines the consumer revolution which was produced by the development of European science, technology and improved manufacturing techniques and the lust for exotica from the newly discovered lands both East and West.

The Renaissance Bazaar by Jerry Brotton looks at the intermingling of European art and science with the imported arts and goods of the East, and the influence of places such as Mameluke Cairo and Aleppo on the architecture of Venice.

Cairo, The City Victorious by Max Rodenbeck is a 'biography' of the capital of the Fatimid, Ayyubid and Mameluke empires, a city which played a great part in the commerce and enrichment of Pisa, Genoa, and Venice and Sicily.

A History Of Mediaeval Islam by J. L. Saunders and Discovering Africa's Past by Basil Davidson both look at areas important for the development of Western Europe.

Food In History by Reay Tannahill explores the effects of the food revolution in Europe, Africa and Asia wrought by the imported foodstuffs from the New World.

The period just prior to the Europa Universalis game is also examined in Steven Runciman's The Kingdom Of Acre And The Later Crusades in his series on the Crusades, and in John Julius Norwich's Byzantium: The Decline And Fall.


The Secret Life Of Paintings by Richard Foster and Pamela Tudor-Craig reveals in great detail the background, subject matters and techniques employed in two crucial Renaissance paintings, Botticelli's Primavera and Hans Holbein's The Ambassadors.

Painting of the Month
Holbein, 'The Ambassadors', 1533
Special Feature: 'The Ambassadors' explained

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/collection/features/potm/2004/june/feature.htm

[Slade Wilson]

nice, ill start checking those out later