John E. Adamson Książki

In the 1630s, King Charles I’s efforts to expand royal power caused alarm throughout the British Isles. In England, a small group of noblemen chose to risk their lives and fortunes to stop him. In a magnificent new study of the political crisis during the English Civil War, acclaimed historian John Adamson explores the brilliant strategy of the men who started a movement that would overthrow a king, set three kingdoms ablaze, and lead to a new religious and political order in mainland Britain.

In the period between the Renaissance and the French Revolution, the court was paramount in European political and cultural life. It was not only the princes' place of residence, it functioned as the seat of government, the stage for factional and dynastic rivalries, and often as a major source of artistic patronage. Take a tour of twelve of the great European courts. Learn how these households were run, how the architecture of their palaces and gardens were adapted to the routines of courtly life, what role the courts played in the princes' relations with the wider community of the realm, and how magnificence and ritual were deployed to political ends. It's a lavish introduction to a vanished world.