Four Princes: Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Obsessions that Forged Modern Europe

by John Julius Norwich

Overview

Renowned historian John Julius Norwich has crafted a bold tapestry of Europe and the Middle East in the early sixteenth century, when a quartet of legendary rulers—all born within a ten-year period—towered over the era.

Francis I of France was the personification of the Renaissance, and a highly influential patron of the arts and education. Henry VIII, who was 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, the most powerful and industrious man at the time, was 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 vibrant background of the Renaissance, these four men collectively shaped the culture, religion, and politics of their respective domains. With remarkable erudition, John Julius Norwich delves into this entertaining and layered history, indelibly depicting four dynamic characters, and how their incredible achievements—and obsessions with one another—changed European history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780802128096
Publisher:	Grove/Atlantic, Inc.
Publication date:	04/17/2018
Pages:	304
Sales rank:	1,017,336
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.20(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

John Julius Norwich is the author of many books, including A History of Venice and Byzantium, as well as the New York Times bestseller Absolute Monarchs: A History of the Papacy.

Read an Excerpt

Finally, after nearly a week spent in further frenzied preparation, Henry and Francis came together—for the first time in their lives—at the Field of the Cloth of Gold.

It was a magnificent name, and the occasion was more magnificent still, with each of the two protagonists determined to outdo the other in splendor. Henry brought with him a suite of well over five thousand men, together with nearly three thousand horses; another six thousand artisans from both England and Flanders—builders, stonemasons, carpenters, glaziers and the rest—had been working flat out for months, transforming the castle of Guines and surrounding it with temporary structures so elaborate and fantastical that they seemed to have come straight out of a fairy tale. Francis, we may be sure, kept a close eye on their work; whatever Henry could do, he was determined to do better.

Table of Contents

Preface ix

Author's Note xiii

Map xiv

1 The Hollow of Their Hands 1

2 'The flower and vigour of youth' 35

3 'All is lost, save honour' 69

4 'Enough, my son!' 109

5 'Like a brother to the Sultan' 143

6 'Noisome to our realm' 171

7 'A reasonable regret' 201

8 Fray Carlos and 'the drum of conquest' 223

9 "Worth Celebrating 261

Acknowledgements 269

Illustration Credits 271

Bibliography 273

Index 275

Editorial Reviews

01/09/2017
Norwich (Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History), a British popular historian descended from royalty, regales readers with tales of the exploits, speculations on the psyches, and anecdotes from the eventful lives of the title’s four rulers. The quartet of the title, who were born within a decade of one another and ruled contemporaneously during the first half of the 16th century, were larger-than-life leaders who collectively created the political geography of their era. Each leader came to see his crown as a crushing burden and agonized over his succession; Henry VIII famously changed the course of history in his quest for an heir, but even Holy Roman Emperor Charles V for decades longed for the freedom to abdicate, and would have, except that “Charles’s only legitimate son had been something of a disappointment.” The tales are frequently punctuated by what today might be called the rulers’ failures of cultural sensitivity, and though entertaining, the book has a disconcertingly indifferent attitude toward accuracy. Those able to overlook faults in terminology and interpretation will be rewarded with tales of the rivalries and tortured friendships of the four rulers. Agent: Felicity Bryan, Felicity Bryan Associates (U.K.). (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

Praise for FOUR PRINCES

“In prolific historian Norwich’s well-articulated appraisal, these four giant figures can, and should be, perceived as a ‘single phenomenon’ that deeply imprinted sixteenth-century Europe. Through Norwich’s perceptive eyes, we see that the four monarchs certainly did not exist in a vacuum, that each one was not a completely separate entity . . . A superb group portrait.” —Booklist

“Norwich’s long career as a historian has given him a definite assurance of style, which allows him to present historical detail in a thoroughly engaging manner without sacrificing clarity. An entertaining history covering the highlights of four of the most significant rulers of the 16th century.” —Library Journal

“A fascinating quadruple biography of four of the greatest monarchs of the Renaissance by this true master of narrative history.” —Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Romanovs and Jerusalem: The Biography

“As we have come to expect from John Julius Norwich, Four Princes is filled with surprising details about these familiar figures, as well as revealing insights into the seminal events of this rich period. But the great value of the book is putting Suleiman the Magnificent on an equal plain with Henry VIII, Francis I, and Charles V, and thereby, providing an expanded view of Europe during this turbulent era, a better understanding of the clashes between their empires, and the personal aspirations and foibles of these giants that shaped the continent’s history.” —James Reston, Jr., author of Defenders of the Faith: Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent, and the Battle for Europe, 1520-1536

“With characteristic deftness of touch, Norwich brings each character vividly to life and skillfully weaves their stories together . . . a genuinely inspired idea for a book, and Norwich executes it with typical aplomb.” —Tracy Borman, BBC History Magazine

“Wonderful . . . This was indeed a glorious age and Norwich has made a brilliant decision to study four idiosyncratic rulers as an interacting quartet . . . A lively and charming book.” —Times (UK)

From the Publisher

02/15/2017
In his introduction to this book, Norwich (The Popes: A History) admits to it being a project of personal interest, born out of the coincidence that the four titanic personalities on which it focuses—Henry VIII of England, Francis I of France, Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire, and Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire—were by some miraculous chance alive to dominate the landscape of Europe and western Asia during the same period during the first half of the 1500s. By necessity of space, the information on each man is streamlined into key points, touching when possible on their spouses, relatives, hangers-on, and most especially their shifting alliances and enmities with each other. Norwich's long career as a historian has given him a definite assurance of style, which allows him to present historical detail in a thoroughly engaging manner without sacrificing clarity. VERDICT An entertaining history covering the highlights of four of the most significant rulers of the 16th century, although the author's fervor for his subjects sometimes sweeps ahead of the facts.—Kathleen McCallister, Tulane Univ., New Orleans

Library Journal

Did you know that Henry VIII; Francis I of France; Charles the V, Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire; and Suleiman the Magnificent were born within 10 years of one another and that their lives intertwined? Julian Elfer’s melodic voice is perfect as narrator of this sweeping history of sixteenth-century Europe. Elfer’s unemotional narration flows steadily through political intrigue and religious changes and conflicts, dynastic marriages, military campaigns, and international explorations that bring Europe into the early modern period. He shifts accents effortlessly between English, French, German, and Turkish. Footnotes are read sotto voce, never breaking the steady narrative. Back and forth across Europe, the Mediterranean Sea, and the western realms of the Ottoman Empire, this history sheds light on a familiar yet complex period. M.B.K. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

OCTOBER 2018 - AudioFile

2016-12-19
In the decades after 1500, four energetic rulers jockeyed for pre-eminence in a turbulent Europe.In fact, their energy and Europe's turbulence were nothing new, but they were fascinating figures: France's King Francis I, England's King Henry VIII, the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and Suleiman the Magnificent, leader of the Ottoman Empire. British polymath, TV personality, and historian Norwich (Sicily: An Island at the Crossroads of History, 2015, etc.) delivers lively biographies of all four characters. All of them reigned long and died in their beds. Neither overly intelligent nor humane, they promoted the well-being of their subjects if it didn't interfere with their personal desires. The most powerful was Suleiman the Magnificent. Though an "outsider" and the sole non-Christian, he shared their aims: expanding his realm through a bankrupting series of wars, persecuting dissenting sects, and killing rivals. His main European opponent, Charles V, ruled the Spanish and Holy Roman empires and had designs on Italy, which were shared by France's Francis I. Preferring power to faith, Francis had no objection to cooperating with Suleiman, which outraged Christian Europe without bringing much benefit. Henry VIII preferred fighting England's traditional enemy, France. His religious quarrels are well-known, but Norwich emphasizes that Henry always considered himself a good Catholic. His fight with the pope was personal; he wanted a divorce, and then he wanted money from dissolving the monasteries. Scholars consider all four effective rulers, yet they were also cruel, selfish, and grotesquely macho. The author labels them men of their times, but it's likely that awfulness comes naturally to rulers with absolute power (readers can think of many recent examples). Bad behavior makes for entertaining history, and age has not diminished Norwich's skills, so readers may gnash their teeth but will continue to turn the pages.

Kirkus Reviews