Looking for reading on early modern Europe
August 14, 2010 1:27 PM Subscribe
Having just read Robert K. Massie's excellent biography of Peter the Great, I'm not looking for more reading on 17th and 18th century Europe. Suggestions?
I'm generally looking for broader historical accounts of countries or time periods. Especially of interest to me are William of Orange and Louis XIV. So good biographies of them would be especially welcome.
I'm generally looking for broader historical accounts of countries or time periods. Especially of interest to me are William of Orange and Louis XIV. So good biographies of them would be especially welcome.
Its fiction, but if you are interested in the time period, I highly recommend the Baroque Cycle: Quicksilver, The Confusion and The System of the World. Both William of Orange and Louis XIV have large cameos in it and I think Peter the Great shows up as well. Pretty much every scientist, mathematician and ruler from the time period shows up in it at some point.
posted by Razzle Bathbone at 1:45 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by Razzle Bathbone at 1:45 PM on August 14, 2010
Voltaire's The Age of Louis XIV (Le Siècle de Louis XIV), written in the 18th century. There are some boring gossipy parts, but it's pretty interesting otherwise.
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 1:53 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 1:53 PM on August 14, 2010
Try this one - The Agony and the Ecstasy (1961) is a biographical novel of Michelangelo Buonarroti written by American author Irving Stone .
If you liked Peter the Great, you'll probably also like Nicholas and Alexandra: An Intimate Account of the Last of the Romanovs and the Fall of Imperial Russia is a 1967 biography of the last royal family of Russia by historian Robert K. Massie.
enjoy.
posted by bricksNmortar at 2:00 PM on August 14, 2010
If you liked Peter the Great, you'll probably also like Nicholas and Alexandra: An Intimate Account of the Last of the Romanovs and the Fall of Imperial Russia is a 1967 biography of the last royal family of Russia by historian Robert K. Massie.
enjoy.
posted by bricksNmortar at 2:00 PM on August 14, 2010
Tim Blanning, The Pursuit of Glory: Europe 1648-1815 (2007) is the best, most readable and most up-to-date general history of the period. Older, but still a classic, is C.B.A. Behrens, The Ancien Regime (1967).
Anthony Levi, Louis XIV (2004) is currently the standard scholarly biography, though for lively storytelling you might prefer Nancy Mitford's classic The Sun King (1966), or, for a study of art and culture at the royal court, Peter Burke, The Fabrication of Louis XIV (1994). William of Orange is a tricky subject, because not many historians have full mastery of both the Dutch and the English sources, but Tim Harris, Revolution: The Great Crisis of the British Monarchy 1685-1720 (2006) is a good account of the Glorious Revolution from a British perspective, or, if you're up for a more ambitious, in-depth scholarly study, Steve Pincus, 1688: The First Modern Revolution (2009).
posted by verstegan at 2:44 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
Anthony Levi, Louis XIV (2004) is currently the standard scholarly biography, though for lively storytelling you might prefer Nancy Mitford's classic The Sun King (1966), or, for a study of art and culture at the royal court, Peter Burke, The Fabrication of Louis XIV (1994). William of Orange is a tricky subject, because not many historians have full mastery of both the Dutch and the English sources, but Tim Harris, Revolution: The Great Crisis of the British Monarchy 1685-1720 (2006) is a good account of the Glorious Revolution from a British perspective, or, if you're up for a more ambitious, in-depth scholarly study, Steve Pincus, 1688: The First Modern Revolution (2009).
posted by verstegan at 2:44 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]
I recommend it time and time again, but here goes:
The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age, by Simon Schama.
posted by Sara C. at 4:02 PM on August 14, 2010
The Embarrassment of Riches: An Interpretation of Dutch Culture in the Golden Age, by Simon Schama.
posted by Sara C. at 4:02 PM on August 14, 2010
I am currently working on my automatic Will & Ariel Durant button.
posted by ovvl at 6:16 PM on August 14, 2010
posted by ovvl at 6:16 PM on August 14, 2010
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posted by resiny at 1:28 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]