English Renaissance

Innocence from a life of evil. After a great sickness sweeps through the Kingdom, Fleeta goes from being a servant, to a homeless young woman all alone with nowhere to go. When soldiers from the Kingdom of Ironhaven appear to save her and bring her back to the main city to start a new life, she can only hope she'll be able to start over, leaving all her awful memories behind. The only issue is, she is absolutely terrified of men. And these men want to travel to the edges of the Kingdom, places that the King had abandoned more than fifty years before. Villages under the Law of Lindow, where ...

Dive into the profound world of John Milton, a pivotal figure in the annals of English literature, in "Where More is Meant Than Meets the Ear: The Life and Poetry of John Milton" by John Cousins. This comprehensive biography not only explores Milton's celebrated works such as "Paradise Lost," "Paradise Regained," and "Samson Agonistes" but also delves into the less-trodden paths of his interest in the occult, magic, and his substantial political engagements. John Milton, a poet, polemicist, and civil servant, is a name that resonates in the realm of English literature. Often hailed as one ...

Rome, 1520. The Eternal City is in mourning. Raphael Sanzio, beloved painter and national hero, has died suddenly at the height of his fame. His body lies in state at the Pantheon. At the nearby convent of Sant'Apollonia, a young woman comes to the Mother Superior, seeking refuge. She is Margherita Luti, a baker's daughter from a humble neighborhood on the Tiber, now an outcast from Roman society, persecuted by enemies within the Vatican. Margherita was Raphael's beloved and appeared as the Madonna in many of his paintings. But now that Raphael is gone, the convent is her only hope.

Present day: When thirty-six-year-old Robyn Willoughby discovers an exquisite yet blood-stained Tudor map in her father’s antique map shop, desperate for a distraction from her problems, she decides to investigate. But as Robyn delves into the mystery, she finds herself caught up in a centuries-old secret—one that will change her life forever.

Breana "Baby Doll" Winbush grew up in the fast streets of Brownsville, Brooklyn. She is stunningly beautiful, a fighter by nature, and like most people in her neighborhood, her ultimate dream is to become rich. Her ambitious quest for money knows no boundaries. During an after-school fight with jealous high school foes, Baby Doll's life takes a turn when she meets Big Daddy Blue, a reformed gangster who turned his ill-gotten gains into legitimate business enterprises. Ironically it's Baby Doll's relationship with Big Daddy Blue that totally changes her perception and outlook on life in ...

The New York Times bestselling author of the Six Tudor Queens series explores the private side of the legendary king Henry VIII and his dramatic and violent reign in this extraordinary historical novel. Young Henry began his rule as a magnificent and chivalrous Renaissance prince who embodied every virtue. He had all the qualities to make a triumph of his rule, yet we remember only the violence. Henry famously broke with the Pope, founding the Church of England and launching a religious revolution that divided his kingdom. He beheaded two of his wives and cast aside two others.

A concise, star-studded retelling of Italy's past, from Caesar and Augustus to da Vinci and Michelangelo, tracing the story of a country with prodigious global influence—from a foremost author of historic Italy.

For as long as language and communication have existed, humans have invented ways to mask their messages from prying eyes. One could be forgiven for assuming there are no ciphers left unsolved. On the contrary, a diverse array of both ancient and modern cryptographic challenges, which have stumped even the most seasoned code crackers of today, exist, and may exist for generations to come. Among the most famous of these memorandums is a 600-year-old document that continues to mystify: the Voynich Manuscript.

When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of 14, she catches the eye of the handsome and charming Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family’s ambitious plots as the king’s interest begins to wane, and soon, she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. With her own destiny suddenly unknown, Mary realizes she must defy her family and take fate into her own hands.

In this thrilling sequel to Theopolda's Quest, newlyweds Theo and Will Crispo have settled into a blissful life in their ancient Sicilian castle, until an unexpected invitation arrives. Maria de Medici is set to marry Sagan Hapsburg at the magnificent Palazzo Medici in Florence, and Theo can't wait to reunite with her dear friend. Will, however, has his doubts. It's been only a year since Lorenzo de Medici, Florence's young and powerful ruler, professed his undying love for Theo and asked for her hand in marriage. When they return to Florence, they find the once-vibrant palace cloaked in ...

Heiress to the red rose of Lancaster, Margaret Beaufort never surrenders her belief that her house is the true ruler of England and that she has a great destiny before her. Her ambitions are disappointed when her sainted cousin Henry VI fails to recognize her as a kindred spirit, and she is even more dismayed when he sinks into madness.

In the ruthless arena of King Henry VIII's court, only one man dares to gamble his life to win the king's favor and ascend to the heights of political powerEngland in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the king dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years, and marry Anne Boleyn.

A philosophical exploration of alchemy set in Europe during the late Medieval period through the Renaissance. Immerse yourself in the captivating world of "Alchemy and Secrets," where the ancient pursuit of transforming base metals into gold intertwines with the quest for spiritual enlightenment. This thought-provoking book unveils the dual nature of alchemy, revealing its role not only as a precursor to modern chemistry but also as a profound spiritual journey that shapes our understanding of self and the cosmos. As you turn the pages, you will find yourself drawn into the fascinating ...

The Spoils of Time is a concise history of the world in nine chapters, tracing the prehistoric beginnings of early man’s halting steps towards civilization and ending sometime around 1500. The scope is vast, with Wedgwood’s scholarship spanning all the continents. As the author states, her purpose was to create a continuous narrative of human history for her own pleasure and to find out for herself what, if any, interlacing relations might hold us together.

Though he battled for seven years to marry her, Henry is disenchanted with Anne Boleyn. She has failed to give him a son, and her sharp intelligence and audacious will alienate his old friends and the noble families of England. When the discarded Katherine dies in exile from the court, Anne stands starkly exposed, the focus of gossip and malice. At a word from Henry, Thomas Cromwell is ready to bring her down. Over three terrifying weeks, Anne is ensnared in a web of conspiracy, while the demure Jane Seymour stands waiting her turn for the poisoned wedding ring.

In the fifteenth century, even before the city states of the Apennine Peninsula began to coalesce into what would become, several centuries later, a nation, "Italy" exerted enormous influence over all of Europe and throughout the Mediterranean. Viewing the Italy (the many Italies?) of that time through the lens of today allows us to gather a fragmented, multi-faceted, and seemingly contradictory history into a single unifying narrative that speaks to our current reality as much as it does to a specific historical period. This is what the French historian Fernand Braudel achieves here.

Winter 1474 finds Nicholas exiled in the frozen port of Danzig, Poland. His Machiavellian exploits in Scotland have cost him friends and family—not to mention countless riches. As the ice melts, temptations arise. Will he assist the Muslim Prince Uzum Hasan against the Turks? Will he lose himself among the secret, scented gardens of the Crimea in the arms of a close friend's bride? As Nicholas pursues his future, his estranged wife, Gelis, seeks the truth about his past, only to discover the secret identity of his latest comrade in arms-a tantalizing ghost from the past.

Catherine de' Medici was a ruthless pragmatist and powerbroker who dominated the throne for 30 years. Her youngest daughter, Marguerite, the glamorous "Queen Margot," was a passionate free spirit, the only adversary whom her mother could neither intimidate nor control.

Fleeing violent rebellions in Scotland, Mary looks to Queen Elizabeth of England for sanctuary. Though promised protection, Mary, perceived as a serious threat to the English crown, is soon imprisoned by her former friend as a “guest” in the house of George Talbot, earl of Shrewsbury, and his indomitable wife, Bess of Hardwick.

John Julius Norwich - whom the Wall Street Journal called "the very model of a popular historian" - has crafted a big, bold tapestry of the early 16th century, when Europe and the Middle East were overshadowed by a quartet of legendary rulers, all born within a 10-year period. Against the vibrant background of the Renaissance, these four men laid the foundations for modern Europe and the Middle East, as they collectively impacted the culture, religion, and politics of their respective domains.