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

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.