ISBN: 9780199596799

The House of Guise was one of the greatest princely families of the sixteenth century, or indeed of any age. Today they are best remembered through the tragic life of one family member, M… Meer...

The House of Guise was one of the greatest princely families of the sixteenth century, or indeed of any age. Today they are best remembered through the tragic life of one family member, Mary Queen of Scots. But the story of her Guise uncles, aunts and cousins is if anything more gripping - and certainly of greater significance in the history of Europe. The Guise family rose to prominence as the greatest enemy of the House of Habsburg and had dreams of a great dynastic empire that included the British Isles and southern Italy. They were among the staunchest opponents of the Reformation, played a major role in re-fashioning Catholicism at the Council of Trent before plunging France into a bloody civil war that culminated in the infamous St Bartholomew's Day Massacre. They protected English Catholic refugees, plotted to invade England and overthrow Elizabeth I, and ended the century by unleashing Europe's first religious revolution, before succumbing in a counter-revolution that made them martyrs for the Catholic cause. Martyrs and Murderers is the first comprehensive modern biography of the Guise family in any language. In it Stuart Carroll unravels the legends which cast them either as heroes or as villains of the Reformation, weaving a remarkable story that challenges traditional assumptions about one of Europe's most turbulent and formative eras.; Cultural History, OUP Oxford<

ISBN: 9780199596799

Hailed as "entertaining" and "nuanced" by The Economist, Martyrs and Murderers tells the story of three generations of treacherous, bloodthirsty power-brokers. One of the richest and most… Meer...

Hailed as "entertaining" and "nuanced" by The Economist, Martyrs and Murderers tells the story of three generations of treacherous, bloodthirsty power-brokers. One of the richest and most powerful families in sixteenth-century France, the House of Guise played a pivotal role in the history of Europe. Among the staunchest opponents of the Reformation, they whipped up religious bigotry throughout France. They overthrew the king, ruled Scotland for nearly 20 years through Mary Queen of Scots, plotted to invade England and overthrow Elizabeth I, and ended the century by unleashing the bloody Wars of Religion, before succumbing in a counter-revolution that made them martyrs for the Catholic cause. The history of the Guise family is sensational but true. Though parts of the story are familiar--such as their crucial role in the murder of 4,000 Protestants in the infamous Massacre of Saint Bartholomew--the full scope of their influence has never before been told. Stuart Carroll unravels the legends about this cultivated, charismatic, and violent dynasty, and challenges traditional assumptions about one of Europe's most turbulent eras. Media >, [PU: Oxford University Press]<

ISBN: 9780199596799

Martyrs And... - The pre-eminent political and religious power-brokers of sixteenth-century France, the Guises family included in their number both Mary Queen of Scots and Catherine de Me… Meer...

Martyrs And... - The pre-eminent political and religious power-brokers of sixteenth-century France, the Guises family included in their number both Mary Queen of Scots and Catherine de Medici. This is the first comprehensive account of their remarkable story, and their influence on one of Europe's most turbulent and formative eras. Stuart Carroll has taught at the Universities of London and York, where he is currently Professor of History. He is twice-winner of the Nancy Roelker prize for the best essay written on early modern French History and is the author of Blood and Violence in Early Modern France, also published by Oxford University Press. Preface - 1. Invitation to a massacre - 2. 'All for one: one for all' - 3. Dreams of empire - 4. Chacun a son Tour - 5. Congregations, conspiracies, and coups - 6. The Cardinal's compromise - 7. Bloodfeud - Interlude: Princess Margot and the 'Negress' - 8. A wedding and four thousand funerals - 9. False kings and true Catholics - 10. The invasion of England - 11. Revolution - 12. Counter-Revolution - Epilogue - Index Livre - Roman, [PU: Oxford University Press]<