Renaissance

In an attempt to appeal to the Medici family during the Italian Renaissance, Machiavelli outlines the way to acquire and retain political power, and how great men should behave in a princely government....

Caliban and the Witch is a history of the body in the transition to capitalism. Moving from the peasant revolts of the late Middle Ages to the witch hunts and the rise of mechanical philosophy, Federici investigates the capitalist rationalization of social reproduction.

The creator of the hit podcast series Tides of History and Fall of Rome explores the four explosive decades between 1490 and 1530, bringing to life the dramatic and deeply human story of how the West was reborn. In the bestselling tradition of The Swerve and A Distant Mirror, The Verge tells the...

Discover the remarkable birth of modern medicine.

Immerse yourself in the gripping history of science where rebel thinkers risked everything to shatter ancient dogma. Step into the tense, candlelit world of Europe’s universities and hidden dissection rooms. This immersive historical narrative transforms your daily commute into a thrilling...

An unprecedented portrait of the Renaissance-era Borgia family and their storied milieu, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Tudors “A vivid and at times startling reappraisal of one of the most notorious dynasties in history . . . If you thought you knew the Borgias, this book...

A Waterstones Best History Book 2025 A BBC History Magazine Book of the Year 2025 ‘Learned, entertaining and highly approachable’ BOB MORTIMER ‘A treat’ ALICE LOXTON ‘Five stars from me…’ AL MURRAY An unmissable collaboration between two comedy legends – an irresistible...

The first full-scale biography of Mary Boleyn, one of the most misunderstood figures of the Tudor age Mary Boleyn was the mistress of two kings, Francois I of France and Henry VIII of England, and sister to Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII’s second wife. In this astonishing and riveting biography...

A lively and fascinating narrative history about the birth of the modern world....

The Borgia family have become a byword for evil. Corruption, incest, ruthless megalomania, avarice, and vicious cruelty - all have been associated with their name. And yet, paradoxically, this family lived when the Renaissance was coming into its full flowering in Italy. Examples of infamy...

The aspects of Anne Boleyn's life and death are fiercely debated by historians, yet her ladies-in-waiting remain an understudied topic. Much emphasis is usually put on Anne's relationships with the men in her life: her suitors, her royal husband, her father and brother, and her putative lovers...

A fascinating exploration of the devious tricks and ingenious tools used by early modern spies—from ciphers to counterfeiting, invisible inks to assassination Early modern Europe was a hotbed of espionage, where spies, spy-catchers, and conspirators pitted their wits against each other in...

This audiobook narrated by Thomas Madden reveals what caused the world's great republics to fall—and what their fate tells us about the dangers facing modern democracies today.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The award-winning author of The Memphis Murders presents “a rich and vibrant tapestry” (The Star-Ledger) of the fabled Tudor dynasty—and some of the most enigmatic figures to ever rule a country. “A thoroughly readable and often compelling narrative...

What happens when the spymaster's right-hand man turns out to be a woman . . . ? 1584, London Sir Francis Walsingham, spymaster to the Tudor Queen Elizabeth has trained Kit Scarlett since she was a girl. Aware that she is able to infiltrate places that his male agents cannot, he sees her as an...

The brilliant and sometimes scandalous lives of twenty-one women who made French history. From Eleanor of Aquitaine to Edith Piaf, Colette to Coco Chanel, discover the lives of 21 women who made French history.

Set in the court of Urbino in 1507, Castiglione’s The Book of the Courtier presents an invaluable look at court life and culture during the Renaissance. Over four nights of dialogue, the book explores the key question, ‘What should a courtier be like?’ Listen for more....

The Pax Britannica trilogy is Jan Morris’s magnificent history of the British Empire from 1837 to 1965....

A dramatic account of some of the most notorious figures of medieval and Renaissance history who ruled from the Eternal City. It is sure to grip fans of John Julius Norwich, Tom Holland, and Peter Ackroyd. The papal tiara has been worn by a number of infamous men through the course of its...

In this landmark study of Italy from the 14th through the early 16th centuries, Swiss historian Jacob Burckhardt chronicles the rise of Florence and Venice as powerful city-states, the breakup of the medieval worldview that came with the rediscovery of Greek and Roman culture, and the new...

Bloomsbury presents Catherine de' Medici by Mary Hollingsworth, read by Sophie Hunter and Rachel Bavidge. A new biography of Catherine de' Medici, the most powerful woman in sixteenth-century Europe, whose author uses neglected primary sources to recreate the life and times of a remarkable –...

"The Prince" is a 16th-century political treatise by the Italian diplomat and political theorist Niccolo Machiavelli. From correspondence a version appears...

From the author of Memory and the Mediterranean, a comprehensive history of the Italian city states from 1450 to 1650. 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...

'A compelling and wry narrative of one of the most intellectually thrilling eras of British history' The Guardian England, 1651. Oliver Cromwell has defeated his royalist opponents in two civil wars, executed the Stuart king Charles I, laid waste to Ireland, and crushed the late king's son and...

In the course of their investigation into Leonardo da Vinci, Lynn Pickett and Clive Prince found clues about his strangely passionate belief in the importance of John the Baptist. Here, along with a re-assessment of the significance of Mary Magdalene and the Sacred Feminine, the authors reveal...

Thrust into a gripping historical survival adventure, you have one day to outsmart Renaissance Italy and stay alive. Perfect for your daily commute, this immersive journey drops you into a dazzling yet unforgiving world with no luggage, no contacts, and no way home. You are not a passive...

Explore the gritty underworld of European social history, where plague and raw urban survival shatter golden age myths. Perfect for your morning commute, this immersive audio experience swaps marble palaces for the reeking, chaotic alleys of the past. Listen as the hidden daily struggles of...

Enter the gritty world of Renaissance art history, where creative survival meant battling poverty and ruthless patrons. Perfect for your daily commute, this atmospheric historical deep dive trades the myth of effortless genius for the smoky workshops and echoing churches of fifteenth-century...

Witness the dawn of a cultural revolution where radical art and cutthroat politics shattered the dark Middle Ages. Perfect for an intellectually stimulating morning commute, this immersive historical journey transports you straight to the bustling streets of Florence and Venice. Experience the...

Step into the dramatic cultural rebirth of European history, where radical ideas clashed with ancient traditions. Perfect for an immersive commute or an evening of deep focus, this vivid narrative breathes life into a continent emerging from plague, war, and religious anxiety. Experience the...

Experience a dramatic European history where ruthless political intrigue and visionary art birthed the Renaissance. Perfect for an educational commute or immersive armchair travel to Tuscany, this atmospheric narrative transports you to the medieval merchant streets. Here, cash, credit, and...

Step into a cultural awakening as post-plague Florence ignites a stunning revolution in European history and art. Perfect for an educational walk, this immersive narrative transports you directly into the bustling workshops and opulent courts of the Mediterranean. Experience the breathtaking...

Step into a cultural revolution where a fierce, modest Tuscan city birthed the wonders of Renaissance art. Perfect for an inspiring daily commute, this immersive European history reveals how bitter rivalries and merchant banking fueled unimaginable creativity. Experience the explosive atmosphere...

Challenge the myth of the Dark Ages and explore the epic cultural history that birthed modern art and humanism. Perfect for your morning commute or an afternoon of deep learning, this engaging historical narrative reveals how a millennium of medieval adaptation fueled an explosive era of...

Uncover the chilling historical reality of mass hysteria where thousands faced brutal persecution for alleged witchcraft. Spanning from 1450 to 1750, this immersive journey through early modern Europe explores how neighborly disputes and religious zealotry ignited one of the darkest eras in...