Paul Strathern

The Borgias by Paul Strathern is a riveting exploration into the lives and legacies of one of history's most infamous dynasties. Through meticulous research and vivid storytelling, Strathern brings to life the turbulent era characterized by ruthless ambition, political intrigue, and extraordinary cultural achievements. The story unfolds with the ascension of Rodrigo Borgia to the papacy as Pope Alexander VI....

Between the birth of Dante in 1265 and the death of Galileo in 1642, something happened which completely revolutionised Western civilisation. Painting, sculpture, and architecture would all visibly change in a striking fashion. Likewise, the thought and self-conception of humanity would take on a completely different aspect. Sciences would be born — or emerge in an entirely new guise. In...

Between the end of the Renaissance and the start of the Enlightenment, Europe lived through an era known as the Age of Reason. This was a period which saw advances in areas such as art, science, philosophy, political theory, and economics. However, all this was achieved against a background of extreme turbulence in the form of internal conflicts and international...

'A book of ideas [...] Strathern ably guides us through these moments of glory.' -- The Times * Great cities are complex, chaotic and colossal. These are cities that dominate the world stage and define eras; where ideas flourish, revolutions are born and history is made. Through ten unique cities, from the founding of ancient capitals to buzzing modern megacities,...

It is generally accepted that the European Renaissance began in Italy. However, a historical transformation of similar magnitude also took place in northern Europe at the same time. This Other Renaissance was initially centred on the city of Bruges in Flanders (modern Belgium), but its influence was soon being felt in France, the German states, England, and even in Italy...

Between the end of the Renaissance and the start of the Enlightenment, Europe lived through an era known as the Age of Reason. This was a period which saw advances in areas such as art, science, philosophy, political theory, and economics. However, all this was achieved against a background of extreme turbulence in the form of internal conflicts and international...

Rise and Fall opens with the Akkadian Empire, which ruled over a vast expanse of the region of ancient Mesopotamia, then turns to the immense Roman Empire, where we trace back our western and eastern roots. Next, Strathern describes how a great deal of Western classical culture was developed in the Abbasid and Umayyid Caliphates. Then, while Europe was beginning...

A sweeping history of the Age of Reason, which shows how, although it was a time of progress in many areas, it was also an era of brutality and intolerance, by the author of The Borgias and The Florentines. During the 1600s, between the end of the Renaissance and the start of the Enlightenment, Europe lived through an era known...