Henry VIII of England was the oldest of the quartet, born in 1491. And then there was the small problem of the Protestant Reformation begin waged by an obscure monk named Martin Luther. As for the Turkish Sultans, their empire rimmed both sides of the Mediterranean but their momentum was headed on into Central Europe.Īdding to the confusion, none of our four princes were prime candidates to become rulers when they were born. These occasional allies and perpetual rivals fought over a new structure for Europe, the Middle East and even the New World that kept its shape for five centuries more until it just recently started to come unraveled.Īt the beginning, England laid claim to territory inside France, the French kings had seized parts of Italy, and the Holy Roman Empire was divided between Spain, Austria and the Lowlands now known as Belgium and Holland. For 10 centuries after the fall of the Roman Empire the people of Europe and the Middle East struggled to regain control over their separated destinies and find a stability despite the surge in populations, the birth of new technologies, the expansion of trade and the need for a unifying religious faith.īut then came these four remarkable princes, all born within 10 years of each other. Norwich is a master of bringing his characters to life as part of the larger canvass of the great events they brought into being.
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