{"title":"Books by Martyn Rady","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780141987200","title":"The Habsburgs","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'This is probably the best book ever written on the Habsburgs in any language, certainly the best I have ever read ... Students, scholars and the general reader will never find a better guide to Habsburg history' Alan Sked, \u003ci\u003eTimes Literary Supplement\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eThe Habsburgs\u003c\/i\u003e, Martyn Rady tells the epic story of a dynasty and the world it built - and then lost - over nearly a millennium.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrom modest origins, the Habsburgs grew in power to gain control of the Holy Roman Empire in the fifteenth century. Then, in just a few decades, their possessions rapidly expanded to take in a large part of Europe stretching from Hungary to Spain, and from the Far East to the New World. The family continued to dominate Central Europe until the catastrophe of the First World War.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWith its seemingly disorganized mass of large and small territories, its tangle of laws and privileges and its medley of languages, the Habsburg Empire has always appeared haphazard and incomplete. But here Martyn Rady shows the reasons for the family's incredible endurance, driven by the belief that they were destined to rule the world as defenders of the Roman Catholic Church, guarantors of peace and patrons of learning. The Habsburg emperors were themselves absurdly varied in their characters - from warlords to contemplatives, from clever to stupid, from idle to frenzied - but all driven by the same sense of family mission. Scattered around the world, countless buildings, institutions and works of art continue to bear witness to their overwhelming impact.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe Habsburgs\u003c\/i\u003e is the definitive history of a remarkable dynasty that, for better or worse, shaped Europe and the world.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43201543733426,"sku":"9780141987200","price":14.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780141987200.jpg?v=1786011156"},{"product_id":"9780198792963","title":"The Habsburg Empire","description":"The Habsburgs are the most famous dynasty in continental Europe. From the thirteenth to the twentieth centuries, they ruled much of Central Europe, and for two centuries were also rulers of Spain. Through the Spanish connection, they acquired lands around the Mediterranean and a chunk of the New World, spreading eastwards to include the Philippines. Reaching from South-East Asia to what is now Ukraine, the Habsburg Empire was truly global. In this Very Short Introduction Martin Rady looks at the history of the Habsburgs, from their tenth-century origins in Switzerland, to the dissolution of the Habsburg Empire in 1918. He introduces the pantheon of Habsburg rulers, which included adventurers, lunatics, and at least one monarch who was so malformed that his true portrait could never be exhibited. He also discusses the lands and kingdoms that made up the Habsburg Empire, and the decisive moments that shaped their history. Dynasty, Europe, global power, and the idea of the multi-national state all converge on the history of the Habsburg Empire. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43206025543858,"sku":"9780198792963","price":9.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780198792963_fc090d57-9d9b-424c-81bb-2cfcaca6b208.jpg?v=1786012555"},{"product_id":"9780141996271","title":"The Middle Kingdoms","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Fascinating, masterful ... gems scattered throughout the book' Peter Frankopan, \u003ci\u003eSpectator\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Quirkily original but also scholarly and authoritative, to be read for pleasure and serious reflection'\u003ci\u003e Telegraph\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e*The dramatic history of Europe's shape-shifting centre, from the author of \u003ci\u003eThe Habsburgs*\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCentral Europe is not just a space on a map but also a region of shared experience - of mutual borrowings, impositions and misapprehensions. From the Roman Empire onwards, it has been the target of invasion from the east. In the Middle Ages, Central Europeans cast their eastern foes as 'the dogmen'. They would later become the Turks, Swedes, Russians and Soviets, all of whom pulled the region apart and remade it according to their own vision.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCompetition among Europe's Middle Kingdoms yielded repeated cultural effervescences. This was the first home of the High Renaissance outside Italy, the cradle of the Reformation, the starting point of the Enlightenment, Romanticism, the symphony and modern nationalism. It was a permanent battleground too for religious and political ideas.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMost recent histories of Central Europe confine themselves to the lands in between Germany and Russia, homing in on Poland, Hungary, and what is now the Czech Republic. This new history embraces the whole of Central Europe, including the German lands as well as Ukraine and Switzerland. The story of Europe's Middle Kingdoms is a reminder of Central Europe's precariousness, of its creativity and turbulence, and of the common cultural trends that make these lands so distinctive.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56224896909685,"sku":"9780141996271","price":16.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780141996271_7a37e615-307f-4724-aad9-276ac9db96b2.jpg?v=1786011422"},{"product_id":"eastern-europe","title":"Eastern Europe","description":"Eastern Europe – the vast lands stretching from the eastern Baltic to the Bosporus – has never been a single world. It is a crossroads of empires, peoples and faiths: a place of collision and exchange. While great powers sought to impose order, there flourished warrior republics and despotic pashas, bandits and corsairs, visionary statesmen and ruthless revolutionaries.The map of Eastern Europe as we know it is remarkably recent, born of treaties, wars and accident. In this sweeping book, Martyn Rady traces the region's history over more than two millennia, from the Roman Empire's collapse in the fifth century CE, through the medieval kingdoms and frontier societies, the rise of the Russian Empire, and the revolutions and wars that forged the modern age. Rich in insight and vivid storytelling, this is an essential new history of a region that has shaped Europe – and continues to influence its future.","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57499464794485,"sku":"9780241634660","price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}]}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-martyn-rady.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}