{"title":"Books by Robert Hutchinson","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"9780753823613","title":"Thomas Cromwell","description":"\u003cp\u003eThe rise and fall of Henry's notorious minister - the most corrupt Chancellor in English history\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Gripping... Hutchinson tells his story with infectious relish and vividly evokes the politics and personalities of this extraordinary decade' \u003c\/b\u003eLITERARY REVIEW\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Hutchinson tells the horrible story admirably and compellingly, acknowledging Cromwell's rare abilities, while making no excuses for his character'\u003c\/b\u003e OBSERVER\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe son of a brewer, Cromwell rose from obscurity to become Earl of Essex, Vice-Regent and High Chamberlain of England, Keep of the Privy Seal and Chancellor of the Exchequer. He maneuvered his way to the top by intrigue, bribery and sheer force of personality in a court dominated by the malevolent King Henry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eCromwell pursued the interests of the king with single-minded energy and little subtlety. Tasked with engineering the judicial murder of Anne Boleyn when she had worn out her welcome in the royal chamber, he tortured her servants and relations, then organised a 'show trial' of Stalinist efficiency. He orchestrated the 'greatest act of privatisation in English history': the seizure of the monasteries. Their enormous wealth was used to cement the loyalty of the English nobility, and to enrich the crown. Cromwell made himself a fortune too, soliciting colossal bribes and binding the noble families to him with easy loans. He came home from court literally weighed down with gold.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56294713065845,"sku":"9780753823613","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780753823613_6ef41468-e88c-45af-b610-1dd50d3b9e67.jpg?v=1786015742"},{"product_id":"9780753822487","title":"Elizabeth's Spymaster","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe incredible real life story of the world's first super spy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003cbr\u003e'Full of stimulating detail... vivid glimpses of the world of Elizabethan espionage'\u003c\/b\u003e GUARDIAN\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e'Walsingham emerges from these pages as a hero of epic stature'\u003c\/b\u003e DAILY TELEGRAPH\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eFrancis Walsingham was the first 'spymaster' in the modern sense. His methods anticipated those of MI5 and MI6 and even those of the KGB. He maintained a network of spies across Europe, including double-agents at the highest level in Rome and Spain - the sworn enemies of Queen Elizabeth and her Protestant regime. His entrapment of Mary Queen of Scots is a classic intelligence operation that resulted in her execution. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Robert Hutchinson reveals, his cypher expert's ability to intercept other peoples' secret messages and his brilliant forged letters made him a fearsome champion of the young Elizabeth. Yet even this Machiavellian schemer eventually fell foul of Elizabeth as her confidence grew (and judgement faded). The rise and fall of Sir Francis Walsingham is \u003cb\u003ea Tudor epic, vividly narrated \u003c\/b\u003eby a historian with unique access to the surviving documentary evidence.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56298558751093,"sku":"9780753822487","price":13.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780753822487_64d476e6-6eee-4d17-8f57-4d9bdeecacb4.jpg?v=1786015717"},{"product_id":"9781780220888","title":"The Spanish Armada","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA dramatic blow-by-blow account of the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English fleet - a tale of daring and disaster on the high seas by one of our best narrative historians.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter the accession of Elizabeth I in 1558, Protestant England was beset by the hostile Catholic powers of Europe - not least Spain. In October 1585 King Philip II of Spain declared his intention to destroy Protestant England and began preparing invasion plans, leading to an intense intelligence war between the two countries, culminating in the dramatic sea battles of 1588.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRobert Hutchinson's tautly written book is the first to examine this battle for intelligence, and uses everything from contemporary eye-witness accounts to papers held by the national archives in Spain and the UK to recount the dramatic battle that raged up the English Channel. Contrary to popular theory, the Armada was not defeated by superior English forces - in fact, Elizabeth I's parsimony meant that her ships had no munitions left by the time the Armada had fought its way up to the south coast of England. In reality it was a combination of inclement weather and bad luck that landed the killer blow on the Spanish forces, and of the 125 Spanish ships that set sail against England, only 60 limped home - the rest sunk or wrecked with barely a shot fired.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56303227175285,"sku":"9781780220888","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781780220888_cac49e9f-d6b2-4e0e-8885-1aa03a8a5dbd.jpg?v=1786024163"},{"product_id":"9781913679736","title":"A Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of The Philippines","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Naturalist’s Guide to the Birds of the Philippines\u003c\/em\u003e is an easy-to-use identification guide to the 280 bird species most commonly seen in the Philippines. It is perfect for resident and visitor alike. The third edition features fully updated taxonomy and many new photos. High quality photographs from some of the Philippines’ top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions, which include nomenclature, length, plumage, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers geography, climate, habitat types, biogeography, the main sites for viewing the listed species and tips for identifying birds in the field. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the birds of the Philippines encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific names as well as vernacular names, and its global status.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56369354506613,"sku":"9781913679736","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9781913679736_1010f0d4-69ba-428d-bbc5-b43effc914ea.jpg?v=1790000877"}],"url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/collections\/author-robert-hutchinson.oembed","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}