 Don't Miss
More at Powell's
Powell's Q&A, Q&A | June 21, 2009
By Adam Schell
"As a husband who often lies to his wife, or tries to (small stuff, nothing scandalous — believe me), I can tell you first-hand that no married man I know can lie effectively to his wife"
Continue »
-
 |
$4.95 List price: $19.95
HARDCOVER, USED
Ships in 1 to 3 days
More copies of this ISBN:
This title in other formats:
The Awful End of Prince William the Silent: The First Assassination of a Head of State with a Handgun
by Lisa Jardine
|
|
|
|
Synopses & Reviews In this innovative and engaging work of history, distinguished author Lisa Jardine shows how the first killing by handgun of a head of state had a profound effect on the course of history. The shooting of Prince William of Orange by a French Catholic in 1584 had immediate political consequences: it was a serious setback for the Protestant cause in the Netherlands, as its forces fought for independence from the Catholic rule of the Hapsburg Empire. But, as Jardine brilliantly demonstrates, its implications for those in positions of power were even more far-reaching, as the assassination heralded the arrival of a lethal new threat to the security of nations — a pistol that could be concealed on one's person and used to deadly means at point-blank range. Queen Elizabeth I, William's close Protestant ally, was devastated by his death and, as the object of assassination plots herself, was thrown into panic. The English parliament soon enacted legislation making it an offense to bring a pistol anywhere near a royal palace. Elizabeth's terror was not misplaced. As Jardine observes, William's assassination was the first in a long and bloody line that would include the murders of President Lincoln in 1865 and Archduke Ferdinand in 1914 — a terror that is all too relevant today.
Review: "Remember that terrific old movie 'Bonnie and Clyde'? Besides its marvelous acting, plot, music and cinematography, it ended up being a serious study of the seductions of violence. The film is fearless, really, in its depiction of the transcendent exhilaration of shooting guns but what a terrible drag that turns out to be for those on the receiving end. The points of view balance each other almost ... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) perfectly. In the first half, Bonnie and Clyde got to have the most amazing adventures; in the second half, the Texas Rangers, or whoever, got to have their amazing moments, too — turning the car of the robber-couple into a giant colander, reducing the miscreants inside to human hamburger. 'The Awful End of Prince William the Silent,' a fascinating, amusing, scholarly little book, traces the rise of the wheel-lock pistol, a weapon that allowed the shooter to load as many as three bullets ahead of time. And it was small enough to be concealed within the user's clothes. These new little guns were often beautifully ornamented, elegantly crafted, fun to play with, the perfect boy-toy. Well-born gentlemen gave them to each other as tokens of esteem. On the other hand, for the first time, would-be assassins were able to get within shooting distance of their intended victims. These pistols were the perfect weapons for the sinister burglar, the lurking highwayman. Gun control became a problem. All this occurred in the second half of the 16th century, and suddenly knights in shining armor and all that they stood for went out of style. Too slow, too big, too bulky. This book is a brief account of how a few handguns changed the course of Renaissance history. The story, in summary: Queen Elizabeth I, pragmatic and Protestant, rules England. Philip II, enthusiastically Catholic, rules Spain. Prince William of Orange, often called William the Silent because of his political reticence (he has no lack of personal charm), tries to keep track of the Netherlands — Zeeland, Holland, Flanders, etc. The Dutch are Protestant, and thus natural allies of England. The French are Catholic, but their leader is prone to dither. Philip of Spain has a bee in his bonnet: He wants to blot out Protestantism forever, sending out armies this way and that, and especially targeting William the Silent. William repeatedly asks Elizabeth for aid but she hesitates to go to war, thus exasperating many of her male courtiers. Then, in 1582, there's an attempted assassination of William. The bullets go through his neck and cheek, but his beard is set on fire, cauterizing the wound; miraculously, he survives. Europe is sent into a collective panic attack; the crowned heads of the continent reach nervously for their crowns. How can anyone be safe if concealed weapons can be brought so close to any monarch? Two years later another assassin has a go at Prince William, and this time he succeeds. Soon Elizabeth has no choice but to send Protestant troops to the Low Lands, where one of her favorites, Sir Philip Sidney, is killed. A few months later, Elizabeth has her Catholic cousin Mary Queen of Scots executed. Within a year, Philip of Spain has put together his famous invincible armada, which sets out to conquer England. The Armada is destroyed by bad weather, and England — more or less by default — reigns supreme. Wow! This whole chain of events set in motion by a couple of jerks with a couple of handguns. Or, at least that's the way the author chooses to tell the story. Different narrators might have begun with Martin Luther nailing his beliefs on that famous door, or King Henry VIII deciding he wanted a divorce no matter what the pope said. But Jardine focuses on just a few years and that cute new weapon. She tells us about the intricate engineering of the gun, about its use as a plot device in plays and popular prose of the time, and she includes a set of charming portraits of Renaissance gentlemen holding pistols at angles of sassy virility, or — when in disfavor of the queen — positions of abject impotence. One portrait — of a Capt. Thomas Lee — is alone worth the price of the book: The captain is dressed elaborately from the waist up but wears what looks to be a miniskirt: 'His bare legs,' explains the author, 'are a fantasy evocation both of the dress of an Irish soldier, and that of a Roman hero.' It must have seemed like a good idea at the time, but the effect now is surpassingly silly. These guns, so quick, so appealing, so lethal! They or those like them did away with Abraham Lincoln, Medgar Evers, the Kennedy brothers, Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Martin Luther King Jr., John Lennon and thousands and thousands of ordinary storekeepers, unloved spouses and gangsters. These guns perfectly suit our murderous tendencies and also our senses of bravery, honor, bravado and fun. They're the ultimate democratic weapon: The poorest of us may own one, the most powerful of us may perish from its use. Jardine keeps perfect control over her material, while urging us to look at traditional history in a whole new way. I was absolutely charmed by this book, up to and including the shivering, barelegged nobleman with his goose bumps and his fancy-schmancy wheel-lock pistol." Reviewed by Carolyn See, Washington Post Book World (Copyright 2006 Washington Post Book World Service/Washington Post Writers Group)
(hide most of this review)Synopsis: From the author of "The Curious Life of Robert Hooke" comes the gripping account of the assassination, in 1584, of Prince William of Orange--the first assassination of a head of state with a handgun. About the Author Lisa Jardine is the author of biographies of Robert Hooke and Christopher Wren. She is Professor of Renaissance Studies at Queen Mary, University of London, and is also an honorary fellow of King's College, Cambridge. She lives in London, England.
Product Details
- ISBN:
- 9780060838355
- Subtitle:
- The First Assassination of a Head of State with a Handgun
LANGUAGE: eng
- Author:
- Jardine, Lisa
- Publisher:
- Harper Collins
- Subject:
- General
- Subject:
- Royalty
- Subject:
- History
- Subject:
- Historical - General
- Subject:
- Western Europe - Benelux
- Subject:
- Princes
- Subject:
- General History
- Series:
- Making History
- Publication Date:
- 20060201
- Binding:
- Hardback
- Grade Level:
- General/trade
- Language:
- English
- Illustrations:
- Y
- Pages:
- 176
- Dimensions:
- 8.56x5.56x.90 in. .72 lbs.
Other books you might like
-
-
-
-
-
-
Related Aisles
|
