Synopses & Reviews
Burgundy from the late fifteenth century to the end of the sixteenth experienced a remarkable political and cultural flowering. Originally a fiefdom of France, under the Valois dukes it became an independent state, and the lives of the four dukes who created and presided over this magnificence are the subject of these four volumes, here paperbacked for the first time. On their original publication they were hailed for their contribution to the history of the European middle ages, and they have never been surpassed
Philip (ruled 1419-1467) inherited a flourishing and virtually independent state and a policy of territorial expansion which made him one of the most powerful and influential rules of the fifteenth century.
Synopsis
Under Philip the Good, grandson of the founder of the duchy's power, Burgundy reached its apogee. Professor Vaughan portrays not only Philip the Good himself, perhaps the most attractive personality among the four great dukes, butthe workings of the court and of one of the most efficent - if not necessarily the most popular - administrations in fifteenth-century Europe. The complex diplomatic history of Philip the Good's long ducal reign (1419-1467) occupies much of the book, in particular Burgundy's relations with England and France. The central theme is Philip the Good's policy of territorial and personal aggrandisement, which culminated in his negotiations with the Holy Roman Emperor for a crown. And due attention is given to the great flowering of artistic life in Burgundy which made Philip's court at Dijon an important cultural centre in the period immediately preceding the Renaissance. All this is based on the close study of the considerable surviving archives of Philip's civil service, and on the chronicles and letters of the period.
Philip the Good provides a definitive study of the life and times of the rulerwhose position and achievements made him the greatest magnate in Europe during what has been called "the Burgundian century".
Synopsis
Philip, who ruled from 1419 to 1467, was one of the most powerful and influential rulers of the fifteenth century. Forced into an alliance with the English, he soon found that he held the balance of power between England and France - reflected in the final crucial phase of the Hundred Years War.
Under Philip the Good, grandson of the founder of the duchy's power, Burgundy reached its apogee. Professor Vaughan portrays not only Philip the Good himself, perhaps the most attractive personality among the four great dukes, butthe workings of the court and of one of the most efficent - if not necessarily the most popular - administrations in fifteenth-century Europe. The complex diplomatic history of Philip the Good's long ducal reign (1419-1467) occupies much of the book, in particular Burgundy's relations with England and France. The central theme is Philip the Good's policy of territorial and personal aggrandisement, which culminated in his negotiations with the Holy Roman Emperor for a crown. And due attention is given to the great flowering of artistic life in Burgundy which made Philip's court at Dijon an important cultural centre in the period immediately preceding the Renaissance. All this is based on the close study of the considerable surviving archives of Philip's civil service, and on the chronicles and letters of the period.
Philip the Good provides a definitive study of the life and times of the rulerwhose position and achievements made him the greatest magnate in Europe during what has been called the Burgundian century.
Synopsis
The Burgundian court, from the late 15th to the end of the 16th century, was renowned for its splendour and sophistication. Originally a fiefdom of France, under the Valois dukes it became an independent state, and during the lives of the four dukes it was the centre of a great cultural flowering. This four-volume history of Burgundy, each volume covering the reign of a duke, brings the European high middle ages vividly to life.
Synopsis
Includes bibliographical references (p. 401-433) and index.