Product Description: The Italian Wars of 1494-1559 had a major impact on the whole of Renaissance Europe. In this important text, Michael Mallett and Christine Shaw place the conflict within the political and economic context of the wars. Emphasising the gap between aims and strategies of the political masters and what their commanders and troops could actually accomplish on the ground, they analyse developments in military tactics and the tactical use of firearms and examine how Italians of all sectors of society reacted to the wars and the inevitable political and social change that they brought about...read more

Product Description: Fated by Blood [Siren Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Paranormal Romance, M/M, vampires, sex toys, HEA] Choosing one's mate is a special occasion. The knowledge that you both have chosen each other to live with and love forever is spectacular...read more

Product Description: The Billionaire's Boyfriend [Siren Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Romance, M/M, sex toys, HEA] After being jobless for months, Joshua Fort finally finds himself interviewing for the position of assistant to Adlib's CEO, Jack Liberty...read more

Product Description: Trip's Fury [Siren Classic ManLove: Erotic Alternative Paranormal Consensual BDSM Romance, M/M, werewolves, sex toys, HEA] Stopping in a '50s-style diner close to midnight on his way across country was not when Trip Barret expected a life-changing experience...read more

Product Description: First published in 1796, Debrett's Peerage & Baronetage is the world-famous directory of Britain's titled classes.

Political exiles were a prominent feature of political life during the Renaissance, often a source of intense concern to the states from which they were banished, and a ready instrument for governments wishing to intervene in the affairs of their rivals and enemies. This book provides the first systematic analysis of the role of exiles in the political life of fifteenth-century Italy. It also provides fresh perspectives on the nature and power of governments during this period, and on ideas about the legitimacy of political authority and political action.

Product Description: An examination of the nature of popular government and oligarchy in towns and cities throughout Renaissance Italy, and of the reasons why broadly-based civic governments were losing ground.

Product Description: This is a pioneering examination of the impact of the crucial central phase of the Italian Wars on the society, politics and culture of Italy, and how the experience of these campaigns and their consequences affected the combatants and the way they saw Italy and the Italians...read more

A guide to the spectacular world of architectural plants, packed with practical advice on how to liven up your garden using the striking shapes and wonderful exoticism of this distinct new area of planting. Whether amateur or expert, this book is useful reading for any gardener looking for something a bit special to grow.

Product Description: Both Latin and common names always listed Striking color photography Comprehensive information on bamboo, palms, climbers, cacti, ferns, and other architectural plants Clear, easy-to-follow, step-by-step instructions for key tasks Useful hints and tips from the experts Suggested planting combinations for theme gardens...read more

This title accompanies a ten-part Discovery Channel series from October to December 2003 in which professional and amateur archaeologists construct a Roman villa from scratch using Roman methods and materials.

Product Description: What happens next? That's what everybody wants to know, and astrology has been providing answers to that question for centuries. But astrologers are only as good as their methods, and incomplete methods give an incomplete picture...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Product Description: Five hundred years after the death in Florence of the Dominican preacher Girolamo Savonarola, this collection of essays reassesses his impact on the politics and culture of the Italian states both during the friar's public career and in the broader context of the invasion and occupation of those states by non-Italian powers...read more (view table of contents, read Amazon.com's description)

Julius II was one of the most remarkable and colourful men ever to sit on the papal throne. His vigour, determination, ambition, passion for action and notorious temper were more suited to the soldier he would probably have preferred to be, than to the ecclesiastical potentate he became under the patronage of his uncle, Pope Sixtus IV. A cardinal for 30 years, "eminence grise" to Innocent VIII, and a declared enemy of the Borgia pope, Alexander VI, long before his own election Julius was already an important figure in the political life of Renaissance Italy. After becoming pope in 1503, he revived the temporal authority of the papacy by his military campaigns, some of which he conducted in person. He was also an outstanding patron of the arts and commissioned major works from Raphael, Michelangelo and Brammante, including the Vatican Stanze and the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Many of his actions, however, compromised the papacy's spiritual authority, attracting the satire of Erasmus (who portrayed Julius arriving with his army at the gates of heaven only to be turned away by St Peter) and contributing to Martin Luther's crisis of conscience. This biography is based on extensive use of archival sources. Shaw's account includes new material about Julius' career as a cardinal, which should give fresh perspectives on his policies as pope. The reports of those who negotiated with him, those who observed him and spied on him, ridiculed him and admired him, are used to depict the vivid, powerful and humorous personality of the "papa terribile" and the impact he made on his times.