Real Lives in the Sixteenth Century

Real Lives in the Sixteenth Century presents a global history using four sets of biographies to illustrate similar situations in different geographical regions. The vibrant narratives span four continents and include the following pairs: Henry IV of France and Hideyoshi of Japan, Hürrem Sultan (Roxelana) of the Ottoman Empire and Lady Zheng of the Ming Dynasty, Afonso I of Kongo and Elizabeth I of England, and Pope Clement VII and Moctezuma II of Mexico.Through exploring the lives of eight individuals from a variety of cultural settings, this book encourages students to think about the ‘big questions’ surrounding human interactions and the dynamics of power. It introduces them to a number of key historical concepts such as feudalism, dynasticism, religious syncretism and slavery, and is a springboard into the history of the wider world, blending together aspects of political, cultural, intellectual and material history. Accessibly written and containing timelines, genealogical tables and a number of illustrations for each biography, Real Lives in the Sixteenth Century is the ideal introductory text for undergraduates of pre-modern World History and of the sixteenth century in particular.

'This book will capture the imagination of students and immerse them in the early modern world. Readers will come to see the sixteenth century in its most exciting light: bloody, plotting, romantic, dramatic, shocking. Rebecca Ard Boone has a knack for storytelling and for finding the vivid details. With these paired biographies, she has brought to life the major themes that defined the century.'Emily Michelson, University of St. Andrews, UK

Rebecca Ard Boone is Professor of History at Lamar University, USA. Her previous publications include War, Domination, and the Monarchy of France (2007) and Mercurino di Gattinara and the Creation of the Spanish Empire (2014).