Four Princes cover art

Four Princes

Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Obsessions that Forged Modern Europe

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Four Princes

By: John Julius Norwich
Narrated by: Julian Elfer
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £14.35

Buy Now for £14.35

About this listen

 'Never before had the world seen four such giants co-existing. Sometimes friends, more often enemies, always rivals, these four men together held Europe in the hollow of their hands.'

The colourful story of the four very different men who created our modern world: Henry VIII, Francis I of France, Charles V of Spain and Suleiman the Magnificent: popular history at its best from John Julius Norwich.

Four great princes - Henry VIII of England, Francis I of France, Charles V of Spain and Suleiman the Magnificent - were born within a single decade. Each looms large in his country's history and, in this book, John Julius Norwich broadens the scope and shows how, against the rich background of the Renaissance and destruction of the Reformation, their wary obsession with one another laid the foundations for modern Europe. Individually, each man could hardly have been more different ­- from the scandals of Henry's six wives to Charles's monasticism - but, together, they dominated the world stage.

From the Field of the Cloth of Gold, a pageant of jousting, feasting and general carousing so lavish that it nearly bankrupted both France and England, to Suleiman's celebratory pyramid of 2,000 human heads (including those of seven Hungarian bishops) after the battle of Mohács; from Anne Boleyn's six-fingered hand (a potential sign of witchcraft) that had the pious nervously crossing themselves to the real story of the Maltese falcon, Four Princes is history at its vivid, entertaining best.

With a cast list that extends from Leonardo da Vinci to Barbarossa, and from Joanna the Mad to le roi grand-nez, John Julius Norwich offers the perfect guide to the most colourful century the world has ever known and brings the past to unforgettable life.

(P) 2017 Tantor Politics & Activism Royalty Middle Ages England War

Critic reviews

Wonderful . . . This was indeed a glorious age and Norwich has made a brilliant decision to study four idiosyncratic rulers as an interacting quartet rather than separately . . . A lively and charming book
With characteristic deftness of touch, Norwich brings each character vividly to life and skilfully weaves their stories together . . . Norwich introduces a dazzling cast of characters: from Leonardo da Vinci to Martin Luther, Joanna the Mad to Anne Boleyn . . . the portrayal feels entirely fresh and enables the reader to gain new insights into some of history's most familiar characters. It is a genuinely inspired idea for a book, and Norwich executes it with typical aplomb (Tracy Borman)
Scholarly and entertaining . . . This book provides a vivid and compelling picture of this turbulent century
Packed with extraordinary figures - not just the four princes, but artists and emperors too . . . a warm, witty and fascinating look at how such dynamic individuals shaped the Renaissance and the Reformation right across Europe throughout the sixteenth century
What makes this such a compelling read is that the author seasons his erudition with a sharp eye for the quirky fact and the sardonic comment . . . a fascinating and compulsive story (John Ure)
Norwich made a brilliant decision to study them as an interacting quartet, rather than individually, for only in this way can one begin to understand how great events and great personalities were hopelessly entangled . . . charming
All stars
Most relevant
Superb narrative on the many times Francis, Henry VIII, Charles V, and Suleiman the Magnificent crossed paths during such a seismic epoch. I was drawn by how smoothly the narrative flowed and how their lives intersected so much so that changes in their tastes affected the entirety of Europe.

Engaging, Unique!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
JJN always writes with such flair and wit. not only is it packed with detail as all his books are but flavoured with witty asides and diverting anecdotes that always make Lord Norwich's work a joy to behold, whether listened to or read.
The narrator is also excellent with a nice melodic voice, which fits the subject well.
basically this is a 10/10 would recommend.

Wonderful from start to finish

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This is a good primer for people like myself who know absolutely nothing about three of the four titular princes. As a pop-history book, it’s entertaining and painted in broad but rather thin strokes. Sometimes I felt the author was a bit lazy (for refusing to even attempt modern equivalencies of the sums named in the book). But overall I came away with a basic understanding of the time, but I was deeply curious to know more details.

Shallow but entertaining

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.