Emperor

A New Life of Charles V

By: Geoffrey Parker

Narrated by: Nigel Patterson

The life of Emperor Charles V (1500-1558), ruler of Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, and much of Italy and Central and South America, has long intrigued biographers. But the elusive nature of the man (despite an abundance of documentation), his relentless travel and the control of his own image, together with the complexity of governing the world's first transatlantic empire, complicate the task.

Geoffrey Parker, one of the world's leading historians of early modern Europe, has examined the surviving written sources in Dutch, French, German, Italian, Latin, and Spanish, as well as visual and material evidence. He explores the crucial decisions that created and preserved this vast empire, analyzes Charles' achievements within the context of both personal and structural factors, and scrutinizes the intimate details of the ruler's life for clues to his character and inclinations. The result is a unique biography that interrogates every dimension of Charles' reign and views the world through the emperor's own eyes.

©2019 Geoffrey Parker (P)2019 Tantor

Critic reviews

"This is a splendid book. It's well-written, engaging the reader, even while marshalling to good use a truly impressive erudition...." (James D. Tracy, author of Emperor Charles V)

best read on Charles V

best narrated book on Charles v. overall excellent historical background on family and the habsburgs.

Interesting story about a historical person

I liked the book. It was very detailed. I did find it a little repetitious but still enjoyed it.

Excellent

Excellent writing, it is thorough without taxing. It is also beautiful writing. The reading is superb.

Excellent biography

I really appreciate the style by Parker. He brings Charles to life with great skill. Narration is also flawless.

A book both well written and well read

A book both well written and well read. Nigel Patterson does a tremendous job here.