The history of modern Europe takes its start from an event which must have appeared insignificant to a generation that had witnessed the violent end of the English dominion in France, had been dinned by the clash of the Wars of the Roses, and watched with breathless fear the savage hosts of Islam striking at the heart of Christendom over the still smoking ruins of the Byzantine Empire. Late one night, in the beginning of October 1469, a cavalcade of men in the guise of traders halted benea...

FOR three hundred years a bitter controversy has raged around the actions of Philip II. of Spain. Until our own times no attempt even had been made to write his life-history from an impartial point of view. He had been alternately deified and execrated, until through the mists of time and prejudice he loomed rather as the permanent embodiment of a system than as an individual man swayed by changing circumstances and controlled by human frailties. The more recent histories of his reign—the ...

The mean city of Valladolid reached the summit of its glory on the 28th of May 1605. Seven weeks before—on Good Friday, the 8th April—there had been born in the King's palace an heir to the world-wide monarchy of the Spains, the first male child that had been vouchsafed to the tenuous reigning house for seven-and-twenty years; and the new capital, proud of the fleeting importance that the folly of Lerma had conferred upon it, curtailed its lenten penance, and gave itself up to sensuous dev...

It may be stated as an historical truism that great organic changes in the relationship of human beings towards each other are usually preceded by periods of quiescence and apparent stability, during which unsuspected forces of preparation are at work. When the moment of crisis comes, the unthinking marvel that men are ready, as if by magic, to accept, and, if need be, to fight and die for, the new order of ideas. Although the outward manifestation of it may be unexpected, yet, in reality,...

The greatest diplomatic game ever played on the world’s chessboard was that consummate succession of intrigues which for nearly half a century was carried on by Queen Elizabeth and her ministers with the object of playing off one great Continental power against another for the benefit of England and Protestantism, with which the interests of the Queen herself were indissolubly bound up. Those who were in the midst of the strife were for the most part working for immediate aims, and probabl...

On the night of Sunday, the 28th of July, 1588, the great Armada was huddled, all demoralised and perplexed, in Calais roads. Only a week before the proudest fleet that ever rode the seas laughed in derision at the puny vessels that alone stood between it and victory over the heretic Queen and her pirate countrymen, who for years had plundered and insulted with impunity the most powerful sovereign in Europe. Gilded prows and fluttering pennons, great towering hulls which seemed to defy des...

In a previous volume I have remarked upon the extremely small political significance of most of the Queens Consort of England, although socially the country has become what it is mainly through feminine influence. In Spain the exact reverse has happened, and in no Christian country has the power of women been less formative of the life and character of the nation, whilst, largely owing to personal and circumstantial accident, the share of ladies in deciding the political destinies of the c...

Portugal had been familiar to me from my earliest youth, for my road to and from Spain had often lain that way, and circumstances had made me conversant with the language and history of the country; and yet this book is not the outcome of any such previous knowledge, but mainly of one short voyage in search of change and health. It happened in this way. As oft befalls men who in this striving world have to wring their brains for drachmas, the completion of a particularly arduous book had l...

The first and best biography of the great Troubadour with artwork by Martin Sharp.Throughout his lifetime, Tiny Tim was a repository of recorded music stemming from the early days of vaudeville to the latest chart favourites. But despite all these influences he remained a true original perfecting his performances as an outreach of his personality. True, he had some strange traits, but they did not impede on his enthusiastic kindness to people he loved, to the musicians he accomp...

A novel about a high school band by Lowell Tarling with artwork by Martin Sharp.You may finish school with no plans, no money, and no direction. But if all you want is to play guitar with your teeth, smash a Rickenbacker or grow your hair long - then being in a high school band could be the last thing you need… It is 1967. Tom is 18, and ready…This novel combines the cunning wit of Lowell Tarling with the atmospheric pop art of the iconic Martin Sharp.It is the best of time...

Do you crave the power to unlock your full leadership potential? Do you want to master the art of persuasion to lead and inspire others?In the world of Persuasive Leadership, we dive deep into the wisdom of top business visionaries who've harnessed the magic of persuasion to elevate their collaborative prowess and achieve unparalleled success. This book isn't just for the corporate elite – it's a goldmine of actionable insights for anyone hungry to amplify their influence ...

In "The Comic Adventures of Old Mother Hubbard, and Her Dog," Sarah Catherine Martin revitalizes the humorous and whimsical lore of the beloved nursery rhyme, following Old Mother Hubbard and her canine companion through a series of absurd, comical escapades. Employing a lively, rhythmic prose style coupled with vivid illustrations, Marting invites readers into a richly imagined world teeming with eccentric characters and farcical situations. The book reflects the tradition of children's l...