Books by Mark Greengrass
“Mark Greengrass is a scholar of rare distinction. This book originally came out in 1985, and the fully revised edition ten years later. Like Babelon, Greengrass has a remarkable grasp of primary sources originating in many different regions of France. What’s particularly impressive is his mastery of a great deal of the pamphlet and broadside literature of the time. There were no public opinion polls or elections back then, so if you as a historian want to get at what ordinary people were thinking, where do you go?…Greengrass’s solution is to examine broadsides and pamphlets that originated and were widely circulated in different parts of the country, identifying themes and ideas being repeated. Using these materials, Greengrass tries to establish the mindset of ordinary people. He shows, for example, how the foot soldiers in these vast movements were moved by the theological arguments of the time. They saw themselves threatened by contrary beliefs that undermined their group identity.” Read more...
The best books on Henri IV of France
Vincent Pitts, Historian
Interviews where books by Mark Greengrass were recommended
The best books on Henri IV of France, recommended by Vincent Pitts
At a time of bitter division, Henri IV succeeded to the French throne and managed to bring the country together after decades of civil war. He converted to Catholicism but brought in toleration for Protestants with the Edict of Nantes. In 1610 he was assassinated by a religious fanatic with a carving knife. Historian Vincent Pitts, author of a great introduction to Henri IV, talks us through the life and times of one of France’s most impressive monarchs.
