
Recommended read
Henry IV of France: The Importance of Being Parisian
David Buisseret
A readable life of the first Bourbon king who ended the Wars of Religion.

The most notable rulers who held power elsewhere at the same time, from European courts to Ottoman, Mughal, and Chinese thrones.

Akbar
Mughal Empire
1556–1605

Elizabeth I of England
England
1558–1603

Mehmed III
Ottoman Empire
1595–1603

Wanli Emperor
China
1572–1620

James VI and I
England
1603–1625

Ahmed I
Ottoman Empire
1603–1617

Rudolf II, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Empire
1576–1612

James VI and I
Scotland
1587–1625

Emperor Go-Yōzei
Japan
1586–1611

Murad III
Ottoman Empire
1574–1595

Jahangir I
Mughal Empire
1605–1627
Tokugawa Ieyasu
Japan (Shogunate)
1603–1605

John III of Sweden
Sweden
1568–1592

Philip III of Spain
Spain
1598–1621

Pope Clement VIII
Papacy
1592–1605

Philip III of Spain
Portugal
1598–1621

Philip II of Spain
Spain
1556–1598

Philip II of Spain
Portugal
1580–1598

Sigismund III Vasa
Sweden
1592–1599

Tokugawa Hidetada
Japan (Shogunate)
1605–1623

Charles IX of Sweden
Sweden
1604–1611

Pope Paul V
Papacy
1605–1621

Pope Sixtus V
Papacy
1585–1590
One “meanwhile in history” story each week: who ruled where, and what was happening on thrones across the world.
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From the library
Hand-picked histories and biographies for readers who want more than the timeline: the same era, told in full.

Recommended read
David Buisseret
A readable life of the first Bourbon king who ended the Wars of Religion.

Colin Jones
The best single-volume illustrated history of France, from Gaul to the Fifth Republic.
Find on Amazon
Jonathan Fenby
A lively modern history that helps place later French monarchs and revolutionaries in context.
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