Sovereigns have been the ultimate authority in many world regimes for more than 5,000 years. Informative and entertaining, this newly revised and completely updated volume is the definitive source book for accurate and thorough information on kings, rulers, and statesmen.

This sweeping book explores the profound shift in the way European kings and queens were regarded by their subjects between the Reformation and the Enlightenment. Once viewed as godlike beings, by 1715 monarchs had come to represent the human, visible side of the rational state. The author offers new insights into the relations between kings and their subjects and the interplay between monarchy and religion.

Contains the Essay volume and the Exhibit Catalogue volume. The catalogue accompanies an international exhibition, "First Kings of Europe," and the essay volume, First Kings of Europe: From Farmers to Rulers in Prehistoric Southeastern Europe, that examine the artifacts and cultures of this area from the Neolithic to the Iron Age. Over several millennia, early agricultural villages gave rise to tribal kingdoms and monarchies, replacing smaller, more egalitarian social structures with complex state organizations led by royal individuals invested with power. Several hundred objects and artifacts in the exhibition are portrayed in the catalog, accompanied by introductory text and detailed entries for each item. The spectacular and highly detailed color photographs introduce us to the gold and silver ornaments, bronze and iron weaponry, rich metal hoards and magnificent ceremonial vessels that are masterpieces from this period of history. Many of them have never left their countries of origin, making this exhibition and these two volumes documenting it an opportunity not to miss.

This Is A New Release Of The Original 1904 Edition.

Reproduction of the original.