商品簡介
Chaloner achieved much during his short life. After university he served in the household of Thomas Cromwell, and later he was entrusted with increasingly delicate missions in France, Scotland, Flanders and finally Spain, where he was resident ambassador at the court of Philip II. His career was helped by his close friendship with William Cecil, whom he got to know at Oxford. He managed to stay employed during the religious and political upheavals of four reigns, while many close to him lost their positions and even their lives.
Chaloner was an intellectual and a humanist. He had a close circle of literary friends with whom he collaborated, for instance in the staging of court masques. He himself produced reams of verse, and he also translated several books from Latin, including The Praise of Folly by Erasmus.
In Spain, Chaloner devoted much energy to trying to save dozens of English sailors who found themselves in Spanish prisons as a result of bitter trade disputes between England and Spain. The stresses of his job weakened him physically, and he died soon after his recall, leaving a wife and young son.
Dan O'Sullivan explores the life of Chaloner and delves into the intricacies of European court life during the time of the Tudors. Chaloner, a reluctant ambassador who longed for his home in England, is a fascinating but little-known character who is brought to life in vivid detail.
作者簡介
Dan O'Sullivan is a retired history teacher and lecturer. He gained his degrees in history from the universities of Cambridge and East Anglia. He has previously published Tudor Britain and In Search of Captain Cook (Taurus).
