The Mercurial Emperor: The Magic Circle of Rudolf II in Renaissance Prague [Paperback]

The pleasure of this book for me, in addition to such stimulating
details, is that the Holy Roman Empire on the cusp of the 17th century is
terra incognita, to be approached with a fresh eye... Rudoph's tolerance
deserves a wider audience in our fractious age.

'The story of Rudolf's life is a compelling one... an admirable
and fascinating book.'

An entertaining description of life at the heart of a Europe
stained by the clash of new and old ideas... an enjoyable description of
what was an extraordinary epoch.

"Very readable history"

'A sympathetic biography of this strange, intelligent
aesthete-philosopher...Rudolf himself...appears a tragic as well as a
fascinating figure.'

Fascinating.

You could do a lot worse than to pack this book in your suitcase
when you're visiting the city. His lucid prose and clear exposition will
help you to decipher a good bit of Prague's labyrinth, and to explain in
part why the capital of one of the less important European countries is one
of the great cities of the world.

An insightful and perceptive record of a city that revolutionised
culture and science.

`glitters with interest on every page'

'fascinating read'

First published under the title The Theatre of the World, this is a captivating portrait of the crucible of magic, science and religion at the court of the doomed dreamer Rudolf II in Renaissance Prague.In the late 16th century the greatest philosophers, alchemists, astronomers, painters, and mathematicians of the day flocked to Prague to work under the patronage of the Holy Roman Emperor. The Mercurial Emperor is the enchanting story of Rudolf II, an emperor more interested in the great minds of his times than in the exercise of his immense power. Rarely leaving Prague Castle, he gathered around him a galaxy of famous figures: among them the painter Arcimboldo, the astronomer Tycho Brahe, the mathematician Johannes Kepler, the philosopher Giordano Bruno and the magus John Dee. Entranced, like Hamlet, with the new Renaissance learning, Rudolf found it nearly impossible to make decisions. Like Faust, he was prepared to risk all in the pursuit of magical knowledge and the Philosopher's Stone which would turn base metals into gold and prolong life indefinitely. But he also faced the threats of religious discord and the Ottoman Empire, along with a deepening melancholy and an ambitious younger brother. As a result he lost his empire and nearly his sanity but enabled Prague to enjoy a golden age of peace and creativity before Europe was engulfed in the Thirty Years' War. The Mercurial Emperor is an intriguing and dramatic human story. It is filled with angels and devils, high art and low cunning, talismans and stars, and offers a captivating perspective on a pivotal moment in the history of Western civilisation.

In the late sixteenth century the greatest philosophers, alchemists, astronomers, painters and mathematicians flocked to Prague to work under the patronage of the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II - an emperor more interested in the great minds of his times than in the exercise of his immense power. Rarely leaving Prague Castle, he gathered around himself a galaxy of celebrated figures: among them the painter Arcimboldo, thee astronomer Tycho Brahe, the mathematician Johannes Kepler, the philosopher Giordano Bruno and the magus John Dee.

Fascinated by the new Renaissance learning, Rudolf found it nearly impossible to make decisions of state. Like Faust, he was prepared to risk all in the pursuit of magical knowledge and the Philosopher's Stone which would turn base metals into gold and prolong life indefinitely. But he also faced threats: religious discord, the Ottoman Empire, his own deepening melancholy and an ambitious younger brother. As a result he lost his empire and nearly his sanity. But he enabled Prague to enjoy a golden age of peace and creativity before Europe was engulfed in the Thirty Years' War.

Filled with angels and devils, high art and low cunning, talismans and stars, The Mercurial Emperor offers a captivating perspective on a pivotal moment in the history of Western civilisation.

'An admirable and fascinating book.' Alex Butterworth, Observer

'An entertaining description of life at the heart of a Europe stained by the clash of new and old ideas...an enjoyable description of an extraordinary epoch.' Greg Neale, BBC History Magazine

Dr Peter Marshall has written widely on cultural and intellectual history and is the author of more than a dozen books translated into eleven languages, including The Philosopher's Stone: A Quest for the Secrets of Alchemy, World Astrology and Europe's Lost Civilization. His travel writing includes the books Around Africa and Celtic Gold. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographic Society.