- Hardcover: 352 pages
- Publisher: John Wiley & Sons (19 Nov 2004)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0471436518
- ISBN-13: 978-0471436515
- Product Dimensions: 23.4 x 16.4 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 724,477 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
The Sancy Blood Diamond
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Review
“…she tells the 600–year story of the Sancy, with thefts and intrigues from India to the French monarchy.” (Oxford Times, 24th December 2004)
“…Susan Ronald attacks her story with a great deal of gusto and erudition…" (The Sunday Telegraph, 2 January 2005)
“…An astonishing story. And one to which Ronald’s highly–original book does full justice…” (Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds, 22 December 2004)
“…unravels a real theft from Louvre…” (The Times, 19 November 2004)
Back when pepper was the king of spices and monarchs governed Europe, jewels ruled. The more precious gems a king or queen had, the greater the chances of mounting an army to seize land, power––and more gems. Until it was cut in 1661, the 106–carat Sancy was "the largest white diamond in Christendom," a guarantee of wealth, though not of security. Ronald, a British historian, has gone on a treasure hunt to dig up every fact imaginable about the diamond’s owners from the 14th century to the present––it’s now in the Louvre, which purchased it from Lord Astor, who inherited it from his father. While she clearly illustrates the ill fortune that befell many who came into contact with the diamond, it’s hard to buy her claim that "it helped change the course of European history," though those who bought, traded, stole or coveted the Sancy––among them Queen Elizabeth I, King Charles I and Louis XIV––were Europe’s most powerful. As an introduction to mostly European history, this book is alternately enlightening and overwhelming. At times, the diamond gets lost in a snarl of names and facts, but those with some familiarity with and interest in European history may consider this a gem worth having in their library. Agent, Alex Hoyt. (Nov.) (Publishers Weekly, August 23, 2004)
“…she tells the 600–year story of the Sancy, with thefts and intrigues from India to the French monarchy.” (Oxford Times, 24th December 2004)
“…Susan Ronald attacks her story with a great deal of gusto and erudition…" (The Sunday Telegraph, 2 January 2005)
“…An astonishing story. And one to which Ronald’s highly–original book does full justice…” (Yorkshire Evening Post, Leeds, 22 December 2004)
“…unravels a real theft from Louvre…” (The Times, 19 November 2004)
"...this book is alternately enlightening and overwhelming...may consider this a gem worth having in their library". (Publishers Weekly, August 23, 2004)
Oxford Times, 24th December 2004
"...she tells the 600-year story of the Sancy, with thefts and intrigues from India to the French monarchy."
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
THE SANCY DIAMOND'S STORY, and indeed the history of power and greed behind all large diamonds, begins at the famous Golconda mines in India. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THE SANCY DIAMOND'S STORY, and indeed the history of power and greed behind all large diamonds, begins at the famous Golconda mines in India. Read the first page
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Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Wow! Ronald has succeeded in cutting a vast swathe through the turmoil of 600 years of European history in this book in the most fascinating way. The diamond illustrates beautifully the underlying theme of the power and greed that ruled the world, made and lost fortunes, and cost lives. The body count is high, accompanied by a strange curse that seems to cut down all who use the diamond for warfare, like Charles I of England. I was stunned by the amazing little kernels of knowledge that Ronald weaved into well known histories of famous rulers. It is a gem of a book for anyone interested in power, greed, royalty or the rich and famous. Ronald gets 5*s from me! James Moss
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I can honestly say that Susan Ronald has taken the legend of the blood diamond and transformed its legacy superbly into writing. This piece of sublime literature captures the full spectrum of emotions through graceful underlying sub-tones. I could not put this one down!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
The bloodiest of them all
12 April 2007
Format:Hardcover
In this historical potboiler, Susan Ronald traces the history of the Sancy Diamond from the mines of Golconda to its current tranquil resting place in The Louvre. As the largest and most famous diamond in Europe from the Fourteenth through the Seventeenth Century, The Sancy had many admirers and several owners; from Charles the Bold through Napoleon, kings, queens, cardinals and dukes, some of them major players on the stage of European history. Ronald does more; she is a knowledgeable political-historian and along the way she weaves the Sancy's chronology into to woof and weft of European political history.
As Ronald shows, The Sancy and by extension other famous gems did more than add luster to the crowns of European Monarchs. Goldsmiths were Europe's first bankers. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that long before the present conflicts in Africa, large and famous gems provided the bloody collateral of choice, pledged by Europe's crowned heads to the financiers who bankrolled Europe's major conflicts.
Ronald's account is authoritative, fast paced and reads like a Machiavellian analysis of history. From the killing fields of Nancy, to Charles I's beheading, to the court of the Sun King, Ronald shows how sex, power and greed as represented by The Sancy, fueled the politics of Europe. The book was published in 1995, don't know how I missed it. The book is particularly relevant given the present interest in conflict diamonds. Highly recommended.
As Ronald shows, The Sancy and by extension other famous gems did more than add luster to the crowns of European Monarchs. Goldsmiths were Europe's first bankers. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that long before the present conflicts in Africa, large and famous gems provided the bloody collateral of choice, pledged by Europe's crowned heads to the financiers who bankrolled Europe's major conflicts.
Ronald's account is authoritative, fast paced and reads like a Machiavellian analysis of history. From the killing fields of Nancy, to Charles I's beheading, to the court of the Sun King, Ronald shows how sex, power and greed as represented by The Sancy, fueled the politics of Europe. The book was published in 1995, don't know how I missed it. The book is particularly relevant given the present interest in conflict diamonds. Highly recommended.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Fun and easy read
5 Feb 2006
Format:Hardcover
I found this book to be a very entertaining and fascinating read. It certainly gives the most thorough historical account of this fabulous stone that I have yet come across. The subject is well researched, as the author can place the Sancy for nearly every point in its significant European history. Apart from the few awkward similes involving Saddam Hussein and the tirade against the Louvre at the conclusion, this book is well written and easily comprehended. The reproductions of portraits where the diamond is portrayed were also very helpful in visualizing the various settings of the stone over the centuries. One criticism for the book is that some parts of the `filler history' seem to highlight the author's personal judgments rather than historical events. Nevertheless, readers who find interest in European royal politics as well as those interested in the history of great gems will find this well worth the read.
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