Nobilities in Transition 1550-1700

Ronald G. Asch is Professor of History, Universitat Freiburg, Germany

• Part 1 - Status and the Quest for Exclusiveness: the Foundations of Noble Identity Part 2 - The Changing Landscape of Noble Society Part 3 - Education, Religion and Civility Part 4 - The Court: Prison or Showcase of Noble Life? Part 5 - Resistance and Rebellion Part 6 - Noble Power and State Formation: Towards a New Symbiosis?

'Asch constructs his survey from a staggering array of secondary sources and is quick to point out exceptions to his general assertions...The interesting snippets about nobles in countries off the beaten track makes this work a worthwhile read, and his discussion of the change in nobility from flamboyant display to self-control is persuasive.' H-Net: Humanities and Social Science Reviews OnLin 'The picture that finally emerges..is one in which the culture of European nobilities was undoubtedly transformed in the early modern era. This involved some sacrfices, although the abandonment of military retinues and clientage formed a part of a process of adaptation, rather than the final decline of an effete and dying social elite, obsessed with privelege, as so often portrayed in the past.' European History Quarterly Volume 35 Issue 1 'Highly recommended.' Choice