{"title":"Michael Pye","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to our collection dedicated to the insightful works of Michael Pye, a renowned author and historian. Delve into his profound narratives that seamlessly blend storytelling with meticulous historical research. Michael Pye is celebrated for bringing history to life with his engaging style and has captivated readers with his comprehensive explorations into Europe's rich tapestry of culture and conflict.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong his acclaimed works, you'll find \u003cem\u003eAntwerp\u003c\/em\u003e, a compelling account of this Belgian city that highlights its significant role in historical events. Through vivid storytelling, Pye examines how Antwerp has shaped, and been shaped by, the waves of history that have washed over Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAnother gem in this collection is \u003cem\u003eThe Edge of the World\u003c\/em\u003e, where Pye takes readers on a journey through the transformative years that bridged the fall of the Roman Empire and the early beginnings of the modern world. This masterpiece unravels the pivotal developments of the Dark Ages, offering keen insights into the lives, discoveries, and innovations that laid the groundwork for modern Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhether you're a history aficionado or simply curious about the past, Michael Pye's books offer a captivating glimpse into the dynamic forces that have moulded today's world. Explore our collection to unearth the fascinating details of history as narrated by Pye's expert pen.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"the-edge-of-the-world-by-michael-pye-9780241963838","title":"The Edge of the World","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA magnetic book on the North Sea brimming with rollicking adventures, vivid characters, and witty observations.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBetween the fall of Rome and the dawn of the Enlightenment, northern Europe transformed from a barbaric outpost to the centre of everything, shaping the world we know today. We have often overlooked its impact, but the reason is the North Sea—boats carried food and raw materials but also new ideas and information. Seafarers raided and killed but also settled and coupled, bringing the tastes and technologies that would make us modern.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Edge of the World\u003c\/em\u003e is the story of the saints and spies, fishermen and pirates, traders and marauders whose journeys changed everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46338691367148,"sku":"9780241963838","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/3351923482274.jpg?v=1743743366"},{"product_id":"antwerp-by-michael-pye-9780141982465","title":"Antwerp","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis rich history of Antwerp in the sixteenth century was a \u003cem\u003eTimes\u003c\/em\u003e Book of the Year and R4 Book of the Week.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eA rich history of Antwerp from the author of the acclaimed bestseller \u003cem\u003eThe Edge of the World\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEven before Amsterdam, there was a dazzling North Sea port at the hub of the known world— the city of Antwerp.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAntwerp was sensational like nineteenth-century Paris or twentieth-century New York, somewhere anything could happen or at least be believed—killer bankers, easy kisses, a market in secrets, and every kind of heresy. For half the sixteenth century, it was the place for breaking rules—religious, sexual, intellectual.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn Antwerp, things changed. One man cornered all the money in the city and reinvented ideas of what money meant. Another gave Antwerp a new shape purely out of his own ambition. Jews fleeing the Portuguese Inquisition needed Antwerp for their escape, thanks to the remarkable woman at the head of the grandest banking family in Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThomas More opened \u003cem\u003eUtopia\u003c\/em\u003e there, Erasmus puzzled over money and exchanges, William Tyndale sheltered there and smuggled out his Bible in English until he was killed. Pieter Bruegel painted the town as \u003cem\u003eThe Tower of Babel\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut when Antwerp rebelled with the Dutch against the Spanish and lost, all that glory was buried and its true history rewritten. The city that unsettled so many now became conformist. Mutinous troops burned the city records. Michael Pye sets out to rediscover the city that was lost and bring its wilder days to life using every kind of clue—novels, paintings, songs, schoolbooks, letters, and the archives of Venice, London, and the Medici. He builds a picture of a city haunted by fire, plague, and violence, but learning how to be a power in its own right in the world after feudalism.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the Antwerp which was the proud 'exception' to all of Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House NZ","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46343398850796,"sku":"9780141982465","price":27.0,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14626633482238.jpg?v=1743994608"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.live\/collections\/michael-pye.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}