{"product_id":"book-1sae","title":"THE AMBASSADORS : Elizabeth I's Spies in Europe","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the dangerous world of sixteenth-century Europe, diplomacy was rarely polite - and almost never safe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Ambassadors: Elizabeth I's Spies in Europe\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, historian and writer \u003cstrong\u003eSimon Courtauld\u003c\/strong\u003e tells the remarkable story of the men who represented England abroad during the reign of Elizabeth I. Operating in the great courts of France, Spain and beyond, these diplomats were far more than messengers between monarchs. They were intelligence gatherers, negotiators, informants and sometimes conspirators - the front line of England's survival in a continent divided by religion, rivalry and war.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThrough vivid portraits of figures such as \u003cstrong\u003eSir Nicholas Throckmorton\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eSir Thomas Smith\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Chaloner\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eThomas Randolph\u003c\/strong\u003e, Courtauld reveals the realities of Tudor diplomacy: dangerous journeys across Europe, constant financial hardship, and the delicate art of navigating courts dominated by powerful rulers such as \u003cstrong\u003eCatherine de Medici\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003ePhilip II of Spain\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003eMary Queen of Scots\u003c\/strong\u003e. Their letters, intrigues and negotiations formed the intelligence network that allowed Elizabeth and her advisers - notably William Cecil and Francis Walsingham - to understand and outmanoeuvre their enemies.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRich in anecdote and grounded in contemporary sources, \u003cem\u003eThe Ambassadors\u003c\/em\u003e brings to life a world in which information was power and a single diplomatic misstep could alter the balance of Europe.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSimon Courtauld is the author of several previous books including \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eFootprints in Spain\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eTo Convey Intelligence\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, and \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eLady of Spain: A Life of Jane Dormer, Duchess of Feria\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, as well as works on travel, culture and history. A former \u003cstrong\u003elegal correspondent of \u003cem\u003eThe Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e and \u003cstrong\u003edeputy editor of \u003cem\u003eThe Spectator\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e, he writes with the insight of a historian and the narrative skill of a seasoned journalist. (quartetbooks.co.uk)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn this compelling study, Courtauld turns his attention to the shadowy world of Elizabethan diplomacy - revealing the spies in ambassadors' clothing who helped shape the fate of England.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"INAudio","offers":[{"title":"Audiobook","offer_id":66839184146736,"sku":"BD1sae","price":10.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0879\/2784\/9264\/files\/1sae-Square-cover.png?v=1779407227","url":"https:\/\/downpour.com\/products\/book-1sae","provider":"Downpour","version":"1.0","type":"link"}