Jacques de Savoie-Nemours

It is unusual for an American historian to publish his inaugural book in a French translation, but Matthew Vester's biography of the head of the junior, non-ruling branch of the house of Savoy takes as its subject a figure who will be unfamiliar to many Renaissance specialists. That said, the author's well-researched book, which reveals a mastery of the secondary literature coming out of the United States, Britain, France and Italy, contains more than the title implies. Jacques de Savoie, duc de Genevois-Nemours (1531–85), was considered in his time to be the paragon of a late-Renaissance courtier. The importance of Vester's research, however, lies in the way the duke illustrates the importance of the minor branches of ruling dynasties, and how their careers (military, political, diplomatic) were delimited by the interests of their princely cousins. We have glimpses of some of the other significant junior branches in these pages, not only the Guise of Lorraine, related to the Savoie-Nemours by marriage, but also the junior branches of the Valois kings, and the important siblings of Emperor Charles V, both male and female

Ancient history · Art · Art history · Biography · Emperor · Humanities · Political science · Politics · Subject (documents · The Renaissance · Classics · Historical Studies and Socio-cultural Analysis · Historical Studies of British Isles · History · Law · Reformation and Early Modern Christianity