Secretaries and Statecraft in the Early Modern World Hardback

An illuminating exploration of the role played by state secretaries in shaping inter-state relations in early modern Eurasia One of the prominent themes of the political history of the 16th and 17th centuries is the waxing influence officials in the exercise of state power, particularly in international relations, as it became impossible for monarchs to stay on top of the increasingly complex demands of ruling. Encompassing a variety of cultural and institutional settings, these essays examine how state secretaries, prime ministers and favourites managed diplomatic personnel and the information flows they generated.

They explore how these officials balanced domestic matters with external concerns, and service to the monarch and state with personal ambition. By opening various perspectives on policy-making at the level just below the monarch, this volume offers up rich opportunities for comparative history and a new take on the diplomatic history of the period. Contributors Rayne Allinson, University of Michigan-Dearborn, USA Rebecca Boone, Lamar University in Texas, USA Paul M.

Dover, Kennesaw State University, USA Rajeev Kinra, Northwestern University, USA Isabella Lazzarini, University of Molise, Italy Russell E.

Martin, Westminster College in New Wilmington, PA, USA Colin Mitchell, Associate Professor of History at Dalhousie University Toby Osborne, University of Durham, UK David Parrott, New College, University of Oxford, UK Daniel Riches, University of Alabama, USA Franz A.

J. Szabo, University of Alberta, Canada Erik Thomson, University of Manitoba, Canada Megan K.

Williams, University of Groningen, Netherlands