court and courtiers

A tenth-century courtier recounts her experiences serving in the palace of Empress Teishi, describing the ceremonies and celebrations of court and the manners and foibles of the aristocracy.

Chronicles the life of Madame de Pompadour, the eighteenth-century woman of questionable background whose charm and ambition earned her a place of favor and power among the court at Versailles, serving King Louis XV for nearly twenty years in several capacities.

Chief Intelligencer John Shakespeare, the bard's younger brother, is summoned out of retirement back to the dangerous intrigues of the palace when a plot against the aging Queen Elizabeth I causes her to be targeted by two of England's most powerful men.

Recounts the experiences of the English governess, Anna Leonowens, at the Siamese court in the 1860s.

Biography of the African princess saved from execution and taken to England where Queen Victoria oversaw her upbringing and where she lived for a time before marrying an African missionary.

Photographs, illustrations, paintings, and text help describe what life was like for the samurai and shoguns of Japan from A.D. 1000 to A.D. 1700.

Recounts the adventurous life of the English explorer and courtier who spelled his name "Ralegh" and led many expeditions to the New World.