THE LION HOUSE: The Coming of a King.

UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn. [Complete number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2.] FINE/FINE.No owner inscrptn and no price-clip to dw/dj.Bright, crisp,clean,matt,wrap-around black background with an overlaid, superimposed,intricate and repetitive flora+fauna colour decoration motifs with bright,crisp,gilt edged borders (taken from the pattern on a short sword from the Court of Suleyman the Magnificent, workshop of Ahmed Tekelij) to front,with capitalised,matt,white-lettered short title interwtined across the decoration and matt,lower-cased white-lettered sub-title and capitalised,black-lettered author name and critic's review,a matt black spine/backstrip with bright, crisp,capitalised gilt-lettered short title and similar gilt lettered publisher's colophon to foot of same,rear panel of dw/dj with several critics' orange+white lettered reviews. Negligible shelf-wear, bumping,creasing to edges and corners - no nicks,tears or splits present.Top+fore-edges bright,crisp and clean without blemish; contents bright,tight,clean,solid and sound - pristine - no dog-ear reading creases to any pages' corner tips - unread,other than my own collation.Publisher's bright,crisp,unblemished,sharp-cornered, original plain black cloth boards with bright,crisp,blocked gilt lettered spine/backstrip,a bright orange headband,and immaculate colour pictorial illustrated ednpapers showing Suleyman 1 the Magnificent - taken from the Suleymanname by Arifi (ms H.1517), 1558,Topkapi Sarayi,Istanbul. UK,8vo HB+dw/dj,1st edn,xiv-xvpp+ 5 -282pp [paginated] includes double page Persons of the Drama, Acts 1-5 with 4,4,4,3 and 1 chapters respectively,a title separator page and individual Acts separator pages,acknowledgements,an 8pp bibliography,Notes,and an Index; plus [unpaginated] half-title+ title pages,a dedication,contents list/table - each of the latter two with a blank verso,a Maps separator page,2 double-page West & East regional world maps with campaigns,and to the rear 6pp blanks. Visually the exterior appearance is exceptional,and even internally, the book is also in an exceptional condition/state of preservation and presentation.It really is an exceptional copy for its cleanliness and brightness. Venice,1522. Sensitive intelligence arrives from the east confirming the European powers' greatest fear- the vastly rich Ottoman Sultan has amassed all he needs to wage total war - and his sights are set on Rome.With Christendom divided, Suleyman the Magnificent has his hand on their entrails.From the palace cloisters of Istanbul to the blood-soaked fields of central Europe to the sun-scorched coast of north Africa,The Lion House pioneers a bold new style of eye-witness history to tell a true story of power at its most glittering, personal and deadly - Suleyman's rise to become the most powerful man of the sixteenth century. Narrated through the eyes and actions of Suleyman's intimates,it animates with stunning immediacy the fears and stratagems of those brought into orbit around him - the Greek slave who becomes his Grand Vizier,the Venetian jewel-dealer who acts as his go-between,the Russian consort who becomes his most beloved wife. Within a decade and half,Suleyman held dominion over 25 million souls,from Baghdad to the walls of Vienna,and with the help of his brilliant pirate commander Barbarossa placed more Christians than ever before or since under Muslim rule. And yet the real drama all takes place in close-up - in small rooms and whispered conversations,behind the curtain of power,where the Sultan sleeps head to toe with his best friend and eats off wooden spoons with his baby boy. The Lion House is not just the story of rival super-powers in an existential duel,nor of one of the most consequential lives in human history,but an examination of what it means to live in a world where a few men get to decide the fate of the world. Please contact seller,for correct shipping/P+p quotes - particularly ALL overseas buyers - BEFORE ordering through the order page! ** N.B. ALL buyers please note,stocks' actual shipping/P+p costs are adjusted and any difference is refunded,after order's receipt and before the order's despatch,especially if the item(s) are offered either P+p included/FREE. ** N.B. US/Canada customers please be aware: Standard AIRMAIL postage from UK to these destinations can now cost more than the price of the book! If speed is not of the essence,then Economy rate is recommended - at approx. anything from a 1/3rd to 1/2 of the standard AIR quote/rate - sometimes arriving sooner than the 42 days - but not always.