Routledge Historical Biographies
About the Book Series
Routledge Historical Biographies are concise, accessible introductions to key historical figures. Written by experts in their fields they are designed to help students either starting out on a course, or revising before exams. Far from being dry, academic texts however, they are also perfect, affordable books for the history buff.
Edward IV
2nd Edition
By Hannes Kleineke
August 11, 2025
Drawing together both recent research and original sources, this concise and accessible biography reassesses the debates surrounding the life of King Edward IV. The reign of King Edward IV occupies a pivotal place in late medieval English history, marking the transition from a medieval to a ...
Hitler
2nd Edition
By Michael Lynch
April 07, 2025
Adolf Hitler is the most notorious political figure of the twentieth century. The story of his life, how he became a dictator, and how he managed to convince so many to follow his cause is a subject of perennial fascination. Balancing narrative and analysis, this biography employs a chronological ...
William III
1st Edition
By Tony Claydon
August 29, 2024
This is a political biography of William III (1650–1702): prince of Orange; stadhouder in the Netherlands from 1672; and (in a novel joint monarchy with his wife, Mary), king of England, Scotland, and Ireland after the revolution of 1688–9. William III explains how William overcame huge ...
Charles de Gaulle
1st Edition
By Andrew Knapp
November 03, 2020
In this new biography, Andrew Knapp concisely dissects each of the major controversies surrounding General Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French during the Second World War and President of France from 1959 to 1969. From the beginning of de Gaulle’s military career in 1909 to an analysis of ...
WOLSEY
1st Edition
By Glenn Richardson
July 20, 2020
Through a thematic and broadly chronological approach, Wolsey offers a fascinating insight into the life and legacy of a man who was responsible for building Henry VIII’s reputation as England’s most impressive king. The book reviews Thomas Wolsey’s record as the realm’s leading Churchman, Lord ...
Charles I
1st Edition
By Mark Parry
September 30, 2019
Charles I provides a detailed overview of Charles Stuart, placing his reign firmly within the wider context of this turbulent period and examining the nature of one of the most complex monarchs in British history. The book is organised chronologically, beginning in 1600 and covering Charles’ early ...
Isabella d’Este: A Renaissance Princess
1st Edition
By Christine Shaw
March 07, 2019
Isabella d’Este, Marchioness of Mantua (1474-1539), is one of the most studied figures of Renaissance Italy, as an epitome of Renaissance court culture and as a woman having an unusually prominent role in the politics of her day. This biography provides a well-rounded account of the full range of ...
Ho Chi Minh
1st Edition
By Peter Neville
August 22, 2018
Ho Chi Minh explores the life of this globally important twentieth-century figure and offers new insights into his lengthy career, including his often-forgotten involvement with British intermediaries in 1945–46 and with the United States in 1944–45. Ho was the father of his nation, a major ...
Louis XIV
2nd Edition
By Richard Wilkinson
August 23, 2017
Louis XIV ruled France for more than half a century and is typically remembered for his absolutism, his patronage of the arts and his lavish lifestyle – culminating in the building of Versailles. This original and lively biography focuses on Louis’s personal life while keeping the needs of the...
Thomas Cranmer
1st Edition
By Susan Wabuda
August 09, 2017
Thomas Cranmer’s place in English history is firmly established, yet the complexities of his character have remained obscure and he continues to be one of the most problematic figures of the Tudor period. Susan Wabuda’s biography sheds fresh light not only on the private Cranmer, but also on the ...
Charlie Chaplin: A Political Biography from Victorian Britain to Modern America
1st Edition
By Richard Carr
May 04, 2017
Richard Carr’s Charlie Chaplin places politics at the centre of the filmmaker’s life as it looks beyond Chaplin’s role as a comedic figure to his constant political engagement both on and off the screen. Drawing from a wealth of archival sources from across the globe, Carr provides an in-depth ...
Mao
2nd Edition
By Michael Lynch
May 04, 2017
Michael Lynch’s second edition of Mao examines the life of this controversial figure. Opening with a detailed chronology, it delves into Mao’s younger years and tracks his gradual rise to power, with a chapter dedicated to the cult status that surrounded him. Through a wealth of primary and ...