Noble endeavours
Subtitle: the life of two countries, England and Germany, in many stories
By: Miranda Seymour
Publisher: Simon & Schuster, Limited
Published: 2013
Language: eng
Number of pages: 502
ISBN-13: 9781847378255; 9781847378262
Subjects: Diplomatic relations; Foreign relations; History
Description: In 1613 a beautiful Stuart princess married a handsome young German prince. This was a love match, but it was also an alliance that aimed to weld together Europe's two great Protestant powers. Before Elizabeth and Frederick left London for the court in Heidelberg, they watched a performance of The Winter's Tale. In 1943, a group of British POWS gave a performance of that same play to a group of enthusiastic Nazi guards in Bavaria. When the amateur actors suggested doing a version of The Merchant of Venice that showed Shylock as the hero, the guards brought in the costumes and helped create the sets. Nothing about the story of England and Germany, as this remarkable book demonstrates, is as simple as we might expect. A shared faith, a shared hunger for power, a shared culture (Germany never doubted that Shakespeare belonged to them, as much as to England); a shared leadership. German monarchs ruled over England for three hundred years - and only ceased to do so through a change of name.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 475-477) and index.