Mehmet II conquered Constantinople in 1543. Most of his reign (1444–46, 1451–81) was spent warring. He extended the frontiers of his sultanate across Asia Minor and as far west as Hungary and Italy (Otranto); only the island fortress of Rhodes resisted him. Christians saw him as the devil; three popes called for crusades against him. Freely (physics & history of science, Univ. of the Bosphorus, Istanbul; Alladin's Lamp: How Greek Science Came to Europe Through the Islamic World) offers the first biography of Mehmet in 30 years, workmanlike and straightforward for the most part, relating the battles he fought and describing court life and culture. Light on analysis but useful in providing what amounts to a summary of Mehmet's reign. Ideal for neither the scholar nor the lay reader but an option for either.

Boccaccio wrote about her. So did Dumas, père. But the last biography of Joanna I, Francesca Steele's The Beautiful Queen, appeared in 1910. Joanna ruled Naples as sole sovereign for almost four decades (1343–82). Her husband, Prince Andrew of Hungary, was strangled in 1345: three years later, Joanna had to defend herself in person before the pope in Avignon against the charge of his murder. Ultimately, she was captured and strangled by a rival for the Neapolitan throne. There's too much glitter in Goldstone's (Four Queens: The Provençal Sisters Who Ruled Europe) account, but Joanna's life merits attention as it highlights the difficulties confronting a medieval woman, no matter how able, who tried to rule on her own. Insufficiently critical but useful; for history lovers.

The reign of Henry VIII (1509–47) changed England forever. His unrelenting pursuit of a divorce from a wife whose sin was to fail to bear him a son led to the creation of an English church, no longer subject to the papacy. Administrative changes strengthened and modernized government. In both arenas these changes were effected—even usually devised—by one man, Thomas Cromwell. Cromwell was the ideal administrator for such a despot: energetic, efficient, and ruthless, driven by greed, free of conscience. Ultimately, Cromwell displeased his sovereign: Henry had him beheaded. Hutchinson (Elizabeth's Spymaster: Francis Walsingham and the Secret War That Saved England) is level in judgment and writes exceptionally well. The best kind of popular history, this will appeal to many readers. [See this reviewer's assessment of Hilary Mantel's fictional take on Cromwell, p. 51.—Ed.]

The life of this Roman emperor and stoic philosopher, author of the Meditations, remains relevant (President Clinton claimed to have read him while in office). In this interesting account of Marcus's life and writings, McLynn (Richard and John: Kings at War) clearly mines his own published expertise on other persons and eras for comparisons—more than are really useful, but they provide helpful road maps to readers unfamiliar with the arcane world of the Antonine emperors. With his frequent digressions, and his evident enjoyment in arguing, McLynn's book is too long, but he does provide a substantial introduction to a man who "still speaks to us today." While recommended for lovers of history, philosophy, and things Greco-Roman, this Marcus Aurelius may defeat general readers.

The virtues of this biography are many: the sources are allowed to speak for themselves, Taylor's prose is succinct and engaging, she respects her subject, and her account deflates the myriad myths that have grown up around the short, eventful life of the Maid of Orleans (1412–31). Joan emerges as a forceful, self-directed figure: a canny military leader ("Go boldly" was her motto) who succeeded in defending herself with vigor at her trial. Taylor (history, Colby Coll.; Soldiers of Christ: Preaching in Late Medieval and Reformation France) has produced a first-rate biography. Joan, more than anyone, restored the throne of France to its king. Scholars and anyone who enjoys reading history will appreciate this fine study.