'This fascinating book provided me with a whole new way of thinking about the European Renaissance ... While offereing a series of elegant interpretations of art objects exchanged between East and West... this is also an epic story of imperial rivalry exploring the ways in which courts jostled for supremacy through their display of magnificent art objects, many of which ... Read moreare beautifully reproduced here' - The Good Book Guide 'Books of the Year' 'Cultural history needs the wider perspective [the authors] enjoin, and, as their reflections suggest, it is a mistake to think one can satisfactorily explain anything about the European continent - its art, the growth of it science, its social, political or religious history - in ignorance of its close relations with its eastern and southern margins. Global Interests is a valuable corrective to the established tendency to disregard them' - Literary Review 'impressive ... the discussion is full of remarkable examples ... there is much that will stimulate thought and excite admiration' - Art Quarterly Show Less