Explores the transformation of the nobility in the late 16th and 17th centuries in Europe, examining political and social changes, the impact princely courts had on noblemen and women and their way of life and analyzes issues such as the 'refeudalization' of state and society in southern Europe or the increasing urbanization of noble elites in this time period. While paying due attention to the great heterogeneity of the nobility in Europe it nevertheless shows how the adherence to common values and ideals nevertheless gave noble elites coherence and a shared sense of identity.

Ronald G. Asch is Professor of History, Universitat Freiburg, Germany