The Battle of Pavia took place in northern Italy on 24 February 1525. Its outcome profoundly affected the course of European international relations for the rest of the sixteenth century. King Francis I of France led his forces at the battle and was captured amidst the greatest slaughter of French nobles in war since Agincourt.  This book examines the early reigns of Francis, of his great rival Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, and a number of their contemporaries. It shows why warfare was such an important aspect of kingship in the period, and how it interacted with diplomacy. The...