The Lion House: Discover the life of Suleyman the Magnificent, the most feared man of the sixteenth century

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Needed weekend accommodation in centre of Ashbourne & this was perfect for our needs - spacious, clean & comfortable." Venice, 1522. Twenty-three men in robes of scarlet and blue assemble to hear the most sensitive intelligence from Istanbul: the Ottoman Sultan, the 'Grand Turk', has everything he needs to wage total war. By the end of the decade, a vast swathe of Europe will lie under Muslim rule. Under Suleyman’s leadership, the Ottoman Empire entered the golden age of its cultural development. He built schools, hospitals, libraries, baths, and soup kitchens for his subjects. And he protected the many Jews living in the empire, formally denouncing blood libels against them. He was, after all, the leader of Islam, and he turned for guidance to the scholarly doctors who studied the scriptures. But the decisions were his own. And Islamic society flourished as never before during his forty-five-year reign.

Very spacious and we had a very comfortable stay. There is a cloakroom in addition to the 3 bathrooms. There is a notebook to write any housekeeping points - which we completed for the cleaners for next guests- a few niggles..The house is very comfortable and in a good location for touring both Dartmoor and South Devon Coast." The Lion House by Christopher de Bellaigue is a unique book about the European powers vs. Suleiman the Magnificent. It covers a wide swath of material, from how Venetian politics worked, to how Suleiman rose to power, to the infamous pirate Barbarossa.

We don’t actually hear much about Charles V in this book, which I suppose is okay in the sense that Suleyman is the more intriguing figure in general and the perspective from which we’re meant to view the events in this particular account, but it still leaves the content feeling unbalanced and Charles appearing to be an unworthy adversary. Which is some respects, he was, though not to the degree to which it might appear here. The other downside of this book is in the choice of a narrative way of telling - sometimes a couple of sentences are blatantly untrue, refuted immediately, while it also leads you down dead ends on occasion. The ending is very abrupt, with not even an epilogue to talk about the fate of those still left alive by that point. So a bit disappointing, as it didn't really deliver on what was promised and I'll need to get some actual information somewhere else. I found this book very interesting. It is written as a drama novel, completely in present tense and with turn-of-phrases. To the point where it is hard to remember that is all history. It also covers so much. Rather than focusing on one character or country, it covers several and in detail. The actual information is cool too, it really paints a picture. It even counts jewels and fabrics, and how much they were worth.Christopher de Bellaigue is a regular contributor to some of the world’s most trusted media outlets, has held fellowships at Oxford and Harvard and has lectured in boardrooms and universities around the world.” Who just read an entire book thinking she was reading historical fiction, when it wasn't? And if she had just read the inside flap, probably would have figured that out a lot sooner? And who actually looked up some of the things in the book, thinking "No, surely not ..."? We really enjoyed our stay at the cottage, the facilities are fantastic for family gatherings with good equipment and lots of extra thought on making our break comfortable." Above this are around 30 storeys of residential, with between one and four flats per floor, ranging in size from one to five bedrooms. These are cleanly and intelligently planned with cores and service rooms massed along under the central spine beams. All partition walls are designed to meet the outer façade at right angles, so as to minimise the sense of a retrofit, giving the feel that the new layouts on each floor are ‘how it should have always been’ as Conran senior partner Tim Bowder-Ridger puts it. Plenty of space for 3 families to enjoy their stay. Bedrooms very comfortable with ensuites. Games room an added bonus for little and big kids!! Just a short stroll into town and 14 seconds to the pub.....would recommend staying here...