Emperor: a new life of Charles V

Young Charles. From Duke of Luxemburg to Prince of Castile, 1500-8

The orphan prince, 1509-14

The difficult inheritance, 1515-17

Game of Thrones. From King of Spain to King of the Romans, 1517-19

From peace through rebellion to war, 1519-21

Snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, 1521-5

Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory, 1525-8

Champion of the western world, 1528-31

'Ruler From the Rising to the Setting of the Sun.' The last crusader, 1532-6

Years of defeat, 1536-41

Settling scores, part I : Guelders and France, 1541-4

Settling scores, part II : Germany and Italy, 1545-8

The taming of America

Downfall

Paterfamilias, 1548-51

The emperor's last campaigns, 1551-4

Restless retirement, 1555-8

The emperor in legend and history

Epilogue: The balance of the reign

Appendices: The emperor's memoirs ; The afterlife of Charles V's body ; The emperor's last instructions to Philip II ; 'Infanta Isabel of Castile, daughter of His Majesty the emperor'.