While Publishers Weekly called it a "marvelous study," some readers and specialized reviewers found it slightly uneven, noting that the later chapters on the history of pistols and lengthy 17th-century quotes could cause the narrative to "drift". Why It Matters Today
Reviewers from the Omaha World-Herald and The Washington Post praised the book for being "pithy" and "fascinating" without being pedantic. The Awful End of Prince William the Silent: The...
The book focuses on the July 1584 murder of William of Orange (William the Silent) in Delft by Balthasar Gérard, a fanatical French Catholic. Jardine explores how this single event reverberated across Europe, particularly devastating William’s ally, Queen Elizabeth I, and sparking a new era of security panic that led to the first laws restricting firearms near royal palaces. While Publishers Weekly called it a "marvelous study,"
The book is part of the "Making History" series and argues that the invention of the wheel-lock pistol—a lethal, concealable weapon—fundamentally changed the safety of world leaders and the security of nations forever. Jardine explores how this single event reverberated across
Lisa Jardine’s (2005) is a taut, scholarly examination of a pivotal historical "tipping point": the first-ever assassination of a head of state by a handgun. The Core Narrative
Writing for The Times (London) , Jan Morris noted that Jardine’s clearest strength lies in exploring the "abstract implications" of the event, drawing an "ominous line" from the 1584 shooting to modern threats like 9/11.