Life In France Under Louis Xiv

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King of the World

Author : Philip Mansel
Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 022669092X
Total Pages : 669 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (266 download)

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Book Synopsis King of the World by : Philip Mansel

Download or read book King of the World written by Philip Mansel and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2020-09-01 with total page 669 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Louis XIV was a man in pursuit of glory. Not content to be the ruler of a world power, he wanted the power to rule the world. And, for a time, he came tantalizingly close. Philip Mansel’s King of the World is the most comprehensive and up-to-date biography in English of this hypnotic, flawed figure who continues to captivate our attention. This lively work takes Louis outside Versailles and shows the true extent of his global ambitions, with stops in London, Madrid, Constantinople, Bangkok, and beyond. We witness the importance of his alliance with the Spanish crown and his success in securing Spain for his descendants, his enmity with England, and his relations with the rest of Europe, as well as Asia, Africa, and the Americas. We also see the king’s effect on the two great global diasporas of Huguenots and Jacobites, and their influence on him as he failed in his brutal attempts to stop Protestants from leaving France. Along the way, we are enveloped in the splendor of Louis’s court and the fascinating cast of characters who prostrated and plotted within it. King of the World is exceptionally researched, drawing on international archives and incorporating sources who knew the king intimately, including the newly released correspondence of Louis’s second wife, Madame de Maintenon. Mansel’s narrative flair is a perfect match for this grand figure, and he brings the Sun King’s world to vivid life. This is a global biography of a global king, whose power was extensive but also limited by laws and circumstances, and whose interests and ambitions stretched far beyond his homeland. Through it all, we watch Louis XIV progressively turn from a dazzling, attractive young king to a belligerent reactionary who sets France on the path to 1789. It is a convincing and compelling portrait of a man who, three hundred years after his death, still epitomizes the idea of le grand monarque.

Life in France Under Louis XIV.

Author : John Laurence Carr
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (124 download)

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Book Synopsis Life in France Under Louis XIV. by : John Laurence Carr

Download or read book Life in France Under Louis XIV. written by John Laurence Carr and published by . This book was released on 1970 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Louis XIV

Author : Olivier Bernier
Publisher : New Word City
ISBN 13 : 1640191437
Total Pages : 392 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (41 download)

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Book Synopsis Louis XIV by : Olivier Bernier

Download or read book Louis XIV written by Olivier Bernier and published by New Word City. This book was released on 2018-02-17 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Louis XIV - the Sun King or Louis the Great, as he was also known - ruled France with an iron fist for over half a century, from 1651 to his death in 1715, outliving his son and even his grandson. His court at the Palace of Versailles became the most dazzling on the Continent, and through his intelligence and cunning, he made France the leading power of Europe. Now, in this masterful biography, historian Olivier Bernier brilliantly recreates Louis XIV's world to reveal the secrets of this monarch's unequaled sovereignty and to explore the singular mystique that surrounds him today. Not only was Louis heir to his father's throne, he felt he was divinely chosen to rule France. From the year he became king at the age of thirteen, he oversaw every aspect of government, from waging war and making political appointments to supervising the building of his many palaces. Along with political treachery that marked Louis XIV's long reign, Bernier also brings to light the personal scandals. We witness the poignant resignation of Louis XIV's queen to her husband's parade of mistresses and illegitimate children, the infamous intrigue when the king's brother was accused of poisoning his wife in a jealous rage, and the momentous building of Versailles, not an act of monstrous self-indulgence that bankrupted the nation but the visible expression of Louis XIV's new monarchy - his ingenious methods of centering all activity around court life, thus preventing his courtiers from fomenting rebellion. Under the Sun King, architecture, painting, music, and theater flourished, making France not only a great political force but a paradigm of fashion and culture as well. Louis XIV takes us from the grandeur of Versailles to the battlefields of the countryside, from the bedrooms of the king's mistresses to the chambers of his ministers, and presents an engrossing portrait of royal life and a commanding leader.

The Splendid Century

Author : W. H. Lewis
Publisher : Pickle Partners Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1787200566
Total Pages : 530 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (872 download)

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Book Synopsis The Splendid Century by : W. H. Lewis

Download or read book The Splendid Century written by W. H. Lewis and published by Pickle Partners Publishing. This book was released on 2016-08-09 with total page 530 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “The Splendid Century,” penned by the brother of famous author C. S. Lewis (“Alice in Wonderland”), is a depiction of various aspects of life in France during the reign of Louis XIV, gleaned through the author’s thorough research of records, correspondence, and journals of the time. Using anecdotal evidence, the book probes in detail various facets of life in France during this time, including the lives of nobles (particularly those at court) as well as commoners, religious institutions and conflicts, the organization of the French army and its restructuring, rural life and city life, what life was like on galley ships and passenger sailing ships, how doctors were trained, and the state of women’s education. The author also discusses the background behind Louis XIV’s policies, illustrating their impact on French civilization, both during this time and for generations to come. A must-read for anyone interested in French history.

Love and Louis XIV

Author : Antonia Fraser
Publisher : Anchor Canada
ISBN 13 : 0385672519
Total Pages : 466 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (856 download)

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Book Synopsis Love and Louis XIV by : Antonia Fraser

Download or read book Love and Louis XIV written by Antonia Fraser and published by Anchor Canada. This book was released on 2010-06-25 with total page 466 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The superb historian and biographer Antonia Fraser, author of Marie Antoinette, casts new light on the splendor and the scandals of the reign of Louis XIV in this dramatic, illuminating look at the women in his life. The self-proclaimed Sun King, Louis XIV ruled over the most glorious and extravagant court in seventeenth-century Europe. Now, Antonia Fraser goes behind the well-known tales of Louis’s accomplishments and follies, exploring in riveting detail his intimate relationships with women. The king’s mother, Anne of Austria, had been in a childless marriage for twenty-two years before she gave birth to Louis XIV. A devout Catholic, she instilled in her son a strong sense of piety and fought successfully for his right to absolute power. In 1660, Louis married his first cousin, Marie-Thérèse, in a political arrangement. While unfailingly kind to the official Queen of Versailles, Louis sought others to satisfy his romantic and sexual desires. After a flirtation with his sister-in-law, his first important mistress was Louise de La Vallière, who bore him several children before being replaced by the tempestuous and brilliant Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Later, when Athénaïs’s reputation was tarnished, the King continued to support her publicly as Athénaïs left court for a life of repentance. Meanwhile her children’s governess, the intelligent and seemingly puritanical Françoise de Maintenon, had already won the King’s affections; in a relationship in complete contrast to his physical obsession with Athénaïs, Louis XIV lived happily with Madame de Maintenon for the rest of his life, very probably marrying her in secret. When his grandson’s child bride, the enchanting Adelaide of Savoy, came to Versaille she lightened the King’s last years – until tragedy struck. With consummate skill, Antonia Fraser weaves insights into the nature of women’s religious lives – as well as such practical matters as contraception – into her magnificent, sweeping portrait of the king, his court, and his ladies.

The Splendid Century

Author : W. H. Lewis
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781980807391
Total Pages : 266 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (73 download)

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Book Synopsis The Splendid Century by : W. H. Lewis

Download or read book The Splendid Century written by W. H. Lewis and published by . This book was released on 2018-04-11 with total page 266 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Witty, judicious and extremely well written, The Splendid Century is social history at its best." The New York Times What was life like in France during the reign of its most glorious monarch, Louis XIV? Known as the Sun King, he reigned for seventy-two years, in an age of growing decadence and absolutism in Europe. His court was one of the most lavish places the world has ever scene as nobles and courtiers vied for patronage in the spectacular corridors and beautiful rooms of the Palace of Versailles. W. H. Lewis' brilliant account of this era The Splendid Century: Life in the France of Louis XIV does an exquisite job of bringing late seventeenth and early eighteenth century France to life. The first chapter uncovers what Louis, this remarkable monarch that innumerable myths have developed around, was actually like. This is followed by a stunning evocation of what life was like at the court, as brilliant political, military and cultural figures like Colbert, Mazarin, Louvois, the Grand Condé and Turenne, wandered through the corridors of power at Versailles. Perhaps the most interesting section of the book, however, is Lewis' account was life was life in France away from the court during this period. He explores the lives of the common people who struggled survive while those in Versailles gorged themselves, the emerging religious conflicts that developed across the nation, the marching army that followed Louis' increasingly aggressive and expansionist orders, as well as the merchants and traders who tried to continue as normal through these turbulent years. "This book is the kind of modern scholarship in history which makes reading a delight. A fascinating book, excellently documented and as readable as it is authentic." Book-of-the-Month Club News "Not only a highly pleasurable, lucid read, but also an incredibly informative and satisfying introduction. Lewis deftly moved from court to country, king to commoner, illuminating the best and the worst of Louis XIV's France. Along the way, he gives a tantalizing glimpse into the underlying tensions within French society that would later serve as the impetus for the French Revolution." Cardis Murray, College of St. Rose "A rather scholarly work on a specific period -- Louis XIV -- which offers a wealth of interesting data." Kirkus Reviews "The curtain of the past covers over the glories and heartaches, the achievements and disappointments, the casual social moments and weighty political events of other days. Only the unusual author can take us behind that curtain and make the past live again with all its vivid intensity. W. H. Lewis, not a professional historian but a retired army officer, has achieved this goal for the glorious age of Louis XIV." Lester S. King, MD, JAMA

Le siècle de Louis XIV : (extraits)

Author : Voltaire
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 0 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (141 download)

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Book Synopsis Le siècle de Louis XIV : (extraits) by : Voltaire

Download or read book Le siècle de Louis XIV : (extraits) written by Voltaire and published by . This book was released on 1948 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

The Reign of Louis XIV

Author : Paul Sonnino
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 276 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis The Reign of Louis XIV by : Paul Sonnino

Download or read book The Reign of Louis XIV written by Paul Sonnino and published by . This book was released on 1991 with total page 276 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

King Louis XIV

Author : Hourly History
Publisher : Independently Published
ISBN 13 : 9781520722108
Total Pages : 50 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (221 download)

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Book Synopsis King Louis XIV by : Hourly History

Download or read book King Louis XIV written by Hourly History and published by Independently Published. This book was released on 2017-03-22 with total page 50 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: King Louis XIV He was born on September 5th, 1638 in the French lap of luxury otherwise known as the "Chateau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye." This extravagant palace of French excess is located about 12 miles west of Paris. His birth name, "Louis-Dieudonne," is French for, literally, "Gift for God." This belief of divine right, initially inspired by his mother Queen Anne, would be a powerful theme throughout Louis XIV's life. Inside you will read about... ✓ The Conflict of Kings ✓ War and Marriage ✓ The Noose Tightens ✓ The Scorched Earth of Louis XIV ✓ The Balance of Power ✓ Louis's Last Stand ✓ The Death of the King And much more!Although he didn't create absolutism in France, King Louis XIV seemed to embody the "divine right of kings" better than anyone had before him. Louis XIV directly correlated his own private good with that of the public good. There was really no concept of private property under Louis. The French King viewed all of France as his personal estate, with all who lived and toiled in his domain doing so only under his express permission; even so, not everyone in France had the same sentiment. The ones who most notably resisted the notion of the King's absolutism were the French nobles and aristocrats that Louis depended upon to raise armies and defend the country. Despite his theory of absolutism, this dependence on French nobility to bear arms, gave them increasing autonomy and independence from the King. It was this independence that would one day come to a head, and send Louis, the so-called "Sun King" of divine inheritance, into a full-blown conflict with his own subjects - and the world at large.

A Kingdom of Images

Author : Peter Fuhring
Publisher : Getty Publications
ISBN 13 : 1606064509
Total Pages : 348 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis A Kingdom of Images by : Peter Fuhring

Download or read book A Kingdom of Images written by Peter Fuhring and published by Getty Publications. This book was released on 2015-06-18 with total page 348 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Once considered the golden age of French printmaking, Louis XIV’s reign saw Paris become a powerhouse of print production. During this time, the king aimed to make fine and decorative arts into signs of French taste and skill and, by extension, into markers of his imperialist glory. Prints were ideal for achieving these goals; reproducible and transportable, they fueled the sophisticated propaganda machine circulating images of Louis as both a man of war and a man of culture. This richly illustrated catalogue features more than one hundred prints from the Getty Research Institute and the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris, whose print collection Louis XIV established in 1667. An esteemed international group of contributors investigates the ways that cultural policies affected printmaking; explains what constitutes a print; describes how one became a printmaker; studies how prints were collected; and considers their reception in the ensuing centuries. A Kingdom of Images is published to coincide with an exhibition on view at the Getty Research Institute from June 18 through September 6, 2015, and at the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris from November 2, 2015, through January 31, 2016.

French Legends

Author : Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher : CreateSpace
ISBN 13 : 9781494300296
Total Pages : 48 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis French Legends by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book French Legends written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2013-12-01 with total page 48 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes famous art depicting Louis XIV and important people, places, and events in his life. *Includes pictures of the Palace of Versailles. *Discusses the reign and legacy of Europe's longest reigning king. "Every time I create an appointment, I create a hundred malcontents and one ingrate." - Louis XIV A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' French series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of France's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. France's most famous King, and Europe's longest serving, Louis XIV (1638-1715) is often viewed today as a symbol of royal extravagance and splendor. Reigning for over 72 years, the legacy of the "Sun King" is remembered for the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the patronizing of arts and theater, and the apocryphal quote "L'Etat c'est moi" (I am the State). Although it is more than fair to associate the Sun King with vanity and unfathomable spending on luxury, the laser sharp focus on the superficial aspects of the man and his reign have come to overshadow just how effective he was as a ruler. Becoming King as a child and assuming actual power in his early 20s, Louis spent nearly 55 years centralizing and consolidating power in his monarchy by bringing the aristocracy to heel and keeping religious divisions from devolving into violence, thereby passing off to his successor an absolute monarchy with a very solid foundation. At the same time, his foreign policies, though often criticized as quests for glory, helped establish France as the dominant power on the European continent and firmly in control of an overseas colonial empire that stretched both east and west. And of course, while his spending and extravagance are viewed critically today, his construction of the Europe's most famous palace and his patronizing of the arts established the kind of culture and society that France is still famous for across the world today. French Legends: The Life and Legacy of King Louis XIV looks at the life and reign of one of history's most famous Kings, explaining his influence in a historical light and analyzing the monumental legacy he left behind. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about the Sun King like you never have before, in no time at all.

The Sun King at Sea

Author : Meredith Martin
Publisher : Getty Publications
ISBN 13 : 1606067303
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (6 download)

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Book Synopsis The Sun King at Sea by : Meredith Martin

Download or read book The Sun King at Sea written by Meredith Martin and published by Getty Publications. This book was released on 2022-01-04 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This richly illustrated volume, the first devoted to maritime art and galley slavery in early modern France, shows how royal propagandists used the image and labor of enslaved Muslims to glorify Louis XIV. Mediterranean maritime art and the forced labor on which it depended were fundamental to the politics and propaganda of France’s King Louis XIV (r. 1643–1715). Yet most studies of French art in this period focus on Paris and Versailles, overlooking the presence or portrayal of galley slaves on the kingdom’s coasts. By examining a wide range of artistic productions—ship design, artillery sculpture, medals, paintings, and prints—Meredith Martin and Gillian Weiss uncover a vital aspect of royal representation and unsettle a standard picture of art and power in early modern France. With an abundant selection of startling images, many never before published, The Sun King at Sea emphasizes the role of esclaves turcs (enslaved Turks)—rowers who were captured or purchased from Islamic lands—in building and decorating ships and other art objects that circulated on land and by sea to glorify the Crown. Challenging the notion that human bondage vanished from continental France, this cross-disciplinary volume invites a reassessment of servitude as a visible condition, mode of representation, and symbol of sovereignty during Louis XIV’s reign.

The Life of Louis XVI

Author : John Hardman
Publisher : Yale University Press
ISBN 13 : 0300220421
Total Pages : 528 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis The Life of Louis XVI by : John Hardman

Download or read book The Life of Louis XVI written by John Hardman and published by Yale University Press. This book was released on 2016-01-01 with total page 528 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thought-provoking, authoritative biography of one of history's most maligned rulers Louis XVI of France, who was guillotined in 1793 during the Revolution and Reign of Terror, is commonly portrayed in fiction and film either as a weak and stupid despot in thrall to his beautiful, shallow wife, Marie Antoinette, or as a cruel and treasonous tyrant. Historian John Hardman disputes both these versions in a fascinating new biography of the ill-fated monarch. Based in part on new scholarship that has emerged over the past two decades, Hardman's illuminating study describes a highly educated ruler who, though indecisive, possessed sharp political insight and a talent for foreign policy; who often saw the dangers ahead but could not or would not prevent them; and whose great misfortune was to be caught in the violent center of a major turning point in history. Hardman's dramatic reassessment of the reign of Louis XVI sheds a bold new light on the man, his actions, his world, and his policies, including the king's support for America's War of Independence, the intricate workings of his court, the disastrous Diamond Necklace Affair, and Louis's famous dash to Varennes.

The Splendid Century Life in the France of Louis XIV

Author : Wh Lewis
Publisher : Franklin Classics
ISBN 13 : 9780343249182
Total Pages : 338 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (491 download)

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Book Synopsis The Splendid Century Life in the France of Louis XIV by : Wh Lewis

Download or read book The Splendid Century Life in the France of Louis XIV written by Wh Lewis and published by Franklin Classics. This book was released on 2018-10-15 with total page 338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Life and Times of Louis XIV

Author : Alfredo Panicucci
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 80 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 ( download)

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Book Synopsis The Life and Times of Louis XIV by : Alfredo Panicucci

Download or read book The Life and Times of Louis XIV written by Alfredo Panicucci and published by . This book was released on 1967 with total page 80 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: It was Voltaire who gave to the 17th century the name that it retains to this day, 'The century of Louis XIV'. This phrase is not just a fond tribute to a favourite ruler; it is a factual description of an age that was dominated by the longest reign in European history - the reign of the 'Sun King'. Louis was King of France for 72 years, during which time France became the most powerful and brilliant country in Europe. What was it like to live in the splendid age of the Sun King? this book is your chance to see for yourself. It is a recreation of the life and times of Louis, a living portrait of the King and his world.

Louis XIV and the Zenith of the French Monarchy

Author : Arthur Hassall
Publisher : CreateSpace
ISBN 13 : 9781503325821
Total Pages : 312 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (258 download)

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Book Synopsis Louis XIV and the Zenith of the French Monarchy by : Arthur Hassall

Download or read book Louis XIV and the Zenith of the French Monarchy written by Arthur Hassall and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-11-01 with total page 312 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pyrrhus Press specializes in bringing books long out of date back to life, allowing today's readers access to yesterday's treasures. This is a history of France during the era of the Sun King, Louis XIV, who oversaw the construction of Versailles and the strengthening of the French state. From the prologue: "THE character and position of Louis XIV. are peculiarly difficult to estimate, partly on account of the attitude taken towards him during his lifetime by his own subjects, partly owing to the entire misapprehension under which foreign nations laboured as to his real aims. The French people during more than two-thirds of his long reign made him into a god and worshipped him, while at the time of the Spanish Succession war a generation had grown up in England which, says Mr. Wyon in his History of Great Britain during the Reign of Queen Anne, regarded "Louis XIV. as a monster of ambition with a mission from the devil to make slaves and Papists of the whole human race, a perfidious tyrant with whom it was useless to think of entering into a compact, whom it was absolutely necessary to bind with chains of iron." Again at the present day, modern historical writers, for the greater part hailing from France, are well-nigh unanimous in wholesale condemnation of the age of Louis XIV. on the ground that it was essentially the cause of the French Revolution. Even allowing that it be strictly historical to say that Louis' reign made the Revolution inevitable, it remains none the less true that the blame, if there be any, must be shared by the people with the King. The French nation made Louis, and Louis was the epitome of the French nation. It is easy to sympathise with the many hostile criticisms levelled at the King by German historians, who cannot forgive the devastation of the Palatinate or forget the loss of Strasburg. But it is peculiarly ungracious, ungrateful, and unhistorical for French writers who are well acquainted with the history of their own country, to allow themselves to be so carried away by feeble republican predilections, as to pour virulent abuse upon the most brilliant period of their history, and their most hardworking, painstaking, and on the whole successful ruler."

French Legends

Author : Charles River Charles River Editors
Publisher : Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN 13 : 9781981881710
Total Pages : 86 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (817 download)

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Book Synopsis French Legends by : Charles River Charles River Editors

Download or read book French Legends written by Charles River Charles River Editors and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-12-20 with total page 86 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: *Includes famous art depicting King Louis XVI and important people, places, and events in his life. *Explains his reign and role in the American Revolution and French Revolution. *Analyzes his execution and legacy. "I die perfectly innocent of the so-called crimes of which I am accused. I pardon those who are the cause of my misfortunes." - Louis XVI A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history's most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors' French series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of France's most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known. Louis XVI is one of the most famous Kings of France, but for reasons he would have much rather avoided. Coming of age in the wake of the reign of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and his father, Louis XV, Louis XVI initially intended to be one of France's most enlightened Kings. Instead, he was destined to be the only French King ever executed. Indeed, it is his death and his role in fomenting the French Revolution (along with his infamous Queen, Marie Antoinette) that continue to play the central role in Louis XVI's legacy. The abrupt demise of Louis XVI and his reign capped a tumultuous but important historical period for both France and the rest of the world. It was Louis XVI's wish to reform France in the mold of the Enlightenment and his failure to push those reforms against a reluctant aristocracy that emboldened and spurred those who would rebel against him. At the same time, his support for the American cause during the American Revolution in the 1770s was integral in securing that nation's freedom and further adding to France's financial woes. Ironically, France's role in assuring the success of the American Revolution provided a hopeful example for those who would overthrow him less than 15 years later. The same cautious conservatism that marred his reign in the eyes of so many ultimately led to the chain of events that made him a victim of the guillotine. With French society in open revolt by the late 1780s, the King appeared indecisive at a number of crucial moments, including during a famous attempted escape that was thwarted at Vergennes, and he had to literally run for his life when a mob stormed the royal palace at Tuileries. Soonafter he was stripped of his dignity and his royal name, convicted of high treason in a sham trial as Citizen Louis Capet. Ironically, in death, some historians have asserted that his execution and the sympathy it engendered helped bring about the Restoration a generation later. French Legends: The Life and Legacy of King Louis XVI looks at the life and reign of one of history's most famous Kings, explaining his role in two of history's most famous revolutions and analyzing his legacy. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Louis XVI like you never have before, in no time at all.