Wholesale Louis XIV - Paperback

by G. R. R. Treasure (Author) Louis IV represents the apogee of French royal power and the Ancien Regime. Having restored the nation's finances and rebuilt the army, he embarked on a series of wars of conquest which made France universally feared and respected as the central power of continental Europe. In the age of Moliere, Corneille, Racine et al, French culture blossomed at the court of Versailles. The counterpoint to these achievements was the emasculation of the political and legal institutions that might have limited the exercise of the royal will. In this new history, Geoffrey Treasure explores a unique combination of a personal philosophy, moulded by absolutist thinking and propaganda, and by Marzarin's deliberate training. He examines the influences and traits which permitted the growth of this particular exercise of power and its descent into an absolutism that ultimately set France on the road to 1789. Back Jacket Louis XIV was, by any standards, an impressive human being. His kingship was a sustained tour de force and his reign among the most important in the history of Europe. Though less powerful in practice than in absolutist theory and propaganda, Louis XIV reign still represents the apogee of French royal power in the ancien regime. The age of Louis XIV was a period of French dominance, advances in government, great influence abroad and rich cultural achievement. Majestic in conception, bold in ambition and splendid in image and ceremony, the monarchy of Louis XIV set standards and posed questions which have challenged us ever since. The stature of Louis XIV is beyond doubt. Between adulation and hostility, historians have struggled to achieve a balance in their interpretation of Louis XIV. In this new history, Geoffrey Treasure expertly manages to achieve this balance by setting Louis in the style and thinking of the period . He emerges as a credible figure because he is of his age. Also providing powerful sketches of the leading figures, Colbert, Bossuet, Fenelon, Mme de Maintenon and many others, Treasure helps to evaluate the propaganda and detach Louis from the image and the 'spin'. Geoffrey Treasure's compelling history shows that it is possible to enter fully into the spirit and temper of the age while still offering an objective study of Louis as a person and as a ruler. Geoffrey Treasure was history master at Harrow school. He has written extensively about French and European history, notably Seventeenth Century France (revised edition 1981), The Making of Modern Europe (1985) and the authoritative Mazarin (1995). Number of Pages: 388 Dimensions: 0.79 x 9.26 x 6.36 IN Publication Date: November 09, 2001