Louis Xiv

Author: Wilkinson Josephine

Stock information

General Fields

  • : $59.95 AUD
  • : 9781445691732
  • : Amberley Publishing
  • : Amberley Publishing
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  • : March 2019
  • : --- length: - '23.4' width: - '15.6' units: - Centimeters
  • : 59.95
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  • : books

Special Fields

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  • : Wilkinson Josephine
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  • : Hardback
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  • : English
  • : 944.033092
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  • : B
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Barcode 9781445691732
9781445691732

Description

Intelligent, authoritative, and often surprising, a biography of the most famous of French monarchs, by an acclaimed biographer and historian. Louis XIV's story has all the ingredients of a Dumas classic: legendary beginnings, beguiling women, court intrigue, a mysterious prisoner in an iron mask, lavish court entertainments, the scandal of a mistress who was immersed in the dark arts, and a central character who is handsome and romantic, but with a frighteningly dark side to his character. Louis believed himself to be semidivine. His self-identification as the Sun King, which was reflected in iconography of the sun god, Apollo, influenced every aspect of Louis's life: his political philosophy, his wars, and his relationships with courtiers and subjects. As a military strategist, Louis's capacity was debatable, but he was an astute politician who led his country to the heights of sophistication and power - and then had the misfortune to live long enough to see it all crumble away. As the sun began to set upon this most glorious of reigns, it brought a gathering darkness filled with the anguish of dead heirs, threatened borders, and a populace that was dangerously dependent upon - but greatly distanced from - its king.