The reign of Louis XIV has been called a "dictatorship of work," a court of opulence, a century of progress, and a rule of paradox. Here in all of its incredible richness and diversity is Pierre Gaxotte's superb portrait of an incandescent era and the man who made it great: "The Age of Louis XIV." An erudite and gifted writer, Gaxotte vividly re-creates this fascinating and critical epoch in French history: a reign that hammered order from sixteenth-century chaos, engendered chauvinistic pride in provincial Frenchmen, and inspired some of the greatest artists and writers France has ever known. The time of Louis XIV was a time of expansion and definition of boundaries, of colonial conquest and military preeminence. But seventeenth- and early eighteenth-century France was also a hotbed of religious strife, vicious court intrigue, financial crisis, and the Second Hundred Years' War. The core and conflict of this multidimensional period are brilliantly illuminated by Gaxotte, who focuses on the major military, economic, political, and religious figures of the day. "The Age of Louis XIV" is the story of an incomparable throne - and the powers behind it. But it is the curious figure of Louis XIV himself that stands alone in French memory - magnificent in his excesses, ennobled by his vision, and finally, overcome by his weaknesses.

The Age of Louis XIV: A Brilliantly Executed Portrait of an Illustrious Era and Its Monarch

Pierre Gaxotte

History

Macmillan Pub. Co.

Le siècle de Louis XV.

Paris, France Loisirs

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Books by Pierre Gaxotte

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Pierre Gaxotte. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Age of Louis XIV: A Brilliantly Executed Portrait of an Illustrious Era and Its Monarch

Le siècle de Louis XV.