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‘Intelligent, authoritative, and often surprising, a biography of the most famous of French monarchs, by an acclaimed biographer and historian.<\/p>\n
Louis XIV\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s life: his political philosophy, his wars, and his relationships with courtiers and subjects.<\/p>\n
As a military strategist, Louis\u2019s capacity was debatable, but he was an astute politician who led his country to the heights of sophistication and power \u2013 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 \u2013 but greatly distanced from \u2013 its king.’<\/p>\n
From Amazon.co.uk<\/I><\/a> <\/p>\n Further details – Amberley Publishing<\/a><\/p>\n Further details – Amazon.co.uk<\/I><\/a><\/p>\n 15th March – Heroines of the Medieval World (paperback) by Sharon Bennett Connolly<\/b><\/p>\n ‘These are the stories of women, famous, infamous and unknown, who shaped the course of medieval history. The lives and actions of medieval women were restricted by the men who ruled the homes, countries and world they lived in. It was men who fought wars, made laws and dictated religious doctrine. It was men who were taught to read, trained to rule and expected to fight. Today, it is easy to think that all women from this era were downtrodden and obedient housewives, whose sole purpose was to give birth to children (preferably boys) and serve their husbands. Heroines of the Medieval World looks at the lives of the women who broke the mould: those who defied social norms and made their own future, consequently changing lives, society and even the course of history.<\/p>\n Some of the women are famous, such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, who was not only a duchess in her own right but also Queen Consort of France through her first marriage and Queen Consort of England through her second, in addition to being a crusader and a rebel. Then there are the more obscure but no less remarkable figures such as Nicholaa de la Haye, who defended Lincoln Castle in the name of King John, and Maud de Braose, who spoke out against the same king\u2019s excesses and whose death (or murder) was the inspiration for a clause in Magna Carta. <\/p>\n Women had to walk a fine line in the Middle Ages, but many learned to survive \u2013 even flourish \u2013 in this male-dominated world. Some led armies, while others made their influence felt in more subtle ways, but all made a contribution to their era and should be remembered for daring to defy and lead in a world that demanded they obey and follow.’<\/p>\n From – Amazon.co.uk<\/I><\/a><\/p>\n Further details – Amazon.co.uk<\/I><\/a><\/p>\n 15th March – Louis XIV: The Real King of Versailles by Josephine Wilkinson ‘Intelligent, authoritative, and often surprising, a biography of the most famous of French monarchs, by an acclaimed biographer and historian. Louis XIV\u2019s story has all the ingredients … Continue reading
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