Richard Wilkinson (2)

I approached this biography of Louis XIV warily - it appeared suspiciously brief for a biography of a remarkable monarch who ruled France for 72 years. However, I finished this book impressed. Certainly, Louis XIV was a complex figure and there are further intricacies and more depth that could be explored, but this biography manages to provide a concise account of Louis's life, his relationships with family, mistresses, administrators, and courtiers, summaries of the war and foreign policy, and the state of France during his reign. Overall, this book is an excellent introduction to the Sun King and the author manages to bring notable historical criticisms of the monarch into the narrative.… (mehr)