Milton Public Library

Louis XIV, the power and the glory, Josephine Wilkinson

eng

no index present

non fiction

Louis XIV

electronic resource

dictionaries

Josephine Wilkinson

the power and the glory

This stylish and incisive narrative presents readers with a fresh perspective on one of the most fascinating kings in European history. 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 semi-divine. His self-identification as the Sun King, which was reflected in iconography by 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 ambiguous, 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

adult

Louis the fourteenthLouis 14th