Monday, June 10, 2013

“The Lives of the Kings & Queens of France”, by Rene de La Croix, duc de Castries


272 pages, Alfred A. Knopf, ISBN-13: 978-0394507347

I have a few books about the kings and queens of Britain which I've really enjoyed so I thought I'd learn a little about the French kings and queens. The Lives of the Kings & Queens of France has a lot of information, but is a bit dry, concerning itself with a ritual recitation of facts as opposed to the occurrences of personality dynamics, and how they can affect history. it works best as a refresher in French history rather than for the novice. With that said, this book is informative, enlightening, and serves as an excellent companion to the lives of the monarchs of France; keep it close at hand when reading the history of Ancien Régime France. It is full of information that sheds a lot of information on a period where the actions of Kings and Queens formed what we now call France with a great guide that contains biological information along with accomplishments and the monarch's influence on the Kingdom. This is a very worthwhile resource to have on hand. It covers the rulers in enough detail, without being too shallow, but without overwhelming the reader.

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