Author: Alexandre DumasPublisher: United Holdings Group
ISBN:
Category : France
Languages : en
Pages : 464
Book Description
Love and Louis XIV
Author: Antonia FraserPublisher: Anchor Canada
ISBN: 0385672519
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 466
Book Description
The superb historian and biographer Antonia Fraser, author of Marie Antoinette, casts new light on the splendor and the scandals of the reign of Louis XIV in this dramatic, illuminating look at the women in his life. The self-proclaimed Sun King, Louis XIV ruled over the most glorious and extravagant court in seventeenth-century Europe. Now, Antonia Fraser goes behind the well-known tales of Louis’s accomplishments and follies, exploring in riveting detail his intimate relationships with women. The king’s mother, Anne of Austria, had been in a childless marriage for twenty-two years before she gave birth to Louis XIV. A devout Catholic, she instilled in her son a strong sense of piety and fought successfully for his right to absolute power. In 1660, Louis married his first cousin, Marie-Thérèse, in a political arrangement. While unfailingly kind to the official Queen of Versailles, Louis sought others to satisfy his romantic and sexual desires. After a flirtation with his sister-in-law, his first important mistress was Louise de La Vallière, who bore him several children before being replaced by the tempestuous and brilliant Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Later, when Athénaïs’s reputation was tarnished, the King continued to support her publicly as Athénaïs left court for a life of repentance. Meanwhile her children’s governess, the intelligent and seemingly puritanical Françoise de Maintenon, had already won the King’s affections; in a relationship in complete contrast to his physical obsession with Athénaïs, Louis XIV lived happily with Madame de Maintenon for the rest of his life, very probably marrying her in secret. When his grandson’s child bride, the enchanting Adelaide of Savoy, came to Versaille she lightened the King’s last years – until tragedy struck. With consummate skill, Antonia Fraser weaves insights into the nature of women’s religious lives – as well as such practical matters as contraception – into her magnificent, sweeping portrait of the king, his court, and his ladies.
The Suspicion of Virtue
Author: John J. ConleyPublisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 9780801440205
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 252
Book Description
"Through biography, extensive translation, commentary, and critical analysis, The Suspicion of Virtue presents the work of women who participated in the philosophical debates of the early modern period but who have been largely erased from the standard history of philosophy. Conley examines the various literary genres (maxim, ode, dialogue) in which these authors presented their moral theory. He also unveils the philosophical complexity of the arguments presented by these women and of the salon culture that nurtured their preoccupations. Their pointed critiques of virtue as a mask of vice, Conley asserts, are relevant to the revival of virtue theory by contemporary ethicians."--BOOK JACKET.
Author: Jules Lair
Author: 
Author: Alexandre Dumas
Author: Joseph AdelmanBetween Two Kings
Author: Lawrence EllsworthPublisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1643137514
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 496
Book Description
For years d’Artagnan shared his adventures with his three comrades—Athos, Porthos, and Aramis—but now, in Between Two Kings, the First Musketeer returns to the forefront. This is truly d’Artagnan’s novel, bringing to a dramatic climax the story that began when he first arrived in Paris thirty years earlier in The Three Musketeers. This brand-new translation of Between Two Kings immediately picks up the story and themes of Blood Royal, where d’Artagnan tries to thwart destiny by saving England’s Charles I; now, he will be instrumental in the restoration of his son, Charles II, the first of the two kings of the title. Disappointed in the irresolution of young Louis XIV, d’Artagnan takes a leave of absence from the King’s Musketeers and ventures to England with a bold plan to hoist Charles II onto his throne, a swashbuckling escapade in which he is unwittingly assisted by his old comrade Athos. D’Artagnan returns triumphant to France, where he is recalled to service by the second king, Louis XIV, who is now finally ready to take full advantage of the extraordinary talents of his officer of musketeers. This newly translated volume by Lawrence Ellsworth is the first volume of Alexandre Dumas’s mega-novel Le Vicomte de Bragelonne, the epic finale to the Musketeers Cycle, which will end with the justly-famous The Man in the Iron Mask. This marks the first significant new English translation of this series of novels in over a century.
Louise de la Vallière
Author: Alexandre DumasPublisher: Lindhardt og Ringhof
ISBN: 8726612313
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 599
Book Description
Set in France in 1661, ‘Louise de la Vallière’ is the third and final part of the D’Artagnan Romances trilogy. With Louis XIV seeking to cement his position as the absolute monarch over the whole of France, D’Artagnan and the Three Musketeers are forced to come out of retirement one last time. However, while their intentions may be noble, there might be hidden agendas at play that could steer the foursome in the wrong direction... Packed with murder, intrigue, conspiracy, betrayal, action, and adventure, ‘Louise de la Vallière’ is as fast-paced and exciting as any of Dumas’ earlier outings. A political animal, the author allows us to see the machinations of the royal court and its effects on the general populace. At its heart, this is a romantic romp yet Dumas deftly sprinkles the twisting plot with flecks of wistful nostalgia. An ideal read for fans of ‘The Three Musketeers’ film, starring Oliver Reed and Simon Ward. Alexandre Dumas (1802 – 1870) was one of the most popular French authors and playwrights of the 19th Century. After the death of his father, Dumas travelled to Paris where he eventually decided to work in the theatre. He first came to public attention at the age of 27 with his first play, ‘King Henry III and his Courts.’ After a succession of successful stage plays, Dumas turned his hand to writing novels. Many of these were serialised in newspapers, such as ‘La Comtesse de Salisbury; Édouard III,’ and ‘Le Capitaine Paul.’ Many of Dumas’ later works have been hailed as timeless classics and adapted for television and the silver screen, such as ‘The Three Musketeers’, starring ‘Lord of the Rings’ ́ Orlando Bloom, and ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’, starring ‘Superman’ star, Henry Cavill.
Before Versailles
Author: Karleen KoenPublisher: Sourcebooks, Inc.
ISBN: 1402275919
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 441
Book Description
"A grand yet intimate look at the Sun King, a tale rich with detail and action."—Library Journal (Starred Review, one of the best historical novels of the year) Before Versailles transports you to a world of secret passions and plots, a world of duplicity and malice...a world that created one of the best–known monarchs to grace the French throne. At the most decisive time in the young king's life, Louis XIV can taste the danger. His court teems with greed and corruption, the wrong woman draws him into a wrenching love affair, and a mysterious boy in an iron mask haunts the woods. The untried ruler is coming into his own in 1661, and Louis XIV must face what he is willing to sacrifice for honor and for love. Meticulously researched and gorgeously brought to life by New York Times bestselling author Karleen Koen, Before Versailles offers up a sumptuous, authentic exploration of a time that forged a man into a king. Praise for Before Versailles: "In this magnificently written and researched novel, Karleen Koen brings to vibrant life the early years and loves of the future Sun King."—Jean M. Auel, author of The Clan of the Cave Bear and the Land of Painted Caves "A baroque cornucopia spilling over with intrigue, passion, jealousy, ambition, and rich historical detail, Before Versailles offers a glittering glimpse of the crucial months that shaped Louis XIV into Europe's most powerful monarch."—Eleanor Herman, author of Sex with Kings
