The Bourbon Kings of France
The Bourbon Kings of France

Author: Desmond Seward

Publisher: Independently Published

Published: 2022-12-08

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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'Licentious or bigoted, noble or ignoble, ' wrote Nancy Mitford, 'there has seldom been a dull Bourbon.' The story of the Bourbon kings encompasses the two most glorious and turbulent centuries in French history, yet surprisingly, this is still the only narrative account of the dynasty for the general reader. They emerge from a shadowy line of medieval princes in 1589 to rule France for over 200 years, dominating Europe, launching an endless series of wars, creators of the dazzling splendour of Versailles, survivors from the French Revolution. The Bourbons begin with the dashing figure of Henri IV, with his courage, gaiety and 64 mistresses. They include figures such as the Sun King Louis XIV and Louis XVI who ended under the guillotine, and close with the little-known 'Henri V' - expected to return and rule France in 1873 but whose refusal to abandon the Lily banner of the Bourbons for the Tricolore finally lost him the throne. The Bourbon Kings of France is an accessible yet thorough history, written for the general reader and of particular interest to anyone who enjoys history or wishes to learn more about the Bourbons. Praise for The Bourbon Kings of France: 'A blending of wide historical knowledge and vigorous independent judgement to make a lively, exciting but dependable account for the general reader' - Sunday Times 'Enormously entertaining ... an excellent read ... a cross between a package tour of the Bourbon dynasty and a Guide Michelin to the favourites, mistresses and ministers of the French monarchy' - Spectator Paris-born Desmond Seward is a British popular historian who has written many books but is perhaps best known for The Hundred Years War, The Monks of War, The Wars of the Roses and Richard III. He lives in England's West Country.

The First Bourbon
The First Bourbon

Author: Desmond Seward

Publisher: Thistle Publishing

Published: 2013-06-20

Total Pages: 254

ISBN-13: 9781909609082

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The founder of the Bourbon dynasty, Henry IV, who ruled France from 1589 to 1610, is the most romantic of French kings. Very different from his grandson Louis XIV, he was a hard-fighting, hard swearing Southerner, who fought over 200 battles and had 60 (recorded) mistresses* After surviving his predecessor's murderous court, he rebuilt a France ruined by thirty years of war between Catholics and Protestants, enabling her to become the most powerful country in Europe. A man of enormous charm and humanity, he was famous for promising that every French peasant was going to have a chicken in the pot in Sundays. Even Napoleon admired him, always keeping a statue of him nearby.

The Bourbons
The Bourbons

Author: J H Shennan

Publisher: Bloomsbury Continuum

Published: 2007-04-28

Total Pages: 244

ISBN-13:

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Presenting the history of the Bourbons, this title provides a comprehensive look through the rise, fall, and semi-rise again of the great French dynasty.

The Indian Kings of France
The Indian Kings of France

Author: Carlos Mundy

Publisher:

Published: 2019-09-29

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 9781696369558

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During the reign of Akbar, between the years 1557 and 1559, a European called Jean Philippe du Bourbon arrived at the Court of Delhi. He was French and claimed to belong to one of the noblest families of that Kingdom. He recounted that he had been made prisoner by Turkish pirates during a voyage, and was taken as a slave to Egypt. This had occurred in 1541 when he was only fifteen years old. Once in Egypt, due to his charm and qualities he gained the favour of the sovereign and joined the army being this start of the adventure that took him to India.The emperor Akbar, to whom the youth told his story, became captivated by his refined manners and his intelligent appearance and he offered him a position in his army after which he was appointed Master of Artillery. Full of honours and riches, Prince Jean Philippe du Bourbon died in Agra leaving two sons from the sister of the Emperor's Christian wife. The eldest, Alexander became a favourite of Emperor Jahangir who made him Hereditary Governor of the Palace of the Begums.The Bourbons retained their position in the Imperial Court until the invasion of India by Nadir Shah, when the exiled themselves to their feud of Shergar.The Indian King of France is a historical novel that narrates the lives of some of the most prominent members of the dynasty. It is written in the first person as if the joint conscious of all of them is recounting their story. It starts with the amazing account of the first Indian Bourbon, Prince Jean Philippe and then travels through time until our present days with a very interesting first hand account of his life by the current head of the family, Prince Balthazar IV of Bourbon-Bhopal and an essay by the heir apparent, Prince Frederick who is studying in California to become a film-maker. The novel is a fascinating account of this family who is the eldest branch of the Bourbons and thus would have the right to claim the throne of France

The Valois
The Valois

Author: Robert Knecht

Publisher: A&C Black

Published: 2007-04-01

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 9781852855222

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The house of Valois ruled France for 250 years, playing a crucial role in its establishment as a major European power. This extremely well-written and structured book will appeal to the general reader.

The Capetians
The Capetians

Author: Jim Bradbury

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2007-02-27

Total Pages: 361

ISBN-13: 0826435149

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Following the demise of the Carolingian dynasty in 987 the French lords chose Hugh Capet as their king. He was the founder of a dynasty that lasted until 1328. Although for much of this time, the French kings were weak, and the kingdom of France was much smaller than it later became, the Capetians nevertheless had considerable achievements and also produced outstanding rulers, including Philip Augustus and St Louis. This wide-ranging book throws fascinating light on the history of Medieval France and the development of European monarchy.

A Passion for Paris
A Passion for Paris

Author: David Downie

Publisher: Macmillan + ORM

Published: 2015-04-28

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 1466841257

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"A top-notch walking tour of Paris. . . . The author's encyclopedic knowledge of the city and its artists grants him a mystical gift of access: doors left ajar and carriage gates left open foster his search for the city's magical story. Anyone who loves Paris will adore this joyful book. Readers visiting the city are advised to take it with them to discover countless new experiences." —Kirkus Reviews (starred) A unique combination of memoir, history, and travelogue, this is author David Downie's irreverent quest to uncover why Paris is the world's most romantic city—and has been for over 150 years. Abounding in secluded, atmospheric parks, artists' studios, cafes, restaurants and streets little changed since the 1800s, Paris exudes romance. The art and architecture, the cityscape, riverbanks, and the unparalleled quality of daily life are part of the equation. But the city's allure derives equally from hidden sources: querulous inhabitants, a bizarre culture of heroic negativity, and a rich historical past supplying enigmas, pleasures and challenges. Rarely do visitors suspect the glamor and chic and the carefree atmosphere of the City of Light grew from and still feed off the dark fountainheads of riot, rebellion, mayhem and melancholy—and the subversive literature, art and music of the Romantic Age. Weaving together his own with the lives and loves of Victor Hugo, Georges Sand, Charles Baudelaire, Balzac, Nadar and other great Romantics Downie delights in the city's secular romantic pilgrimage sites asking , Why Paris, not Venice or Rome—the tap root of "romance"—or Berlin, Vienna and London—where the earliest Romantics built castles-in-the-air and sang odes to nightingales? Read A Passion for Paris: Romanticism and Romance in the City of Light and find out.

The Bourbons
The Bourbons

Author: J H Shennan

Publisher: Bloomsbury Academic

Published: 2008-04-20

Total Pages: 232

ISBN-13: 9781847252005

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The House of Bourbon is one of the most historically important European royal houses. Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the sixteenth century and by the eighteenth century members of the dynasty also held thrones in Spain and southern Italy - in fact, the current king of Spain is a Bourbon monarch. This new history of the Bourbons is notable for being both comprehensive yet concise as it charts the rise, fall and rise again of the great French dynasty. Henry IV, king of Gascony, became king of France after the murder of the last Valois monarch in 1589. The Bourbon rulers who followed, including Louis XIV, the 'Sun King' and Louis XV reigned during a period when France was the leading military power in Europe and when its arts was dominant. Louis XIV's palace of Versailles epitomised classical French culture and celebrated the power of its creator. France's autocratic government, under which the nobility were largely exempt from taxation, led in the eighteenth century to increasingly severe political and financial strains. The French Revolution of 1789 brought about the fall of the Bourbon monarchy and resulted in the execution of Louis XVI and his wife, Marie-Antoinette. In exile under Napoleon, the Bourbons returned to power for fifteen years after 1815 but never fully re-established their authority. This book tells their fascinating story.