Louis XIV, Josephine Wilkinson
Louis XIV, Josephine Wilkinson
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Louis XIV
The Power and the Glory

Author: Josephine Wilkinson

Narrator: Kate Reading

Unabridged: 16 hr 25 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/09/2019

Synopsis

An intelligent, authoritative, and often surprising biography of the most famous of French monarchs, by an acclaimed biographer and historianThis stylish and incisive narrative presents listeners 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.

About Josephine Wilkinson

Josephine Wilkinson is the author of numerous biographies published in Great Britain: Anne Boleyn, The Princes in the Tower, Katherine Howard, and Richard III. She received her PhD from the University of Newcastle. She has been scholar-in-residence at St Denial’s Library. She now lives in York, Richard III’s favorite city.

About Kate Reading

Kate Reading is the recipient of multiple AudioFile Earphones Awards and has been named by AudioFile magazine as a “Voice of the Century,” as well as the Best Voice in Science Fiction & Fantasy in 2008 and 2009 and Best Voice in Biography & Culture in 2010. She has narrated works by such authors as Jane Austen, Robert Jordan, Edith Wharton, and Sophie Kinsella. Reading has performed at numerous theaters in Washington D.C. and received a Helen Hayes Award for her performance in Aunt Dan and Lemon. AudioFile magazine reports that, "With subtle control of characters and sense of pacing, Kate’s performances are a consistent pleasure."

Reviews

Goodreads review by Eric

I've heard of this history writer as a "revisionist" historian, and so I wasn't quite sure about what that revisionism might entail...and since is this time of Covid, I couldn't read a first chapter in the library to see if it really was the best book on Louis XIV, so checking it out was kind of a g......more

Goodreads review by Shadoshard

Louis XIV: The Power and the Glory, has to be one of the best books on the subject of the Sun King I've read thus far. Well rounded and and historically accurate, the timeline of his life in concert with the creation of Versailles and the religious turbulence of the time was both comprehensive and s......more

Goodreads review by Jenny

This was an ok biography. Part of the issue is that Louis XIV reigned for so long that this short of a book can not encompass it all in depth. Wilkinson gives a decent overview of this time, but with a focus on Louis's lovers. The wars were given a decent treatment, in that why they happened and whe......more

Goodreads review by Logan

This was my first foray back into biographies after a long time—and it was propelled by an interest in French history, particularly that close before and during the French Revolution. Plus, the idea of diving into the life of Louis XIV, one of the world’s longest reigning monarchs and perhaps the mo......more

Goodreads review by Sarah

I received this beautiful book from a dear friend who knew I have an interest in history. To be honest I have not read a great deal about French history and knew very, very little about Louis XIV. I knew he took the throne at a young age and lived a long life but other than that I was in the dark. D......more

Quotes

“An agreeable and generally admiring biography. She covers war and politics efficiently, but this is very much a personal biography. The king’s ministers receive less attention than his mistresses. Yet Louis was no playboy monarch, as Ms. Wilkinson makes clear.” Wall Street Journal

“A historical account that is both entertaining and informative.” Library Journal

“Wilkinson well describes Louis’s love life, his peripatetic infatuations, and longer-term affairs that made for court intrigues.” Booklist

“Kate Reading’s expressive and energetic narration of this birth-to-death biography of France’s Louis XIV animates a history that is itself refreshingly brisk, factual, and accessible…Reading’s command of French and of proper nouns in other European languages is particularly impressive…[and] her narration of the French-Dutch-English wars is a virtuoso display of linguistic precision and dexterity.” AudioFile

“In this book, the personal overwhelms the political. Wars and diplomatic events are the sideshows to court intrigue.” New York Journal of Books

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