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The Splendid Century: Life in the France of Louis XIV

by W. H. Lewis (Author)
4.1 out of 5 stars 131 ratings
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Probes varied facets of life in France during the reign of Louis XIV, including the church, medicine, sea travel, female education, and the army.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0881339210
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0881339215
  3. Publisher
    Waveland Pr Inc
  4. Publication date
    December 31, 1997
  5. Language
    English
  6. Dimensions
    5.5 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
  7. Print length
    306 pages
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Not only a highly pleasurable, lucid read, but also an incredibly informative and satisfying introduction. Lewis deftly moved from court to country, king to commoner, illuminating the best and the worst of Louis XIV's France. Along the way, he gives a tantalizing glimpse into the underlying tensions within French society that would later serve as the impetus for the French Revolution." -- Cardis Murray, College of St. Rose --From the Back Cover

"This book is the kind of modern scholarship in history which makes reading a delight. A fascinating book, excellently documented and as readable as it is authentic." --Book-of-the-Month Club News

From the Back Cover

"Not only a highly pleasurable, lucid read, but also an incredibly informative and satisfying introduction. Lewis deftly moved from court to country, king to commoner, illuminating the best and the worst of Louis XIV's France. Along the way, he gives a tantalizing glimpse into the underlying tensions within French society that would later serve as the impetus for the French Revolution." -- Cardis Murray, College of St. Rose

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Waveland Pr Inc (December 31, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 306 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0881339210
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0881339215
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 14.4 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 0.75 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 out of 5 stars 131 ratings

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W. H. Lewis

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Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
131 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book informative about life in France, with one review noting how the detailed context helps understand the ruling style. Moreover, the writing style receives positive feedback, with one customer highlighting the fluent prose. Additionally, they appreciate the book's humor, with one review noting its highly anecdotal nature.

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25 customers mention "Knowledge"25 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's scholarly approach and rich details, finding it very informative about life in France, with one customer noting how the detailed context helps understand the ruling style.

"...This is history with a human face...." Read more

"Well written and scholarly, yet in the era this biography was written, footnotes and other means to verify facts and statements were not used...." Read more

"...The erudition is everywhere apparent, but it is worn lightly and the story is told in fluent prose enlivened by the odd flash of sly humour...." Read more

"Lewis's book is a solid cultural history focusing on a key period in the development of France...." Read more

17 customers mention "Enjoyment"17 positive0 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable and entertaining, with one describing it as a delightful adventure in belles lettres.

"...only about 285 pages but there is so much learning and entertainment between the covers that you will be amazed...." Read more

"...However, it still feels very academic in nature so while a fascinating read, this is not "light" reading." Read more

"W.H. Lewis wrote this famous book (dedicated to his brother C.S.) in 1953, but it has stood the test of time very well and provides an excellent..." Read more

"...a British audience, but most history enthusiasts will find it an enjoyable read -- save for one source of frustration...." Read more

8 customers mention "Writing style"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the writing style of the book, finding it well-structured and easy to read, with one customer noting that the story is told in fluent prose.

"...Very well written and well structured...." Read more

"Well written and scholarly, yet in the era this biography was written, footnotes and other means to verify facts and statements were not used...." Read more

"...is everywhere apparent, but it is worn lightly and the story is told in fluent prose enlivened by the odd flash of sly humour...." Read more

"...The author's style is amusing and urbane but never pretentious, as when he teases the reader by declining to linger on embarrassing details of the..." Read more

3 customers mention "Humor"3 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the humor in the book, with one mentioning the fun anecdotes and another noting its highly anecdotal nature.

"...than broad themes - more than you ever wanted to know, but the anecdotes are fun and are likely new information. I'd suggest - give it a whirl...." Read more

"Highly anecdotal, a series of vignettes concerning social groups and movements under Louis XIV...." Read more

"...It is full of many amusing details as well as political and social things going on...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Bruce Loveitt
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliantly Illuminating
    Reviewed in the United States on February 11, 2000
    Verified Purchase
    What can you say about a book that gives you Louis XIV sitting on the grass at Versailles carrying on a conversation with a little girl? This is history with a human face. When Louis made the little girl laugh he knew she liked him for himself and not because she was trying to gain the favor of The Sun King. When you think of Versailles do you think of elegance and sumptuosness? Of course! But do you also picture courtiers eating soup out of one tureen using a communal spoon? Or of using a piece of stale bread as a plate? And if you were lucky enough to be in residence at Versailles your living quarters were likely to be the size of a small attic room. And that's if you were lucky! This book is also much more than just Louis and Versailles. It lives up to its subtitle. For you also learn about how the church and the army operated; what it was like to be a peasant or a member of the impoverished nobility; there is an excellent chapter on the bureaucracies involved surrounding doctors and dentists; life for a criminal sentenced to the galleys; the education of women, etc. I cannot say enough good things about this book. It is only about 285 pages but there is so much learning and entertainment between the covers that you will be amazed. Probably the best thing I can say is that even though it was written almost 50 years ago, the book does not seem dated in the least. I would imagine that in the scholarly world things have come to light which might necessitate changing some things here and there but for the general reader it does not get any better than this! I will always have the image of little Louis (he was only 5 feet 5 inches) sitting on the grass, charming and being charmed by that anonymous little girl...
    49 people found this helpful
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  • Austin21
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of France during Louis XIV's reign
    Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    This book gave an excellent overview of the country, including the life of the king, those who lived at Versailles, nobility in the countryside, the poor, women, etc. Very well written and well structured. This is a great introduction for someone who is interested in really understanding a large-scale picture of the century, without getting too bogged down in details. However, it still feels very academic in nature so while a fascinating read, this is not "light" reading.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • football fan
    3.0 out of 5 stars Scholarly
    Reviewed in the United States on July 7, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Well written and scholarly, yet in the era this biography was written, footnotes and other means to verify facts and statements were not used. This brings up questions of what truly happened.
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  • bibliomane01
    5.0 out of 5 stars History in the Grand Manner
    Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2001
    Verified Purchase
    W.H. Lewis wrote this famous book (dedicated to his brother C.S.) in 1953, but it has stood the test of time very well and provides an excellent introduction to the history of France during the reign of Louis XIV. "The Splendid Century" is history in the grand manner, written in the style of Trevelyan, Runciman and Roy Porter. The erudition is everywhere apparent, but it is worn lightly and the story is told in fluent prose enlivened by the odd flash of sly humour.
    As the author points out in the introduction, the book might have been better titled "Some Aspects of Life in the Reign of Louis XIV;" rather than present a sequential narrative, Lewis chose to structure the book as a series of essays on particular aspects. There are chapters on the king and his court, the religious situation, the organisation of the army and the state of the peasantry. Among the unexpected pleasures of the book are the chapters on sea voyages, the world of the galleys and the education of women. A surprising omission, however, is a discussion of Colbert and his attempts at administrative reform. Nevertheless, this is a fine work of history that can be strongly recommended.
    67 people found this helpful
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  • ADF
    4.0 out of 5 stars Lewis's book is a solid cultural history focusing on a ...
    Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Lewis's book is a solid cultural history focusing on a key period in the development of France. Its style is a little stilted and slanted toward a British audience, but most history enthusiasts will find it an enjoyable read -- save for one source of frustration. The problem is not with Lewis's scholarship but with the editors who adapted his printed text for the Kindle format. Plainly none did any proof reading. The text is seriously marred by errors and omissions that Lewis himself, I'm confident, would never have allowed to appear in print.
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  • Jean-Baptiste Lully Quinault
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Joy to Read
    Reviewed in the United States on August 10, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    By C.S. Lewis' brother, a co-founder of the Inklings and retired military officer, this extraordinarily researched account of French life during Louis XIV's reign, from female education and general rules of civility to the lives of galley slaves, descriptions of the Muslim world in 17th century French travelogues, and examples of eschatological humor in those times, among other subjects, is also a delightful adventure in belles lettres. The author's style is amusing and urbane but never pretentious, as when he teases the reader by declining to linger on embarrassing details of the Queen of England's personal appearance after her 1644 crossing to Calais tied to her cabin bed in a nine-day gale. Whatever the Lewis boys received at home in nature and nurture produces in this instance an entertaining treasure book on the forever lost world of the ancien regime. If only W.H. Lewis had explained why French pronunciation evolved under Louis XIV such that roi went from roo-eh to roo-ah his survey of the times would be almost complete. The publisher hit a bull's eye.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • S.C.W. Coleman-Roush
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfectly places the world into perspective
    Reviewed in the United States on July 28, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    With so many attempt to "shape the global perspective," also known as propaganda, it is a refreshing breath of fresh air to read this book. A must read for any that seek to push past arbitrary dogmatic institutionalised mumbo jumbo, this work will present a logically and well researched understanding of not only 17th century Europe, but also the world. Additionally, many of the problems of that age, if not all, exist today. I would recommend this book for political, historical, business, and even military spheres. It is a must read for any leader.
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Juan Codina
    5.0 out of 5 stars Me parece un libro muy esclarecedor de la vida en esos tiempos
    Reviewed in Spain on May 17, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    La calidad de este ejemplar de 2a mano, no era tan buena como otros libros que he adquirido de 2a mano. Quizá deberian añadir una foto del libro de 2a mano, para que el cliente se pudiera hacer una idea de su estado.
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  • Egg
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Joy to Read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 19, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    This book is a joy to read. I will not go into lengthy descriptions as there are enough reviews here that do just that. Nor am I going to spoil it for anyone by quoting any of the most amusing stories within this book. But, if you are a lover of social history, particularly that of the Louis XIV period, then you will love this book. It is definitely one for your bookshelves.
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