Louis XVI: The Silent King (Reputations) [Paperback]

John Hardman (Author)

Book Description

Series: Reputations | Publication Date: April 28, 2000

Louis XVI was at the center of the French Revolution, one of the major turning points in world history, but little is known about him. He is often portrayed only as the weak, lazy, and treasonous king dominated by Marie-Antoinette. This new investigation by John Hardman, a leading expert on the French Revolution, challenges this stereotype. Drawing on new evidence from Louis XVI's letters and from a large body of new research, Hardman provides the first detailed reconstruction of the king's political thought and sheds new light on the king's character and personality.

 

 

John Hardman is at University of Edinburgh.

Louis XVI was at the center of the French Revolution, one of the major turning points in world history, but little is known about him. He is often portrayed only as the weak, lazy, and treasonous king dominated by Marie-Antoinette. This new investigation by John Hardman, a leading expert on the French Revolution, challenges this stereotype. Drawing on new evidence from Louis XVI's letters and from a large body of new research, Hardman provides the first detailed reconstruction of the king's political thought and sheds new light on the king's character and personality.

Louis XVI was at the center of the French Revolution, one of the major turning points in world history, but little is known about him. He is often portrayed only as the weak, lazy, and treasonous king dominated by Marie-Antoinette. This new investigation by John Hardman, a leading expert on the French Revolution, challenges this stereotype. Drawing on new evidence from Louis XVI's letters and from a large body of new research, Hardman provides the first detailed reconstruction of the king's political thought and sheds new light on the king's character and personality.

"Unique insights into a king who argued that he sincerely loved the people, who bemoaned the lack of morality on the international scene, who preferred peace to war, and who read Thomas à Kempis in prison. This book presents a nuanced view of an honorable man who believed that "one can never govern a country against its inclinations...No one can rival his understanding of the various facets of the king's personality or of the sources."—History

"Thought provoking...this work is recommended for undergraduate and general readership."—CHOICE

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Unique insights into a king who argued that he sincerely loved the people, who bemoaned the lack of morality on the international scene, who preferred peace to war, and who read Thomas à Kempis in prison. This book presents a nuanced view of an honorable man who believed that "one can never govern a country against its inclinations...No one can rival his understanding of the various facets of the king's personality or of the sources."—History

"Thought provoking...this work is recommended for undergraduate and general readership."—CHOICE

About the Author

John Hardman is at University of Edinburgh.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA (April 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340706503
• ISBN-13: 978-0340706503
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,205,902 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars well balanced, interesting, clever, January 1, 2007

By 

Dorit Rubinstein (San Jose, CA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Louis XVI: The Silent King (Reputations) (Paperback)

Hardman manages what few people have done about Louis XVI: take a balanced view, and focus on him rather than Marie Antoinette. In this book, he draws on the enormous literature on the subject to shed light on the king from many directions, creating a balanced picture, not too rosy, not too bleak. He builds a very complex picture, addressing various stages in the king's life, showing how his behavior changed. The book also has the advantage of drawing on newly available material, especially the letters of Louis with his minister of foreign affairs, Vergenne, to give Louis a voice, and pay attention to what this king of few words actually said.
The book is well written, balanced, clever. I strongly recommend it.

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Real Louis XVI is depicted in this book., June 11, 2006

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Louis XVI: The Silent King (Reputations) (Paperback)

I love this book. Mr. Hardman depicts Louis XVI, the commonly misunderstood King of France, in a way that actually shows Louis as a real person, instead of a lazy old king who treated his people unkindly. I am a big fan of Louis XVI, and when I got this book, I was sure that I was going to love it. If you buy this book, open the first page, and you will love it. Louis XVI: The Silent King, does not show Louis in the more commonly picture of him as a lazy old king bossing everyone around. This book shows the image of a king young king, who tried his best to treat the French people well, but was overshadowed by several prime ministers and a duke. This book is pictureless, but you can imagine pictures in your head as I did.