Customer Reviews

Louis XVI: The Silent King (Reputations)

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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.

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.