Customer Reviews

The Man Who Outshone the Sun King: A Life of Gleaming Opulence and Wretched Reversal in the Reign of Louis XIV

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3 star:		(1)
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I originally ran across Nicolas Foucquet recently when I was reading a novel of historical fiction. In the novel, he came across as rather charming but also somewhat sinister. He was sufficiently interesting that I wanted to learn more.

In this book, Foucquet is a consummate politician, but without the coldness or malice usually associated with that breed. He is, in parts, brilliant and yet also incredibly obtuse. His relationships with his family and with the famous and royal of his time are complex, and the author does a terrific job of catching the nuances in all of them.

Nicolas Foucquet is one of the outstanding characters in an age full of them. When he is one of the leading men of France, he acquires his wealth questionably, but he also uses it to create lasting monuments of great beauty, and can hold his own among the more intellectually inclined. Foucquet is just as fascinating when he has fallen as he is at his peaks. How he handles his imprisonment truly demonstrates his strength of character.

The author has done a wonderful job of bringing him to life. The book is very readable, and Nicolas Fouquet himself is unforgettable.

Where are the illustrations listed for this book, they didn't download with my Kindle copy?

I received the book within a week after ordering it. The book was like new and of course in excellent condition. Thank you very much.

Purchased the book from used books via Amazon. The price was amazing and the product good. Cover had no art but the inside is what I cared about. Great value.