Richelieu and His Age [Hardcover]

Joseph Bergin (Editor), Laurence Brockliss (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 17, 1992 | ISBN-10: 0198202318 | ISBN-13: 978-0198202318

This study of Cardinal Richelieu's career as chief minister to Louis XIII of France presents the original research of eight experts in the field. Linking their work is the belief that Richelieu's ministry was a significant moment in the history of early modern France. The authors reject the traditional picture of Richelieu as the single-handed creator of the French absolute state and the original exponent of Realpolitik. Instead they paint a collective portrait of a statesman politically astute but none the less devout. The Richelieu who emerges is in many respects a conservative figure, but one driven by a genuine desire to establish a more just and peaceful society (both in France and in Europe). The emphasis here then is on Richelieu the Cardinal, not Richelieu the secular statesman. The tragedy and irony of his ministry, as the authors also show, was that in order to maintain himself in power, Richelieu had to behave more like a Renaissance prince than a Counter-Reformation prelate.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A valuable addition to the study of early modern Europe."--American Historical Review

"This is an essential book for historians of seventeenth-century France."--Religious Studies Review

About the Author

Joseph Bergin is at University of Manchester. Laurence Brockliss is at Magdalen College, Oxford.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (December 17, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0198202318
• ISBN-13: 978-0198202318
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,365,889 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I was born in Rathkyle, which is near Castlecomer in County Kilkenny, Ireland. I went to secondary school at Rockwell College, near Cashel in County Tipperary, finishing my studies there in 1966. I took a BA and then an MA in History in University College Dublin in 1970 and 1972 respectively, followed by a Ph.D from the University of Cambridge in 1977. I lectured in St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Ireland from 1976 to 1978, when I moved to the University of Manchester, where I have taught since and where I have been a full professor since 1996. My field of study is early modern European history (Renaissance to the French Revolution), with a special focus on 17th century France, on which I have written six books and numerous essays and articles. I have lived in France at various times, as both a student and as an academic on sabbatical leave, and I once played rugby (as outside-half) for the Paris rugby club, Stade Francais, which proved an unusually interesting entree into many things French. My wife, Sylvia, is French (and Armenian), and we have two adult children who are fully bi-lingual. I spent a year in Berlin in 2006-07, and was captivated by the city with its troubled and ever-changing history. My most recent book, Church, Society and Religious Change in France 1580-1730 (Yale UP, 2009), was largely written in Berlin, which provided ideal conditions for the job. I imagined as I arrived there that I would be fluent in German, but alas it did not quite happen - too many years of neglect are probably to blame for that!