Richelieu [Paperback]

R.J. Knecht (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0582437571 | ISBN-13: 978-0582437579 | Publication Date: September 25, 2000

'A devil and a popish one at that'

• Offers a convincing reassessment of Richelieu's ministerial career.
• Includes an examination of Richelieu's rise to power.
• Explores Richelieu's political objectives.

This concise and up-to-date assessment of Richelieu's career provides an enthralling introduction to the character and exercise of his power. Richelieu governed France for 18 years until his death and until the mid-20th century was viewed by Anglo-Saxon historians as cold, clever and ruthless. Recent interpretations have been more favorable and in this incisive study R. J. Knecht uses recent research to reassess Richelieu's career and achievements. And, as the other titles in the Profiles in Power series, this is not a full blown biography, though inevitably it contains much biographical material, it instead analyzes the major features, achievements and failures of Richelieu's career.

R.J. Knecht has written extensively on French history and his publications includes the Rise and fall of Renaissance France (1996) and The French Civil Wars 1562-1598 (2000).

Editorial Reviews

Review

'... balanced and dispassionate - and entirely convincing'    English Historical Review

From the Back Cover

'A devil and a popish one at that'

* Offers a convincing reassessment of Richelieu's ministerial career.
* Includes an examination of Richelieu's rise to power.
* Explores Richelieu's political objectives.
This concise and up-to-date assessment of Richelieu's career provides an enthralling introduction to the character and exercise of his power. Richelieu governed France for 18 years until his death and until the mid-20th century was viewed by Anglo-Saxon historians as cold, clever and ruthless. Recent interpretations have been more favorable and in this incisive study R. J. Knecht uses recent research to reassess Richelieu's career and achievements. And, as the other titles in the Profiles in Power series, this is not a full blown biography, though inevitably it contains much biographical material, it instead analyzes the major features, achievements and failures of Richelieu's career.

R.J. Knecht has written extensively on French history and his publications includes the Rise and fall of Renaissance France (1996) and The French Civil Wars 1562-1598 (2000).

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 259 pages
• Publisher: Longman (September 25, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582437571
• ISBN-13: 978-0582437579
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,336,115 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Unimpressive, June 2, 2003

By 

Nichomachus - See all my reviews

This review is from: Richelieu (Paperback)

This is not a comprehensive biography, which is what initially attracted me to this book. Knecht's RICHELIEU is part of a series of what are supposed to be short, concise that address the power and politics of various great figures in European history. Thus, we thankfully don't have to read about Richelieu's preference in wine and ad nauseum speculations on whether he died a virgin. The focus is supposed to be on what made this person succeed politically in their time and context, and what they did when they achieved power.

All in all, while I understand the desire for consistency, I found the book often vague about significant events while spending time offering random speculation and criticism of other work in the field. Claims are made without adequate support or argumentation. I also question whether the organization of the book was best strategically. Devoting distinct chapters to Richelieu's use of propaganda or his relationship to the nobility is arguably valuable, but I think the whole work suffers since there isn't a focus towards understanding how these different elements interrelate.

For the most part, though, I just found the prose dull, and only moderately informative. Ultimately, I think the exposition of how Richelieu exercised power suffers as a result.