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From Louis XIV to Napoleon
Much of the period 1661-1815 appeared to be the age of France. France was the greatest power in Western Europe in the late seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and Louis XIV and Napoleon seemed to dominate their periods.
yet when Louis XIV died in 1715, and again after Napoleon's attempt to resume power was defeated at Waterloo a century later, France appeared as a waning power. This failure in Europe was matched on the world scale. France was overtaken by Britain in the struggle for maritime predominance, and ended the period with her empire in ruins.
From Louis XIV to Napoleon is a scholarly yet accessible account which considers why France was not more successful and throws light on French history, international relations, warfare and the rise and fall of French power.
yet when Louis XIV died in 1715, and again after Napoleon's attempt to resume power was defeated at Waterloo a century later, France appeared as a waning power. This failure in Europe was matched on the world scale. France was overtaken by Britain in the struggle for maritime predominance, and ended the period with her empire in ruins.
From Louis XIV to Napoleon is a scholarly yet accessible account which considers why France was not more successful and throws light on French history, international relations, warfare and the rise and fall of French power.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
About the author
Jeremy Black
452 books203 followersJeremy Black is an English historian, who was formerly a professor of history at the University of Exeter. He is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of America and the West at the Foreign Policy Research Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, US.
Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).
Black is the author of over 180 books, principally but not exclusively on 18th-century British politics and international relations, and has been described by one commentator as "the most prolific historical scholar of our age". He has published on military and political history, including Warfare in the Western World, 1882–1975 (2001) and The World in the Twentieth Century (2002).
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 8, 2011
Professor Jeremy Black provides a much needed survey of French foreign policy from the era of Louis XIV to the fall of Napoleon. The study, however, would be a difficult read for those students new to the subject.
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July 14, 2022Amazon review
Great with foreign affairs, not so with others... 6/10
Prof. Black's book certainly does what it intended to do, it talks about the French nation and why it rose and fell. However the book did not go that extra mile. The phrase "fate of a great power" really threw me off. I expected the book to go into great detail about what makes a nation a great power: organization, foreign policy, manpower, economic strength, leadership etc. I really feel however that the book only covered foreign policy. In that category the book did excellent. The other details are talked about, however very briefly. Therefore this book is primarily concerned with foreign policy. If you want a book that covers all aspects of the French nation during the monarchy I would suggest Colin Jones' book "The Great Nation."
Nicholas Roberts
Great with foreign affairs, not so with others... 6/10
Prof. Black's book certainly does what it intended to do, it talks about the French nation and why it rose and fell. However the book did not go that extra mile. The phrase "fate of a great power" really threw me off. I expected the book to go into great detail about what makes a nation a great power: organization, foreign policy, manpower, economic strength, leadership etc. I really feel however that the book only covered foreign policy. In that category the book did excellent. The other details are talked about, however very briefly. Therefore this book is primarily concerned with foreign policy. If you want a book that covers all aspects of the French nation during the monarchy I would suggest Colin Jones' book "The Great Nation."
Nicholas Roberts
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews