The Valois: Kings of France 1328-1589

by Robert J. Knecht

The house of Valois ruled France for 250 years, playing a crucial role in its establishment as a major European power. When Philip VI came to the throne, in 1328, France was a weak country, with much of its modern area under English rule. Victory in the Hundred Years' War, and the acquisition of Brittany and much of Burgundy, combined with a large population and taxable wealth, made the France of Francis I the only power in Europe capable of rivalling the empire of Charles V. Francis displayed his power by spectacular artistic patronage and aggressive foreign wars. Following the death of Henry II in a tournament, the problems of two royal minorities and the divisive forces of the Reformation led to the temporary eclipse of royal power. When the last Valois, Henry III, was stabbed to death by a Dominican Friar in 1589, the dynasty was already discredited but the monarchy survived intact.

Genres: History, France, Nonfiction, Medieval, Royalty

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Robert Jean Knecht was Emeritus Professor of French History at the University of Birmingham, where he has taught since 1956. A fellow of the Royal Historical Society and a member of the Société de l'Histoire de France, Professor Knecht was Reviews Editor of the journal French History and was a member of its editorial board. He was also Chairman of the Society for Renaissance Studies and Chairman of the Society for French History. He was also a member of the Advisory Board of the Centre for the Study of the Renaissance at the University of Warwick. He has also published extensively in the field of French history, his principal work being on the reign of Francis I.

Reviews

[Lauren Albert]

Knecht tried to fit too much into too little space. If you're going to cover more than 250 years in 230 pages, you have to be willing to sacrifice detail. Because he includes so much detail, it is easy to get lost when things move as fast as they have to if you're covering that long a time period. My head spun at times.

[Tony Gualtieri]

As good a summary of French internal politics of this era as could be hoped for.

[Hadrian]

6/10