The Birth of Absolutism: A History of France, 1598-1661

Nouvelle histoire de la France moderne #3

by Yves-Marie Bercé, Richard Rex (Translation)

Yves-Marie Berce's THE BIRTH OF ABSOLUTISM offers a refreshingly original approach to the history of France between the Edict of Nantes and the personal rule of Louis XIV, a period dominated by the names of two cardinals - Richelieu and Mazarin. Berce brings to the task not only familiarity with the sources and with French historiography, but also a thorough knowledge of the large body of English and American research on seventeenth-century France. This has enabled him to escape the diminishing perspective of the older French school, the 'grand history told from Paris' which reduced the course of events to an account of the inevitable triumph of the 'Royal state'. Berce emphasises the degree to which the French Crown remained beset by an aristocratic faction only too ready to avail itself of royal minorities, religious dissent or provincial grievances in the pursuit of its own ambitions.

Genres: France, History, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published May 15, 1992

About the author

Yves-Marie Bercé (30 August 1936, Mesterrieux, Gironde), is a French historian known for his work on popular revolts of the modern era. He is a member of the Institut de France.

Reviews

[A.E. Chandler · Rating 4 out of 5]

"It seems to me that historians run the risk of economising on reality when, secure in their knowledge of how things turned out, they write history as a sort of one-way ticket to the future."

The book is written in an engaging style. It includes chapters on social history at the end, which I especially enjoyed, as they shed light on everyday peoples' everyday lives and experiences.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat challenging but very useful when researching this topic, Bercé's writing it very accessible.

[Emilie de Saint Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

La présentation de la guerre de Trente Ans est vague, et il est dommage que la culture artistique et matérielle soient relégués à la fin du livre.