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The Bourbon Kings of France
"Licentious or bigoted, noble or ignoble", wrote Nancy Mitford, "there has seldom been a dull Bourbon." The story of the Bourbon kings encompasses the two most glorious and turbulent centuries in French history, yet surprisingly, this is still the only narrative account of the dynasty for the general reader. They emerge from a shadowy line of medieval princes in 1589 to rule France for over 200 years, dominating Europe, launching an endless series of wars, creators of the dazzling splendour of Versailles, survivors from the holocaust at the French Revolution.
They begin with the dashing figure of Henri IV, with his courage, gaiety and sixty-four mistresses; they include figures such as the Sun King Louis XIV and Louis XVI who ended under the guillotine; they close with the little-known "Henri V" - expected to return and rule France in 1873 but whose refusal to abandon the Lily banner of the Bourbons for the Tricolore finally lost the throne. Desmond Seward sets them in historical perspective, each with his entourage of generals, cardinals and whores, wrestling Vith a haughty aristocracy and financial crisis. Spiced with scandalous contemporary gossip, here is a splendidly readable book.
They begin with the dashing figure of Henri IV, with his courage, gaiety and sixty-four mistresses; they include figures such as the Sun King Louis XIV and Louis XVI who ended under the guillotine; they close with the little-known "Henri V" - expected to return and rule France in 1873 but whose refusal to abandon the Lily banner of the Bourbons for the Tricolore finally lost the throne. Desmond Seward sets them in historical perspective, each with his entourage of generals, cardinals and whores, wrestling Vith a haughty aristocracy and financial crisis. Spiced with scandalous contemporary gossip, here is a splendidly readable book.
332 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1976
95 people are currently reading
253 people want to read
About the author
Desmond Seward
57 books61 followersDesmond Seward was an Anglo-Irish popular historian and the author of over two dozen books. He was educated at Ampleforth and St, Catherine's College, Cambridge. He was a specialist in England and France in the Middle Ages and the author of some thirty books, including biographies of Eleanor of Aquitane, Henry V, Richard III, Marie Antoinette and Metternich.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 9, 2020
I just had a couple of issues with this book.I had to read this on Kindle so the monarch charts were so small they were unreadable on there but I was able to make out the ruler's coins at the top of the chapters which were really fascinating.Also I didn't really care for his style of writing but it did seem pretty well researched. I'm not too familiar with the monarchs of France but judging from the ones I did have experience reading about it seemed accurate enough.
January 16, 2015
This is a re read for me, It was one of my Nan's favourites some twenty or even thirty years ago.
Each King is given a section and it follows through on their upbringing, marriages, affairs, children, battles etc. along with enlightening examples of everyday events and anecdotes, lots of interesting historical facts and background. The era of the Bourbon Kings and the Bourbon Kings themselves are an intriguing if not bizarre lot and I've always thought this book was a good starting point for anyone wanting to find out more, without getting bogged down by to much information.
The book has some faults, one is the use of the French language without an English translation, although a basic knowledge of pigeon french and access to google will give most readers the gist, it was an enjoyable and sentimental re read and I absorbed information that i'd forgotten especially the bemusing antics of Louis the X1V a personal favourite of mine.
June 14, 2020
A rather biased and salacious set of short biographical sketches of the Bourbon kings of France. Light on policy and contextual history but heavy on gossip, the author writes as thought the Bourbon kings were invariably great men, with a few flaws, perhaps, these were far outweighed by their virtues. Their enemies are invariably terrible - perfidious English, blood-thirsty Jacobins, back-stabbing Spaniards, etc. etc.
As a look at the various men who were Bourbon kings, it is vaguely interesting. As a historical work, it can only be viewed as a source for subjects of other, more worthy books.
As a look at the various men who were Bourbon kings, it is vaguely interesting. As a historical work, it can only be viewed as a source for subjects of other, more worthy books.
March 12, 2017
There's many things I learned from this book. I have never been into the Bourbon dynasty. Most of what I knew about them was the basics, dates, who was who and that's it. This book illustrated more of the lesser known details about them, and also dispelled plenty of myths surrounding them, without white-washing or glossing over their mishaps.
My favorite parts were on Louis XIII and Louis XIV. The other Kings were also great to read, but with Henry IV being part of the Tudor period, he takes precedence over his son -and to some extent, his grandson- so people see him in a more nuanced view as opposed to them, whom everyone assumed everything they see in their favorite shows and movies about them is correct. It was refreshing to see how Desmond Seward deconstructed Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu. They weren't the idiot and the power behind the throne but two equally opportunistic, sniveling individuals who disagreed on several issues but came together because they knew that their best chance of staying in power was to rely on one another.
With Louis XIV, it's the same. His mother is not a victim but someone who as politically astute like Henry IV's second wife, Marie de Medici. Unlike his father, Louis XIV wasn't easily swayed by courtiers' opinions but eager to put France on the map, he loved having his ego stroked, so this is how the legend of the 'Sun King' was born. Desmond Seward points out that part of his reputation is deserved while some of it isn't and like most legends, it is based on exaggeration and nationalist and religious sentiment.
As for the rest, the book goes beyond the executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the Terror brought about by the French Revolution, Napoleon and the Bourbon restoration; ending on a somber but objective note.
My favorite parts were on Louis XIII and Louis XIV. The other Kings were also great to read, but with Henry IV being part of the Tudor period, he takes precedence over his son -and to some extent, his grandson- so people see him in a more nuanced view as opposed to them, whom everyone assumed everything they see in their favorite shows and movies about them is correct. It was refreshing to see how Desmond Seward deconstructed Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu. They weren't the idiot and the power behind the throne but two equally opportunistic, sniveling individuals who disagreed on several issues but came together because they knew that their best chance of staying in power was to rely on one another.
With Louis XIV, it's the same. His mother is not a victim but someone who as politically astute like Henry IV's second wife, Marie de Medici. Unlike his father, Louis XIV wasn't easily swayed by courtiers' opinions but eager to put France on the map, he loved having his ego stroked, so this is how the legend of the 'Sun King' was born. Desmond Seward points out that part of his reputation is deserved while some of it isn't and like most legends, it is based on exaggeration and nationalist and religious sentiment.
As for the rest, the book goes beyond the executions of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, the Terror brought about by the French Revolution, Napoleon and the Bourbon restoration; ending on a somber but objective note.
June 25, 2020
I’ve been interested in France’s Bourbon kings for some years now and, overall, I enjoyed this biography, which is aimed at the general reader.
After opening with the bloodlines that lead to the founding of the Bourbon Dynasty, each subsequent chapter focuses on the respective monarchs.
I was already quite familiar with Henri IV, and he’s a colourful individual, but the section on him in this book was the least engaging. Owing to the limited space in a biography of this scope, the author was by necessity compelled to condense a lot of material. As a result, you get a lot of dates, names, titles, and battles thrown at you, and I found it somewhat tedious.
The next section on Louis XIII is much more entertaining. I only knew the basics about him before reading this, so I found out a lot of things I didn’t know, such as his mother beating him regularly and treating him like dirt during his childhood, which mentally scarred Louis throughout his life.
The next section covers Louis XIV’s illustrious reign. This king I did previously know a lot about, so not that much info was new to me; however, it still makes for engaging reading. One thing I did learn was that champagne wasn’t fizzy until the early 1700s.
I did spot one factual error in this part: in referring briefly to the Affair of the Poisons, the author mentions that it started with Madame de Brinvilliers's arrest in 1679, when in reality she was arrested and executed in 1676.
Next up is pleasure-loving Louis XV, of whom it turned out I didn’t know as well as I thought I did until reading this book. For instance, I never knew he suffered from shyness – I always thought he was plain selfish. He wasn’t shy on his wedding night, when – aged 15 – he made love to his older wife SEVEN times! He was an interesting man, even if he wasn’t the most effective king.
Louis XV’s section also features his most noteworthy mistress Madame de Pompadour, whom I’ve been fascinated by for years. I’ve read her memoirs and a bio about her, and Mr Seward also recognises her worth. I like how, in general, the author shows compassion for the people he’s writing about, such as referring to Madame de Pompadour as “the poor woman” when she was seriously ill.
Another fascinating consort appears in Louis XVI’s section, namely Marie-Antoinette, who’s story I know very well. Both she and Louis XVI are the French rulers whom I'm most familiar with out of all France’s monarchs. Louis was a kind and generous *man* but a weak and ineffective *king*. He called his subjects his “children” and strove to do right by them, and in return the bastards murdered him. I’ve read about this several times, and it never fails to deeply sadden me.
Same applies to Marie-Antoinette. Yes, at first she was frivolous, but as soon as she became a mother, she changed. She was never cruel, though, unlike the people who were obsessed with blackening her name, making her the most hated person in France. The “Let them eat cake” line is an example of the many lies told about her – no way would she have said that. My heart aches every time I read about her final years, as it did again in this bio.
Her son Louis XVII, who features in the next short section, had it significantly worse. This poor boy, who never got to rule, was treated worse than any animal when he was aged between eight and ten. I didn’t know much about him until a read a bio about him last year. Desmond Seward covers the basics, which is enough to convey the abject misery that this formerly cheerful little boy was subjected to. His final two years are heartbreaking to read about.
Next, we’re on to less depressing times with Louis XVIII. He was a cold man but an effective king; however, he couldn’t be as effective a ruler coming in after the Revolution as he would’ve been before it. Had Louis XVI abdicated in favour of Louis XVIII, it’s arguably that the Revolution would’ve been averted, or at least not have been as bad, with the Bourbon Dynasty coming out of it on top. This is a king who’s usually overshadowed by Napoleon, though for my tastes, as brilliant a general as Napoleon was, I prefer reading about Louis XVIII.
The last ruling Bourbon was Charles X, of whom I knew very little before reading this bio, except for when he was known as the Comte d’Artois during Louis XVI’s reign. He comes across as an easy-going guy, and a decent king, though the times were against him. It’s a sad end to the Bourbon Dynasty, but at least he abdicated, as opposed to being murdered.
Finally, we have a short section on someone I’d never heard of: “Henri V”. His title is in quote marks because he never ruled. The same applies to poor Louis XVII, but this time it was different. No more come-backs were on the cards, and nobody except for a few hopefuls like Henri himself believed in another Bourbon restoration. This section in theory could’ve been cut without making any difference to the book’s main topic, but it makes for an interesting epilogue.
The one thing I dislike about the book is that occasionally we get untranslated French, like:
“He described him as ‘un des gentilhommes du monde le plus franc et mieux intentionné et le plus attaché à la personne de M. le Protecteur’.”
Or:
“In 1638 he wrote pathetically to the Cardinal, ‘la créature est toujours en mauvaise humeur contre moi.’”
Although I’m pro-language learning, when I read a book written in English, I expect it to be just that, otherwise I’m locked out of the narrative, which is something a good author should never allow to happen.
Apart from the above criticism, “The Bourbon Kings of France” was on the whole a very good read. A little dry at times, perhaps, but it features a very engaging subject matter.
After opening with the bloodlines that lead to the founding of the Bourbon Dynasty, each subsequent chapter focuses on the respective monarchs.
I was already quite familiar with Henri IV, and he’s a colourful individual, but the section on him in this book was the least engaging. Owing to the limited space in a biography of this scope, the author was by necessity compelled to condense a lot of material. As a result, you get a lot of dates, names, titles, and battles thrown at you, and I found it somewhat tedious.
The next section on Louis XIII is much more entertaining. I only knew the basics about him before reading this, so I found out a lot of things I didn’t know, such as his mother beating him regularly and treating him like dirt during his childhood, which mentally scarred Louis throughout his life.
The next section covers Louis XIV’s illustrious reign. This king I did previously know a lot about, so not that much info was new to me; however, it still makes for engaging reading. One thing I did learn was that champagne wasn’t fizzy until the early 1700s.
I did spot one factual error in this part: in referring briefly to the Affair of the Poisons, the author mentions that it started with Madame de Brinvilliers's arrest in 1679, when in reality she was arrested and executed in 1676.
Next up is pleasure-loving Louis XV, of whom it turned out I didn’t know as well as I thought I did until reading this book. For instance, I never knew he suffered from shyness – I always thought he was plain selfish. He wasn’t shy on his wedding night, when – aged 15 – he made love to his older wife SEVEN times! He was an interesting man, even if he wasn’t the most effective king.
Louis XV’s section also features his most noteworthy mistress Madame de Pompadour, whom I’ve been fascinated by for years. I’ve read her memoirs and a bio about her, and Mr Seward also recognises her worth. I like how, in general, the author shows compassion for the people he’s writing about, such as referring to Madame de Pompadour as “the poor woman” when she was seriously ill.
Another fascinating consort appears in Louis XVI’s section, namely Marie-Antoinette, who’s story I know very well. Both she and Louis XVI are the French rulers whom I'm most familiar with out of all France’s monarchs. Louis was a kind and generous *man* but a weak and ineffective *king*. He called his subjects his “children” and strove to do right by them, and in return the bastards murdered him. I’ve read about this several times, and it never fails to deeply sadden me.
Same applies to Marie-Antoinette. Yes, at first she was frivolous, but as soon as she became a mother, she changed. She was never cruel, though, unlike the people who were obsessed with blackening her name, making her the most hated person in France. The “Let them eat cake” line is an example of the many lies told about her – no way would she have said that. My heart aches every time I read about her final years, as it did again in this bio.
Her son Louis XVII, who features in the next short section, had it significantly worse. This poor boy, who never got to rule, was treated worse than any animal when he was aged between eight and ten. I didn’t know much about him until a read a bio about him last year. Desmond Seward covers the basics, which is enough to convey the abject misery that this formerly cheerful little boy was subjected to. His final two years are heartbreaking to read about.
Next, we’re on to less depressing times with Louis XVIII. He was a cold man but an effective king; however, he couldn’t be as effective a ruler coming in after the Revolution as he would’ve been before it. Had Louis XVI abdicated in favour of Louis XVIII, it’s arguably that the Revolution would’ve been averted, or at least not have been as bad, with the Bourbon Dynasty coming out of it on top. This is a king who’s usually overshadowed by Napoleon, though for my tastes, as brilliant a general as Napoleon was, I prefer reading about Louis XVIII.
The last ruling Bourbon was Charles X, of whom I knew very little before reading this bio, except for when he was known as the Comte d’Artois during Louis XVI’s reign. He comes across as an easy-going guy, and a decent king, though the times were against him. It’s a sad end to the Bourbon Dynasty, but at least he abdicated, as opposed to being murdered.
Finally, we have a short section on someone I’d never heard of: “Henri V”. His title is in quote marks because he never ruled. The same applies to poor Louis XVII, but this time it was different. No more come-backs were on the cards, and nobody except for a few hopefuls like Henri himself believed in another Bourbon restoration. This section in theory could’ve been cut without making any difference to the book’s main topic, but it makes for an interesting epilogue.
The one thing I dislike about the book is that occasionally we get untranslated French, like:
“He described him as ‘un des gentilhommes du monde le plus franc et mieux intentionné et le plus attaché à la personne de M. le Protecteur’.”
Or:
“In 1638 he wrote pathetically to the Cardinal, ‘la créature est toujours en mauvaise humeur contre moi.’”
Although I’m pro-language learning, when I read a book written in English, I expect it to be just that, otherwise I’m locked out of the narrative, which is something a good author should never allow to happen.
Apart from the above criticism, “The Bourbon Kings of France” was on the whole a very good read. A little dry at times, perhaps, but it features a very engaging subject matter.
April 13, 2023
A great book that focusses on the House of Bourbon: from Henri IV to Louis XVIII and ending on Henry V.
.
The Bourbons gave us few kings, but this line-up does include the Sun King, as well as the husband of one Marie Antoinette. This weighty volume tells us about them one by one. From the fall of the Valois dynasty, via the Peak of Absolute Monarchy, all the way to the establishment of the French Republic: the journey is long yet fascinating.
.
Peppered throughout with encycopaedic knowledge of the times, Desmond Seward recounts this uneasy tale of the French Monarchy: all the whys, wherefores and what-ifs.
The great things about this thome:
1 As mentioned above, the narrative goes into great detail, also connecting the royal houses of Europe. One can pick up a lot of quirky and little known facts about French exiled monarchs - e.g. places in England, Scotland and Latvia that have been lived in by them.
2 Despite three of the chapters dedicated to the brothers of the same generation, i.e. Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X, the author rarely repeats himself, and keeps the narrative fresh.
.
The flaws of a book this size are few but they exist, mainly because it was written almost 30 years ago.
1 The chapters are too long. It would have been nice if they were somewhat shorter, otherwise you have ‘1 hour 50 minutes to go’ on your Kindle.
2 Some attitudes have changed, so one has to make concessions that the author actually referred to someone (and kept referring to them) in his historic narrative as ‘whores’. Today this wouldn’t fly. #herstory #history
3 The maps have had significant changes since the 1970’s, so some references are somewhat misleading - e.g. Soviet Latvia is no longer a thing. Trust me. I was born there.
4 For some reason the book makes a jump over Louis-Philippe and over the Orléans branch of the Bourbons. It would have been nice for them to be included and spoken of, not merely mentioned in passing. It’s almost like the author bypasses the branch because of what they did….if you know, you know…
.
The Bourbons gave us few kings, but this line-up does include the Sun King, as well as the husband of one Marie Antoinette. This weighty volume tells us about them one by one. From the fall of the Valois dynasty, via the Peak of Absolute Monarchy, all the way to the establishment of the French Republic: the journey is long yet fascinating.
.
Peppered throughout with encycopaedic knowledge of the times, Desmond Seward recounts this uneasy tale of the French Monarchy: all the whys, wherefores and what-ifs.
The great things about this thome:
1 As mentioned above, the narrative goes into great detail, also connecting the royal houses of Europe. One can pick up a lot of quirky and little known facts about French exiled monarchs - e.g. places in England, Scotland and Latvia that have been lived in by them.
2 Despite three of the chapters dedicated to the brothers of the same generation, i.e. Louis XVI, Louis XVIII and Charles X, the author rarely repeats himself, and keeps the narrative fresh.
.
The flaws of a book this size are few but they exist, mainly because it was written almost 30 years ago.
1 The chapters are too long. It would have been nice if they were somewhat shorter, otherwise you have ‘1 hour 50 minutes to go’ on your Kindle.
2 Some attitudes have changed, so one has to make concessions that the author actually referred to someone (and kept referring to them) in his historic narrative as ‘whores’. Today this wouldn’t fly. #herstory #history
3 The maps have had significant changes since the 1970’s, so some references are somewhat misleading - e.g. Soviet Latvia is no longer a thing. Trust me. I was born there.
4 For some reason the book makes a jump over Louis-Philippe and over the Orléans branch of the Bourbons. It would have been nice for them to be included and spoken of, not merely mentioned in passing. It’s almost like the author bypasses the branch because of what they did….if you know, you know…
July 30, 2024
I feel unworthy writing a bad review on a book that took a lot of energy, time and creativity to write and one that I could never write myself but I feel this book was poorly written compared to other history novels I’ve read. It felt like the author had a chip on their shoulder towards every person mentioned. According to the author they were all ugly, dumb and had no admirable attributes. It was tiresome to read how these fat, dim witted leaders with no refining qualities kept creating an amazing country. Every person in history I’ve found has different aspects to their character, good and bad, and that’s what makes it so fascinating and exciting to read. All these characters were one sided which was hard to understand how they could do such great and terrible things when they all were painted with such a negative brush.
I have yet to find another book on the bourbon dynasty so I am grateful for this book. I just wish it could give credit where it’s due and breathe life into the people that changed the world
I have yet to find another book on the bourbon dynasty so I am grateful for this book. I just wish it could give credit where it’s due and breathe life into the people that changed the world
August 9, 2017
I wanted more of a novel and this was just to get my bearings on the French Kings since I was watching the TV series on Netflix
July 17, 2020
Brilliant book which offers a light introduction to the history of the Bourbons
August 5, 2025
what a messed up family.
August 19, 2014
An Odd Family
An Odd Family
The Bourbons were odd rather than interesting, but they lived in interesting times ( not always a good thing as Louis XVI might attest too). Mr. Seward makes good use of Bourbon peculiarities and exciting events to write a history of the Bourbons with all the boring stuff left out. For most readers the biographical sketches are long enough to get to know the subjects without ever being tedious. Moreover, although the author has an easy, breezy writing style, he is a knowedgeable and thoughtful biographer. He appreciates that the family has not enjoyed a good press and makes a good try at redressing the balance. Indeed, he probably tilts too far in their favor, but he is always reasonable. This is a fine introduction to one of history's most important royal families.
An Odd Family
The Bourbons were odd rather than interesting, but they lived in interesting times ( not always a good thing as Louis XVI might attest too). Mr. Seward makes good use of Bourbon peculiarities and exciting events to write a history of the Bourbons with all the boring stuff left out. For most readers the biographical sketches are long enough to get to know the subjects without ever being tedious. Moreover, although the author has an easy, breezy writing style, he is a knowedgeable and thoughtful biographer. He appreciates that the family has not enjoyed a good press and makes a good try at redressing the balance. Indeed, he probably tilts too far in their favor, but he is always reasonable. This is a fine introduction to one of history's most important royal families.
January 11, 2015
"Licentious or bigoted, noble or ignoble, there has seldom been a dull Bourbon," wrote Nancy Mitford. The Bourbon kings of France and Navarre ruled for more than two centuries and made France the greatest power in Europe — but they also ended the monarchy in France, first by being one of the major causes of the Revolution and then by refusing to rule by constitution after their post-Napoleonic restoration. Seward is a Paris-born, Cambridge-trained historian who succeeds in combining scholarship with lively readability.
November 3, 2014
The Bourbon Kings of France
This book reads like a history text book, it's a Hard book to read. If you love history, then there are several jewels in this book. French history of its Kings are confusing but I felt like this is a good book to familiarize yourself with the monarchs of France.
This book reads like a history text book, it's a Hard book to read. If you love history, then there are several jewels in this book. French history of its Kings are confusing but I felt like this is a good book to familiarize yourself with the monarchs of France.
August 6, 2014
Well-written and informative. My knowledge of French history is sadly lacking but this book was a good start at correcting this. The information about the more peripheral courtiers etc was useful in understanding the kings. I will be looking for more books by this author.
February 25, 2016
If you want to know about the Bourbon kings then you'll get that here. However, I found it to be a little dry.
April 6, 2015
It packed a lot of punch, covering a long history in a concise way. It gave me the background I was looking for. Very readable.
January 17, 2016
A chapter for each king. Includes the tragic story of the youthful Louis XVII, who went missing in revolutionary Paris. Well written in a popular style.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews