Joinville's History of Saint Louis

by Jean de Joinville

Pyrrhus Press specializes in bringing books long out of date back to life, allowing today’s readers access to yesterday’s treasures.
Jean de Joinville’s Joinville’s History of Saint Louis is a contemporary account of one of the most revered French rulers in the Middle Ages. As noted in the opening words:
“The life of St. Louis, written by the lord de Joinville, has always been considered as one of the most precious monuments of our history and as a work that contains many of those qualifications which we are accustomed to wish for in the lives of private persons. The author was of very considerable rank by his birth, his connections, his employments, and still more from his personal merit. He had not only lived under the reign of the prince whose life he has written, but was moreover personally attached to him for twenty-two years, and, by consequently following him in his expeditions, had participated in the most, important events of his reign. The air of candor and good faith that accompanies his recitals prejudices the reader in his favor; the scrupulous attention he shows not to mention facts of which he was not a witness, and only to touch on such as he relates from the report of others, as his history requires this attention, I repeat, ought to convince us, that the lord Joinville had no other intention than to transmit to posterity nothing but what he was perfectly well informed of.
His history is not, like the greater part of the chronicles of those times, a simple recital of what passed in France and elsewhere during the reign of St. Louis; it makes us intimately acquainted with that monarch it gives us a just idea of his heart and head, and paints equally well the great man, the great saint, and the great king.”

Genres: History, Nonfiction, French Literature, Religion, France, Medieval, Classics

166 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1309

About the author

Jean de Joinville (c. May 1, 1224 – 24 December 1317) was one of the great chroniclers of medieval France. He is most famous for writing Life of St. Louis, a biography of Louis IX of France that chronicled the Seventh Crusade.

He is the grandfather of Sir Geoffroi De Charny, distaff side.

Reviews

[Ioseph Bonifacius (Ioannes) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic book, writen by a contemporary of St. Louis, what is amazing about this book is that you read it as though it is a story book but it is actual history. The saint was very virtuous, but many who call themselves Catholic today would not identify themselves with this because of the errors of today, modernism etc... I recommend it to a Catholic seeking to understand the tradition of the Church.

The version of the book I read was : The life of St. Louis, by John of Joinville. Translated by René Hague from the text edited by Natalis de Wailly.

Here in english:https://drive.google.com/file/d/1riCQ...

[Yann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cette histoire de Saint Louis se dévore avec plaisir. La part du lion est réservée avec la relation de la croisade en Égypte où les troupes françaises sont aux prises avec les sultans. Mais le califat est aussi aux prises avec les tartares, les bédouins et les assassins dirigés par le vieux de la montagne qui suivent la voie d'Ali. Chaque camp est aussi déchiré par des ambitions contraires, des dissensions et des trahisons. Les rebondissements et les anecdotes sont nombreuses et donnent une image très vivante de ce XIIIeme siècle.

[Koeneman · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice contemporary historical book from a knight named Jean de Joinville about King Louis.

This knight was a good friend of the king and tells stories about certain events about the French king. The part where they go to Egypt to fight the Sixth Crusade is awesome to read and is truly immersive. Who better to tell the story about hand to hand battles than a knight who fought them.

Great that his story survived all those centuries so that we could still read it.

[Markus · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyable French history....

[Sam · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Make your confession often, and choose as your confessor a preudomme [a pious, brave man] who knows how to instruct you as to what you should do and what you should be aware of. You should conduct yourself in a way that your confessor and your friends are not afraid to make you aware of your faults. Listen devotedly to the services of the Holy Church without mocking or making light of them. Pray with both your heart and your tongue, especially when the consecration is performed during the Mass. Your heart should be tender and compassionate to the poor, the wretched, and the suffering; comfort and help them as much as you can."

Sage advice from a saintly king. St. Louis IX, ora pro nobis.

[Henrik Grund · Rating 4 out of 5]

I heard tell of this book principally for Joinville’s account on the crusades, and in this respect it is a fascinating artifact of history and warfare, and an engrossing look into the religious minds of these medieval knights.

[Jackson Cyril · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I read this in translation and not, as the title may suggest, in Middle French. It's a history of Louis IX (Saint Louis) focusing mainly on his two failed crusades--the last embarked upon by any major European monarch: Stupor Mundi's (Frederick II Hohenstaufen) hilarious crowning in Jerusalem notwithstanding. Joinville personally knew Louis and this bio is full of fun info: crusading, getting captured by the Egyptians, Louis holding court under a tree, and how he and his wife had to hide their sex life from Louis's overbearing mother Blanche: really good stuff.

[Benjamin Stahl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this as the second part of the Penguin Classics' Chronicles of the Crusades. It is fairly good, but I had hoped to like it more.

[Carlo Ghiglione · Rating 4 out of 5]

Letto perché intrigato dalla conferenza di Alessandro Barbero, ovviamente è meno frizzantino ed entusiasmante.

Lettura comunque bella e interessante, molto esemplare di come un uomo del Medioevo pensa nel quotidiano e vive gli avvenimenti della sua epoca. Lo stile narrativo mi ha molto colpito, essendo che si tratta di una cronaca di avvenimenti non è strutturato come un romanzo con finalità narrative ma è un flusso continuo di eventi.

[MHY]

livre historique avec explications. Livre de Manu

[Dorothy Bonett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it in modern French translation. It took me months but was worth it. Fascinating picture of a man and a time.

[aénor :)) · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5

Ce n’étoit point la chroniqe la plus captivante, mais Louis IX étoit un bon roi, ainsi cela se va.