What do you think?
Rate this book
Henri IV
Comment un personnage baroque a fait entrer la France dans la modernité. Un récit saisissant et original pour une démonstration éblouissante.
" Le roi ", disait sa belle-sœur Eléonore de Médicis, " est un homme à se faire aimer par les pierres elles-mêmes. " L'arme de la séduction fut en effet pour beaucoup dans la vie publique, et aussi privée, du roi Henri. Mais d'autres atouts ont contribué à une destinée improbable. Ainsi la part de circonstances extraordinaires, qui à la mort violente de son lointain cousin Henri III, en 1589, le placèrent en position d'héritier de la couronne. Aussi ses années d'apprentissage, au plus près de la population béarnaise dont il partagea la rude existence, et sa connaissance des hommes. Enfin son remarquable bon sens et un réalisme qui ne s'embarrassaient pas de préjugés ni même toujours de principes. Au moment où le royaume menaçait de sombrer, il fut l'homme de la situation. A travers une succession de massacres, d'intrigues, de revers et de rebonds, il s'imposa. Le combattant se révéla alors homme d'Etat, pacificateur, organisateur, bâtisseur, non sans dérive autocratique ni piteuse galanterie. Si le règne d'Henri le Grand a marqué si durablement la France, c'est que le premier roi Bourbon a su restaurer entre la couronne et le peuple " l'ordre de l'amour " si brutalement déchiré par la Saint-Barthélemy et les guerres de religion devenues civiles. Sa mort même, érigée en martyre, le servit. Car notre pays aime les sauveurs marqués du sceau de la Providence. La biographie du roi préféré des Français.
" Le roi ", disait sa belle-sœur Eléonore de Médicis, " est un homme à se faire aimer par les pierres elles-mêmes. " L'arme de la séduction fut en effet pour beaucoup dans la vie publique, et aussi privée, du roi Henri. Mais d'autres atouts ont contribué à une destinée improbable. Ainsi la part de circonstances extraordinaires, qui à la mort violente de son lointain cousin Henri III, en 1589, le placèrent en position d'héritier de la couronne. Aussi ses années d'apprentissage, au plus près de la population béarnaise dont il partagea la rude existence, et sa connaissance des hommes. Enfin son remarquable bon sens et un réalisme qui ne s'embarrassaient pas de préjugés ni même toujours de principes. Au moment où le royaume menaçait de sombrer, il fut l'homme de la situation. A travers une succession de massacres, d'intrigues, de revers et de rebonds, il s'imposa. Le combattant se révéla alors homme d'Etat, pacificateur, organisateur, bâtisseur, non sans dérive autocratique ni piteuse galanterie. Si le règne d'Henri le Grand a marqué si durablement la France, c'est que le premier roi Bourbon a su restaurer entre la couronne et le peuple " l'ordre de l'amour " si brutalement déchiré par la Saint-Barthélemy et les guerres de religion devenues civiles. Sa mort même, érigée en martyre, le servit. Car notre pays aime les sauveurs marqués du sceau de la Providence. La biographie du roi préféré des Français.
- GenresBiography
700 pages, Paperback
Published August 19, 2021
4 people are currently reading
25 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
April 9, 2025
Well, it could have been two (reluctant) stars, but I was not in the mood to compromise. The author has written more than 700 pages, and yet he hardly adds anything new to the discussion, nor does he enhance our understanding of Henri IV and his time and age. Instead, we are left with a rather clichéd picture of this important French king, whose ascension to the throne and reign coincided with a very complex and perilous period in French and European history.
From this read one might learn that Henri IV was a charismatic leader and various facts about the history of this period, but all this has been told and retold many times before. The old tales about the king's love affairs, or alleged love affairs, also felt excessive, not to say irrelevant. At times, J.C. Petitfils seems to uncritically repeat gossip from pamphlets (e.g., le Divorce satyrique, a violent and angry pamphlet directed against Henri and his first wife, Marguerite de Valois) and literature whose aim was to slander and mock, not to reflect reality.
Petitfils uses some stereotypical elements in his interpretation, including a worn-out cliché about Henry's alleged accent, even though it has already been shown that these speculations are not borne out by contemporary sources. Moreover, the king's letters prove how fluent and even exquisite his French was.
Having read several books and scholarly articles on this period of history, as well as some primary sources, I know that there are many aspects of Henry IV's reign and personal career that remain largely unexplored. I did not feel that the author was seeking to take us into these poorly lit areas.
Additionally, the writing style was unnecessarily verbose, especially for a book that reproduces an old story without rigorously examining some of its dubious and/or exaggerated aspects or analyzing new archival documents. My low rating was also influenced by the fact that this is a recent biography, not a narrative written deep in the 20th century. I do believe we could expect more from a recent book on the subject.
All in all, this book was a waste of time for me, even if I only skimmed it.
From this read one might learn that Henri IV was a charismatic leader and various facts about the history of this period, but all this has been told and retold many times before. The old tales about the king's love affairs, or alleged love affairs, also felt excessive, not to say irrelevant. At times, J.C. Petitfils seems to uncritically repeat gossip from pamphlets (e.g., le Divorce satyrique, a violent and angry pamphlet directed against Henri and his first wife, Marguerite de Valois) and literature whose aim was to slander and mock, not to reflect reality.
Petitfils uses some stereotypical elements in his interpretation, including a worn-out cliché about Henry's alleged accent, even though it has already been shown that these speculations are not borne out by contemporary sources. Moreover, the king's letters prove how fluent and even exquisite his French was.
Having read several books and scholarly articles on this period of history, as well as some primary sources, I know that there are many aspects of Henry IV's reign and personal career that remain largely unexplored. I did not feel that the author was seeking to take us into these poorly lit areas.
Additionally, the writing style was unnecessarily verbose, especially for a book that reproduces an old story without rigorously examining some of its dubious and/or exaggerated aspects or analyzing new archival documents. My low rating was also influenced by the fact that this is a recent biography, not a narrative written deep in the 20th century. I do believe we could expect more from a recent book on the subject.
All in all, this book was a waste of time for me, even if I only skimmed it.
February 18, 2024
Excellente autobiographie sur la vie d’Henri IV. J’ai apprécié le style d’écriture de Jean Christian Petitfils qui manie le récit épique avec talent. La vie d’Henri IV était grandiose et très intéressante. Ayant déjà été captivé par les guerres de religion, ce livre vous plonge dans les détails des ces dernières et comme le Béarnais a pu survoler cette période et finir roi de France.
Je recommande fortement ce livre aux passionnés de rois de France et j’ai hâte de lire le livre sur son successeur.
Je recommande fortement ce livre aux passionnés de rois de France et j’ai hâte de lire le livre sur son successeur.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews