Louis XII / Edition 1

by Frederic J. Baumgartner

Overview

The reign of Louis XII (1498-1515) has been much neglected by historians. Falling between the conventional end of the French middle ages and Francis I's notional ushering in of Renaissance France, Louis' rule 'belongs' neither to medievalists nor to historians of the the early modern period. While not in the front rank of French monarchs, Louis XII, 'The Father of the People', remains an interesting and appealing figure, and the events of his reign (the Valois-Habsburg wars in Italy, Louis' bitter disputes with Pope Julius II, the complications of his marriages) had a profound effect on the future of the French state. France's church, legal system, and cultural life (many of the artistic achievements associated with the reign of Francis I in fact occurred under Louis) were all strongly influenced by the king, and this readable and lucid account of his rule offers a wealth of interesting information.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780312161736
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication date:	06/11/1996
Edition description:	1996
Pages:	319
Product dimensions:	5.51(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)

About the Author

FREDERIC J. BAUMGARTNER is Professor of History at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia

Table of Contents

Preface - Maps - At Last a Son - Prince of Blood - Rebel Prince - Le Roi Est Mort! Vive Le Roi! - The Reign Begins - Matters Matrimonial - Monarchy, Ministers, and Money - Vive Le Duc de Milan! - A Kingdom Won, A Kingdom Lost - Father of Claude, Father of the People - The Springtime of the French Renaissance - Head of the Gallican Church - Back to Italy - Ministers and Money in the Late Reign - Pere du Peuple versus Papa Terribile - Last Acts - Legacy - Appendix: The French Monetary System - Notes - Bibliography - Index

Editorial Reviews

King of France from 1498 to 1515, Louis XII is portrayed in the Cloisters' Unicorn Tapestries with Anne of Brittany. Baumgartner, in the first English biography of Louis, omits this fact, but his account of their marriage (the second for each) makes very interesting reading, as does Louis's early life and reign generally. Responsible for justice, prosperity, and tranquillity in France, for invasions of Italy, and for the Renaissance transformation of the Chteau de Blois, this king, called "Father of the People," has been neglected by historians. Baumgartner (history, Virginia Polytechnic & State Univ., and the author of Henry II, Duke Univ. Pr., 1988) gives a strong case for Louis in this work. Recommended for all French history collections.-R. James Tobin, Univ. of Wisconsin Lib., Milwaukee

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