Book picks similar to
The King's Minion: Richelieu, Louis Xiii, And The Affair Of Cinq Mars by Philippe Erlanger


__grand-siècle_siècle-des-lumières
_ville-de-paris
france_cardinal-richelieu
france_femmes

The Holy Place: Saunière and the Decoding of the Mystery of Rennes-le-Château


Henry Lincoln - 1991
    It investigated Rennes-le-Chteau, a small town in southwestern France where, in the late 19th century, village priest Berenger Saunire's discovery of a series of parchments led in turn to a large but cursed treasure that challenged many traditional Christian beliefs - including the possibility that Jesus' bloodline still exists. The treasure's story moved back through history to the Crusades, the origins of the Knights Templar, and the Virgin Birth itself. Now Dan Brown's international best-seller The Da Vinci Code has re-ignited curiosity about this ancient, powerful place. In The Holy Place, Lincoln reveals through further surveys, decoding, and analysis that this area in southwest France is the site of a Christian holy place of enormous size and importance. The book contains more than a hundred photographs, illustrations, and diagrams of Sauniere, Rennes-le-Chateau, the parchments that were the original impetus for Sauniere's discoveries, and the geometric foundations upon which they were based.(Description from back cover of trade paperback edition)

Salem Witch Trials: A History from Beginning to End


Hourly History - 2021
    During the bitter winter of 1692/93, a group of Puritan young women in the colonial town of Salem, Massachusetts, accused more than two hundred of their neighbors and fellow townspeople of using witchcraft to injure and torment them. This was an incredibly serious allegation that led to sensational court proceedings and ended with the execution of nineteen people. Since then, it has been the subject of many works of literature and other entertainment. Uncover this dark story which is still shrouded in mystery to this day.Discover a plethora of topics such asThe Puritans of the MayflowerThe Accusations BeginMass Hysteria in SalemThe First ExecutionsCorey’s Death by PressingThe Legacy of Witchcraft in SalemAnd much more!

Minette


Melanie Clegg - 2013
    To know her was to love her.Born in the very heart of the dangers of the English Civil War, smuggled out of the clutches of Parliament as a toddler and then raised in near penury in exile in France, the charming and beautiful Princess Henrietta-Anne Stuart, youngest daughter of Charles I and Henrietta Maria is the original Cinderella, waiting breathlessly and with some trepidation for the moment when her family’s fortunes will be restored and she can reclaim her proper place in the world.A treat for all fans of The Secret Diary of a Princess by the same author, Minette leads the reader into the flamboyant, exciting and treacherous world of Louis XIV's Paris and Charles II's raucous Restoration court as seen through the eyes of an enchanting and unforgettable heroine.This is the first book in a two part series about the youngest and favourite sister of Charles II.

The Giant of the French Revolution: Danton, A Life


David Lawday - 2009
    George-Jacques Danton was the driving force behind it. In the first biography of Danton in over forty years, David Lawday reveals the larger-than-life figure who joined the fray at the storming of the Bastille in 1789 and was dead five years later.To hear Danton speak, his booming voice a roll of thunder, excited bourgeois reformers and the street alike; his impassioned speeches, often hours long, drove the sans culottes to action and kept the Revolution alive. But as the newly appointed Minister of Justice, Danton struggled to steer the increasingly divided Revolutionary government. Working tirelessly to halt the bloodshed of Robespierre’s Terror, he ultimately became another of its victims. True to form, Danton did not go easily to the guillotine; at his trial, he defended himself with such vehemence that the tribunal convicted him before he could rally the crowd in his favor.In vivid, almost novelistic prose, Lawday leads us from Danton’s humble roots to the streets of Revolutionary Paris, where this political legend acted on the stage of the revolution that altered Western civilization.

No Regrets: The Life of Edith Piaf


Carolyn Burke - 2011
    She became a star almost overnight, seducing Paris’s elite and the people of its slums in equal measure with her powerful, passionate voice. No Regrets explores her rise to fame and notoriety, her tumultuous love affairs, and her struggles with drugs, alcohol, and illness, while also drawing on new sources to enhance our knowledge of little-known aspects of her life. Piaf was an unlikely student of poetry and philosophy, who aided Resistance efforts in World War II, wrote the lyrics for nearly one hundred songs (including “La Vie en rose”) and was a crucial mentor to younger singers (including Yves Montand and Charles Aznavour) who absorbed her love of chanson and her exacting approach to their métier.Here is Piaf in her own world—Paris in the first half of the twentieth century—and in ours. Burke demonstrates how, with her courage, her incomparable art, and her universal appeal, “the little sparrow” endures as a symbol of France and a source of inspiration to entertainers worldwide.

The Lost Fleet: The Discovery of a Sunken Armada from the Golden Age of Piracy


Barry Clifford - 2002
    This proved disastrous for French naval power in the region, and sparked the rise of a golden age of piracy.Tracing the lives of fabled pirates like the Chevalier de Grammont, Nikolaas Van Hoorn, Thomas Paine, and Jean Comte d'Estrées, The Lost Fleet portrays a dark age, when the outcasts of European society formed a democracy of buccaneers, settling on a string of islands off the African coast. From there, the pirates haunted the world's oceans, wreaking havoc on the settlements along the Spanish mainland and -- often enlisted by French and English governments -- sacking ships, ports, and coastal towns.More than three hundred years later, writer, explorer, and deep-sea diver Barry Clifford follows the pirates' destructive wake back to Venezuela. With the help of a lost map, drawn by the captain of the lost French fleet, Clifford locates the site of the disaster and wreckage of the once-mighty armada.

A Year in Paris: Season by Season in the City of Light


John Baxter - 2019
    Selected by poet and playwright Philippe-Francois-Nazaire Fabre, these new names reflected what took place at that season in the natural world; Fructidor was the month of fruit, Floréal that of flowers, while the winter wind (vent) dominated Ventôse.Though the names didn’t stick, these seasonal rhythms of the year continue to define Parisians, as well as travelers to the city. As acclaimed author and long-time Paris resident John Baxter himself recollects, “My own arrival in France took place in Nivôse, the month of snow, and continued in Pluviôse, the season of rain. To someone coming from Los Angeles, where seasons barely existed, the shock was visceral. Struggling to adjust, I found reassurance in the literature, music, even the cuisine of my adoptive country, all of which marched to the inaudible drummer of the seasons.”Devoting a section of the book to each of Fabre’s months, Baxter draws upon Paris’s literary, cultural and artistic past to paint an affecting, unforgettable portrait of the city. Touching upon the various ghosts of Paris past, from Hemingway and Zelda Fitzgerald, to Claude Debussy to MFK Fisher to Francois Mitterrand, Baxter evokes the rhythms of the seasons in the City of Light, and the sense of wonder they can arouse for all who visit and live there.A melange of history, travel reportage, and myth, of high culture and low, A Year in Paris is vintage John Baxter: a vicarious thrill ride for anyone who loves Paris.

What have we got Toulouse: A family moving to France


Nikki McArthur - 2020
    Nikki McArthur aka ‘A mother in France’ opens up a window to her world and invites you to journey with her through the positive and negative experiences of the process of moving, settling, making a living and raising a family in a new country. Woven within the pages of the family’s experiences are a treasury of facts and information making it not only a fascinating read but a useful guide to living in France.Uncovering the thought processes behind why the family decided to move to France and how they went about it, the book reveals how to prepare for a move abroad, house hunting tips and the buying process. Discover what it was like when they arrived, the main difficulties and challenges they faced with settling in as a family, renovation challenges and experiences of developing a business and making a living. Follow the ups and downs of family life in France from pregnancy and childbirth through to adulthood with fascinating details on education, health, cultural differences and raising bilingual children. An intriguing mixture of facts backed by true life experiences and comparisons and a compelling read for anyone interested in or considering moving abroad.

Elegance: The Beauty of French Fashion


Megan Hess - 2019
    Whether it's Dior's New Look, Yves Saint Laurent's Le Smoking jacket or Chanel's little black dress, the masters of French fashion understand that clothing is more than a craft: it's an art form.Megan Hess's love for French style sparked her career in fashion illustration. In these pages, she unspools the threads of ten legendary designers – Chanel, Dior, Saint Laurent, Lanvin, Givenchy, Chloé, Balmain, Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Celine – to discover the origins of haute couture, prêt-à-porter and everything chic.Accompanied by Megan's exquisite illustrations of current and archival collections, Elegance: The Beauty of French Fashion tells the story of how France's iconic fashion houses have influenced the very fabric of design.

Emilie Du Chatelet: Daring Genius of the Enlightenment


Judith P. Zinsser - 2006
    After marrying a marquis at the age of eighteen, she proceeded to fulfill the prescribed-and delightfully frivolous-role of a French noblewoman of her time. But she also challenged it, conducting a highly visible affair with a commoner, writing philosophical works, and translating Newton's Principia while pregnant by a younger lover. With the sweep of Galileo's Daughter, Emilie Du Châtelet captures the charm, glamour, and brilliance of this magnetic woman.

The Orange Grove


Kate Murdoch - 2019
    The château of Duc Hugo d’Amboise simmers with rivalry and intrigue. Henriette d’Augustin, one of five mistresses of the duc, lives at the chateau with her daughter. When the duc’s wife, Duchesse Charlotte, maliciously undermines a new mistress, Letitia, Henriette is forced to choose between position and morality. She fights to maintain her status whilst targeted by the duchesse who will do anything to harm her enemies. The arrival of charismatic tarot reader, Romain de Villiers, further escalates tensions as rivals in love and domestic politics strive for supremacy.In a society where status is a matter of life and death, Henriette must stay true to herself, her daughter, and her heart, all the while hiding a painful secret of her own.

Memoirs Of Madame Vigée Lebrun


Élisabeth Louise Vigée Le Brun - 2001
    This honor catapulted her into contact with both high society and the greatest artists and writers of the day. Marie Antoinette, Catherine the Great, Benjamin Franklin, and Lord Byron were only a few of her vast and prestigious clientele. While describing her life as an artist, Vigee Lebrun also provides an exciting account of the dramatic events of her day, particularly the French Revolution and the Terror, from which she barely escaped.

Exquisite Corpse


Robert Irwin - 1995
    At once a love story, a mystery, and an investigation into the ideas of absurdist art, "Irwin's novel about English surrealism is funny and profound and hugely satisfying" (A. S. Byatt, Sunday Times)

The Fairy Tales Of Madame d'Aulnoy


Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy - 1698
    CONTENTS Gracieuse and Percinet Fair Goldilocks The Blue Bird Prince Ariel Princess Mayblossom Princess Rosette The Golden Branch The Bee and the Orange Tree The Good Little Mouse The Ram Finette Cendron Fortun?e Babiole The Yellow Dwarf Green Serpent Princess Carpillon The Benevolent Frog The Hind in the Wood The White Cat Belle-Belle The Pigeon and the Dove Princess Belle-Etoile Prince Marcassin The Dolphin

The Paris Girl


Natalie Meg Evans - 2019
     Tatiana Vytenis has worked hard to leave her past behind. Once a ruined Russian princess in hiding, she is now a sought-after model and engaged to Gérard de Sainte-Vierge – a handsome, if occasionally overbearing, aristocrat. With the Sainte-Vierge heirloom ruby sparkling on her finger, Tatiana feels as though she should be happy. Not long ago she was penniless and now she’s about to become a marquise. But fate still has a final hand to play. One night in a bohemian café in Montparnasse, Tatiana discovers she’s been the unknowing plaything of the Sainte-Vierge family. Hidden beneath their genteel exteriors, Gerard and his brother have a secret darker side, and her darling fiancé will gladly ruin Tatiana’s life to save his own reputation. As Tatiana’s situation becomes ever more desperate, she crosses paths with an unlikely guardian angel. Regan Dortmeyer is an American in Paris – a war photographer running from his own hard knocks in Hell’s Kitchen, New York. He’s no fancy French nobleman, but Regan has seen the lengths to which a wicked man like Gerard will go. As the consequences of her disastrous engagement threaten to swallow Tatiana up, he might be the only one who can save her now… From the USA Today bestselling author of The Milliner’s Secret, The Paris Girl is a beautiful novel full of twists and turns, set against the breathtaking backdrop of 1920s Paris. Perfect for fans of Chanel Cleeton, Kathleen Tessaro and The Alice Network . What readers are saying about Natalie Meg Evans: ‘This is the first book I've read by Natalie Meg Evans, it won't be the last… Such a good story with a wonderful plot… one of the best love stories I've read in a while. It's dramatic, passionate, loving, sweet and honest… The emotion she conjures up is phenomenal.’ Jthbooks, 5 stars 'Wow, wow, wow is all I can say… tense and the surprises just kept on coming… This is Natalie Meg Evans writing at her very best… That ending though, that very last line god it tore at my heart… The words ‘mind blowing twist’ come to mind.’ Shaz’s Book Blog, 5 stars 'Natalie's books are a treasure trove of vibrant, vivid stories, memorable characters and pacy writing!’ Tracy Rees, bestselling author of The Hourglass 'Another awesome book from Natalie Meg Evans! Love, love, love this author! A journey that will pull your heartstrings and leave a lasting impression.’ Nik Book Lover ‘I absolutely adored this beautiful book. The author's writing is a treat to the senses, bringing scenes alive with her stunning prose. Highly recommend this colourful, poignant tale to everyone!’ Renita D’Silva, 5 Stars ‘It's full of mystery and intrigue, and the characters will surprise you time after time.’ Goodreads 'Wow! This was my first time reading this author and this book was so good.