The Man in the Iron Mask: The True Story of Europe's Most Famous Prisoner (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781643137421)

A vivid, dramatic, and eye-opening historical narrative, The Man in the Iron Mask reveals the story behind the most enduring mystery of Louis XIV's reign.

The Man in the Iron Mask has all the hallmarks of a thrilling adventure story: a glamorous and all-powerful king, ambitious ministers, a cruel and despotic jailor, dark and sinister dungeons-- and a secret prisoner. It is easy for forget that this story, made famous by Alexandre Dumas, is that of a real person, Eustache Dauger, who spent more than thirty years in the prison system of Louis XIV's France--never to be freed.

This narrative brings to life the true story of this mysterious man and follows his journey through four prisons and across decades of time. It introduces the reader to those with whom he shared his imprisonment, those who had charge of him, and those who decided his tragic fate.

The Man in the Iron Mask reveals one of the most enduring mysteries of Louis XIV's reign; but it is, above all, a human story. Using contemporary documents, this book shows what life was really like for state prisoners in seventeenth-century France--and offers tantalising insight into why this mysterious man was arrested and why, several years later, his story would become one of France's most intriguing legends that still sparks debate and controversy today.

Author: Josephine Wilkinson
ISBN-10: 1643137425
ISBN-13: 9781643137421
Publisher: Pegasus Books
Language: English
Published: 07/06/2021
Pages: 352
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.05lbs
Size: 9.10h x 5.90w x 1.20d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 05/03/2021
Booklist 05/15/2021 pg. 14
Library Journal 05/14/2021 pg. 1