Versailles (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781541673380)

The vivid story of the creation, renovation, and enduring legacy of the most famous building in France: the palace of Versailles

Nothing represents the glorious and fraught history of France quite like the Palace of Versailles. Made famous by the absolutist king Louis XIV, Versailles became legendary for the splendor of its revels -- but then, after the Revolution of 1789, it fell into disrepute as a reminder of royal excess and abuse of power. Subsequent French governments struggled with how to handle the opulent palace and grounds -- should the site be memorialized, trivialized, rehabilitated, or even destroyed outright?

Drawing on a new wave of recent research, historian Colin Jones masterfully traces the evolution of Versailles as a space of royal politics and aristocratic pleasures, a building of mythic status, and one of the world's great tourist destinations. Accessible and compelling, this book is a must-read for all Francophiles.

Author: Colin Jones
ISBN-10: 1541673387
ISBN-13: 9781541673380
Publisher: Basic Books
Language: English
Published: 11/20/2018
Pages: 224
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 7.60h x 5.10w x 1.10d

Review Citation(s):
Publishers Weekly 08/27/2018
Kirkus Reviews 09/01/2018
Library Journal 11/15/2018 pg. 85
Choice 04/01/2019