Francis I

Frieda, Leonie

£12.99

Francis I was inconstant, amorous, hot-headed and flawed. Yet he was also arguably the most significant king that France ever had. Francis saw himself as the first Renaissance king, a man who was the exemplar of courtly and civilised behaviour throughout France and Europe. A courageous and heroic warrior, he was also a keen aesthete, an accomplished diplomat and an energetic ruler who turned his country into a force to be reckoned with. Yet he was also capricious, vain and arrogant, taking hugely unnecessary risks. His great feud with his nemesis Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, defined European diplomacy and sovereignty, but his notorious alliance with the great Ottoman ruler Suleiman threatened to destroy everything. Leonie Frieda’s account explores the life of the man who was the most human of all Renaissance monarchs – and the most enigmatic.

Available on backorder

Publish Date: 04/03/2021

Description

‘A captivating biography … This rollicking story is packed with anecdotes’ The Times
‘I can’t suppose that there has been a better English biography of Francis, or indeed is likely to be one’ Catholic Herald

Francis I was inconstant, amorous, hot-headed and flawed. Arguably he was also the most significant king that France ever had.

A contemporary of Henry VIII of England, Francis saw himself as the first Renaissance king. A courageous and heroic warrior, he was also a keen aesthete, an accomplished diplomat and an energetic ruler who turned his country into a force to be reckoned with. Bestselling historian Leonie Frieda’s comprehensive and sympathetic account explores the life of the most human of all Renaissance monarchs – and the most enigmatic.

Additional information

Weight 300 g
Dimensions 196 × 128 × 30 mm
Author

Publisher

Imprint

Cover

Paperback

Pages

xxxiv, 352 , 8 unnumbered of plates

Language

English

Edition
Dewey

944.028 (edition:23)

Readership

General – Trade / Code: K