Éminence Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France

by Blanchard, Jean-Vincent

• ISBN13: 9780802717047
• ISBN10: 0802717047
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2011-09-20
• Publisher: Walker Books

Summary

Chief Minister to King Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu was the architect of a new France in the 17th century, and the force behind the nation's rise as a European power. One of the first statesmen to clearly understand the necessity of a balance of powers, he was one of the early realist politicians, practicing in the wake of Niccolo Machiavelli. (A notable advocate of realpolitik in our own time, Henry Kissinger, credits Richelieu with introducing a modern approach to international relations). Forging a nation-state amidst the swirl of unruly, grasping nobles, widespread corruption, wars of religion, and an ambitious Habsburg empire, Richelieu's hands were full. Serving his king, however, and mastering the politics of absolute power provided Richelieu with his greatest challenge and ultimately determined his legacy to France and to all those who practice statecraft. Jean-Vincent Blanchard's rich and insightful new biography brings Richelieu fully to life, at court, on the battlefield, at times cruel and ruthless, always devoted to creating a lasting central authority vested in the power of monarchy, a power essential to the hegemony of France on the European stage for the next two centuries. Especially interesting to contemporary readers will be Richelieu's careful understanding of politics as spectacle; much of what he accomplished was promoted strategically through the arts, through a "style," or romance of power. Richelieu's story offers us a keener understanding of the dark arts of politics.

Author Biography

Jean-Vincent Blanchard is an associate professor of French literature and politics at Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. He is the author of several books published in France; this is his first book published in English.

Table of Contents

"Blanchard's captivating biography vividly captures the rise to power of a seminal figure who was instrumental in creating France as we know it."—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Blanchard gives Cardinal Richelieu a tremendous depth of character through the re-creation of key, decisive moments over the course of his courtly career."—Kirkus Reviews

"Cardinal Richelieu receives a more nuanced portrayal from Blanchard…. [he] excels in digging deep beneath the surface to reveal the extraordinary man who spawned the legend."—Margaret Flanagan, Booklist

"Blanchard paints a riveting picture of the scope of Richelieu’s career…. While the life of the notorious cardinal is hardly untouched material for writers, Blanchard’s biography is one of few recent treatments of the subject in English and should be well received by scholars and general readers with a serious interest in French military or political history."—Tessa L.H. Minchew, Library Journal

 

"A richly rewarding study of both an early student of absolute state power, and how his influence built the foundation for France's domination of seventeenth-century Europe."—BarnesandNobleReview.com