The Splendid Century: Life in the France Of Louis XIV

''The Splendid Century: Life in the France of Louis XIV'' is a classic work of social history that moves away from traditional military and political timelines to provide a vivid, detailed portrait of daily life in 17th-century France. Instead of a standard chronological biography, W. H. Lewis structures the book topically, dedicating individual chapters to different facets and classes of French society: an intimate look at the etiquette, opulence, and claustrophobia of life at the Palace of Versailles; detailed examinations of the nobility, the bourgeoisie, and the crushing poverty of the peasantry; how the French army was structured, the harsh reality of the common soldier; highly readable chapters covering 17th-century medicine (and its often terrifying practices), and the justice system.