The memorists, particularly Saint-Simon, have “fixed” the traditional image of Louis so firmly it is difficult to see him in any other light. Although Louis XIV was a vitally important figure in European history, he has found no satisfactory biographer until now. Without ignoring the fact that Louis was also a son, husband, lover, and father―as well as king―he gives us a striking new image of Louis as “soldier administrator” and a vivid, accurate picture of the king’s impact on the military machine after 1691, his part in the drama of war and in the emergence of a new Europe. Professor Wolf focuses on the problems of high politics and war, which intrigued Louis and were his instruments of power.
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