French Legends - The Life and Legacy of Cardinal Richelieu

Editors Charles River

Sinossi

“Deception is the knowledge of kings.” – Cardinal Richelieu
 
A lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives of history’s most influential figures, but how much of the forest is lost for the trees? In Charles River Editors’ French series, readers can get caught up to speed on the lives of France’s most important men and women in the time it takes to finish a commute, while learning interesting facts long forgotten or never known.
 
In an age where it was difficult to steer clear of a king’s wrath and keep one’s head for their entire life, Armand Jean du Plessis managed to become the power behind a king. The royal courts of 17th and 18th century France were famed for powerful and versatile Ministers like Talleyrand and the Comte de Vergennes, yet none have held as much sway like the man best known to the world today as Cardinal Richelieu.
 
Decades before becoming the most important person in Louis XIII’s court, Richelieu worked his way up through the Catholic Church and politics on parallel tracks, so that in a span of two years he became both a Cardinal and the king’s Chief Minister. From there, Richelieu molded the functions of his position to such a powerful extent that he is often viewed today as akin to the world’s first Prime Minister. For a generation, Richelieu literally had his hand in every important decision, forever altering the destiny of both France and Europe as a whole.      
 
Using skillful diplomacy and behind the scenes maneuvering, Richelieu managed to accumulate and consolidate both personal power and royal power, helping root out and stamp out domestic opponents until power in France was almost fully centralized. At the same time, the Catholic Cardinal established alliances with Protestant leaders when the time called. And all the while, Richelieu helped permanently damage the Habsburg dynasty, which had established an Austro-Spanish alliance, while positioning France to hold a dominant position during The Thirty Years War. Not everyone appreciated Richelieu’s legacy, certainly not Enlightened thinkers like Voltaire who criticized the aristocratic order of 18th century France. In The Three Musketeers, Alexandre Dumas portrayed Richelieu as a power-hungry villain who was stronger than the king he served.
 
Whether Richelieu was a hero or not, there is no mistaking the remarkable influence he left on French society and international politics. A patron of the arts, he helped foster French nationalism and forged a national identity, all while structuring a more modern nation with the kind of aggressive foreign policy that is recognizable in today’s world. As one historian put simply, Richelieu was the "father of the modern nation-state."
 
French Legends: The Life and Legacy of Cardinal Richelieu looks at the life of the famous French Minister, exploring how he navigated through a world of intrigue to secure France’s position at the forefront of Europe and lay the groundwork for ideas like national sovereignty and international law. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Cardinal Richelieu like you never have before, in no time at all.

Disponibile da: 05/05/2025.

Lunghezza di stampa: 31 pagine.

Altri libri che potrebbero interessarti

Angelica - For Love and Country...

Molly Beer

Few women of the American Revolution have come through 250 years of US history with such clarity and color as Angelica Schuyler Church. She was Alexander Hamilton's "saucy" sister-in-law, and the heart of Thomas Jefferson's "charming coterie" of artists and salonnières in Paris. Her transatlantic network of important friends spanned the political spectrum of her time and place, and her astute eye and brilliant letters kept them well informed. 
 
 
 
A woman of great influence in a time of influential women (Catherine the Great and Marie-Antoinette were contemporaries), Angelica was at the red-hot center of American history at its birth: in Boston, when General Burgoyne surrendered to the revolutionaries; in Newport, receiving French troops under the command of her soon-to-be dear friend Marquis de Lafayette; in Yorktown, just after the decisive battle; in Paris and London, helping to determine the standing of the new nation on the world stage. 
 
 
 
In this enthralling and revealing woman's-eye view of a revolutionary era, Molly Beer breathes vibrant new life into a period usually dominated by masculine themes and often dulled by familiarity. In telling Angelica's story, she illuminates how American women have always plied influence and networks for political ends, including the making of a new nation.

Mostra libro

Makhdoom - Sakhi Di Taqat

Bhai Veer Singh

Makhdoom 
Author: Bhai Vir Singh 
Bhai Vir Singh was a remarkable thinker and writer in Sikh spiritual literature. His work in the 20th century is considered priceless. Through his writings, he brought the deep spiritual essence of Sikh teachings to life in a unique and creative way. When writing about Sikh history, Bhai Vir Singh focused on showing the divine presence and light of the Gurus, which then gave rise to the events and stories of history. He moved beyond ordinary historical writing by emphasizing the spiritual and moral values of Sikh teachings and showing how these ideals shaped actions and lives. 
The story of Makhdoom, written by Bhai Vir Singh, follows this style. It blends history with spirituality, offering a deeper understanding of Sikh values and their role in shaping lives.You can order it from Sikh Siyasat and get it delivered anywhere in the world.

Mostra libro

Stammering Against Truth -...

Wen Gibson

This intimate and unflinching memoir explores Wen's struggle to survive, and confronts the belief that people don't change. Through appalling abuse and neglect, Wen finds a way to a very different kind of life, embodying resilience, healing and transformation. 
The story is woven through with the intriguing themes of Wen's life. With humility, understanding and beauty, she delves into the plight of a stammerer, the unbreakable bonds of twinship, and her body's need to dissociate. 
Wen's evocative imagery transports the reader from the red dirt of Broome, to the streets of India and the mists of Scotland. She crosses the continents, often by bicycle, committing to radical political action and spiritual exploration. These pursuits help forge her growing character. 
After settling in Scotland, she uncovers buried memories of a terrifying Queensland childhood shrouded in threats and lies, and of her father's links to a Brisbane paedophile gang. 
'To the outside world, we were the picture-perfect family. No one would have believed me, even if I could have found the words.' 
She doesn't recoil from facing the truth of her childhood or the unconscionable harm her parents perpetuated. 
Wen tells how she found her way to her heart and her true gender self. In doing so, she celebrates the power of kindness. Stammering Against Truth is a powerful and empowering book that proves past traumas need not define our futures.

Mostra libro

READMEtxt - A Memoir

Chelsea Manning

"Manning reads her book in a sharp voice that is clearly accustomed to marshaling information..."- Washington Post"[Manning's] text and performance create a blistering autobiography that is both observant and instructive."- AudioFile"In both content and narration, Manning displays a keen ability to imbue this detailed account of her life and activism with both sarcasm and sincerity." - Library Journal "In this revealing memoir, Manning details her experience in military intelligence and her ultimate decision to share classified information with WikiLeaks in this revealing memoir. Listeners will appreciate Manning’s voice as she explores her reasoning for her decisions and accepts her fate with dignity."- BooklistThis program is read by the author.An intimate, revealing memoir from one of the most important activists of our time. While working as an intelligence analyst in Iraq for the United States Army in 2010, Chelsea Manning disclosed more than seven hundred thousand classified military and diplomatic records that she had smuggled out of the country on the memory card of her digital camera. In 2011 she was charged with twenty-two counts related to the unauthorized possession and distribution of classified military records, and in 2013 she was sentenced to thirty-five years in military prison.The day after her conviction, Manning declared her gender identity as a woman and began to transition, seeking hormones through the federal court system. In 2017, President Barack Obama commuted her sentence and she was released from prison.In README.txt, Manning recounts how her pleas for increased institutional transparency and government accountability took place alongside a fight to defend her rights as a trans woman. Manning details the challenges of her childhood and adolescence as a naive, computer-savvy kid, what drew her to the military, and the fierce pride she has about the work she does. This powerful, observant memoir will stand as one of the definitive testaments of our digital, information-driven age.A Macmillan Audio production from Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Mostra libro

Something Painful This Way Comes

Timothy James

One man's journey through suffering and faith to discover God's faithfulness.

Mostra libro

Escape into Danger - The True...

Sophia Orlosvky Williams

This WWII memoir tells the remarkable story of a Ukrainian girl’s perilous adventures and coming of age amid the chaos of war.  Born in Kiev to a Catholic mother and a Jewish father, Sophia Williams chose to be identified as Jewish when she became eligible for a Soviet passport at age sixteen. She had no way of realizing the life-changing consequences of her decision. When Germany invaded Russia the following year, Sophia left Kiev and embarked on daring journey into Russia—surviving floods, dodging fires and bombs, and falling in love.   After reaching Stalingrad, Sophia found herself stranded in a Nazi-occupied town. She was safely employed by a sympathetic German officer until a local girl recognized her as a Jew. Within days, Sophia’s boss spirited her to safety with his family in Poland. Soon, though, Sophia was on the run again, this time to Nazi Germany, where she somehow escaped detection through the rest of the war.   Her story of survival continues into the postwar years, through starting a family and business with a German soldier. But when her marriage deteriorated, even divorce was not enough to keep her vindictive and violent husband away. Throughout this difficult life, Sophia maintained the grit, charm, and optimism that saved her time and again as she made her “escape into danger.”

Mostra libro