MUCHEMBLED Robert.
The secret son of the green gallant.
The Beautiful Letters
Regular price
€25,00
| N° d'inventaire | 25013 |
| Format | 16 x 24 |
| Détails | 488 p., 14 color illustrations, paperback. |
| Publication | Paris, 2021 |
| Etat | Nine |
| ISBN | 9782251452180 |
This book is not another biography of Henry IV, who was promoted to the monarchical idol of the French at the end of the 20th century. Attempting to solve the most extraordinary criminal enigma of the time of the Wars of Religion – the poisoning of the Prince of Condé at Saint-Jean d'Angély in 1588 – Robert Muchembled demonstrates the assured responsibility of a hidden sponsor, the natural father, what's more, of the posthumous son of the murdered prince: Henry of Navarre, future King of France.
It is therefore an (incomplete) story of the secret personality of the Béarnais that is proposed here. If it differs from the traditional mythology applied to his memory, it gives him back all his humanity: his qualities and his successes go hand in hand with less glorious traits, indispensable, probably, to survive and triumph during one of the most tragic periods of the French past. Devoid of moral or religious scruples, trusting (superstitiously) in his star, the Vert-Galant mercilessly eliminates those who hinder him; master of disinformation, great producer of fake news, he himself forges his own legend, has one of the most efficient secret services of the time, accumulates mistresses like an oriental sultan, including the wife of his secret son, and treats the latter harshly (intermittent heir to the throne, then rival of Louis XIII after the regicide).
Although it conveys strong images of unbridled ambition, blood, poison, violence, and carnal desires, worthy of historical or detective novels, the chronological narrative, based on period documents (sometimes unknown, or often poorly put into perspective), presents real facts and characters that are not fictitious. It invites us to discover an exercise of supreme power that is more chaotic, baroque, and dramatic than that evoked by school textbooks.
It is therefore an (incomplete) story of the secret personality of the Béarnais that is proposed here. If it differs from the traditional mythology applied to his memory, it gives him back all his humanity: his qualities and his successes go hand in hand with less glorious traits, indispensable, probably, to survive and triumph during one of the most tragic periods of the French past. Devoid of moral or religious scruples, trusting (superstitiously) in his star, the Vert-Galant mercilessly eliminates those who hinder him; master of disinformation, great producer of fake news, he himself forges his own legend, has one of the most efficient secret services of the time, accumulates mistresses like an oriental sultan, including the wife of his secret son, and treats the latter harshly (intermittent heir to the throne, then rival of Louis XIII after the regicide).
Although it conveys strong images of unbridled ambition, blood, poison, violence, and carnal desires, worthy of historical or detective novels, the chronological narrative, based on period documents (sometimes unknown, or often poorly put into perspective), presents real facts and characters that are not fictitious. It invites us to discover an exercise of supreme power that is more chaotic, baroque, and dramatic than that evoked by school textbooks.
It is therefore an (incomplete) story of the secret personality of the Béarnais that is proposed here. If it differs from the traditional mythology applied to his memory, it gives him back all his humanity: his qualities and his successes go hand in hand with less glorious traits, indispensable, probably, to survive and triumph during one of the most tragic periods of the French past. Devoid of moral or religious scruples, trusting (superstitiously) in his star, the Vert-Galant mercilessly eliminates those who hinder him; master of disinformation, great producer of fake news, he himself forges his own legend, has one of the most efficient secret services of the time, accumulates mistresses like an oriental sultan, including the wife of his secret son, and treats the latter harshly (intermittent heir to the throne, then rival of Louis XIII after the regicide).
Although it conveys strong images of unbridled ambition, blood, poison, violence, and carnal desires, worthy of historical or detective novels, the chronological narrative, based on period documents (sometimes unknown, or often poorly put into perspective), presents real facts and characters that are not fictitious. It invites us to discover an exercise of supreme power that is more chaotic, baroque, and dramatic than that evoked by school textbooks.