Renaissance Warrior and Patron: The Reign of Francis I

by R. J. Knecht

Overview

This book offers a full and comprehensive account of one of the most colorful and formative reigns in French history, that of Francis I (1515-47), and was published to coincide with the 500th anniversary of Francis I's birth in 1494. It is a completely revised edition of Professor Knecht's earlier study of the king, first published in 1982 and for many years the standard work on the subject. That edition is now superseded by this substantially larger work, in which much new written and illustrative material has been included. No other work on the subject is as up to date or as authoritative.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521578851
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	12/12/1996
Series:	Reign of Francis I
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	640
Product dimensions:	7.44(w) x 9.69(h) x 1.30(d)

Table of Contents

List of plates; List of figures; Preface to new edition; List of abbreviations; 1. Childhood and youth; 2. France in 1515; 3. King of France; 4. Marignano and after; 5. 'The most Christian king'; 6. The king and his court; 7. Humanism and heresy; 8. Valois versus Habsburg; 9. The sinews of war; 10. Treason; 11. Defeat and captivity; 12. The king's return (1526–28); 13. The 'peace of the ladies' (1529); 14. Protestants and Turks; 15. The threat of heresy; 16. Montmorency's triumph (1535–36); 17. Domestic issues; 18. Poverty and wealth; 19. France overseas; 20. Fruitless entente (1538–42); 21. Madrid and Fontainebleau; 22. Patron of the arts; 23. 'Father of letters'; 24. The return to war (1542–44); 25. Gathering clouds (1544–47); 26. An absolute monarch?; 27. 'Le roy est mort! Vive le roy!'; Epilogue; Note on coinage; Manuscript sources; Select bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"...provides a good historiography of the last ten years of research in the early sixteenth century." Sixteenth Century Journal

"Fortunately, R.J. Knecht's fascination with Fancis I is such that he has clearly devoted many hours of his 'retirement' to expanding, reshaping and updating the highly regarded study of the King which he published in 1982...The net result is a book which is not only more comprehensive than the earlier work but which is also exceptionally readable. A magnificent index will enable those searching for information on places, people and events to acquaint themselves with almost any aspect of the reign. At the same time, the main themes, aided by a prose which is never strained or cumbersome, emerge with clarity." David Parker, Times Literary Supplement

"The present work is much more than a new edition of the earlier book....It should be in every research library and carefully studied by every student of the period....There is no comparable work in English....Knecht is a careful and judicious historian who deals with every aspect of Francis's reign from the standpoint of Paris and the court." J. Russell Major, American Historical Review

"A serious reader will appreciate the realization of Knecht's second edition. The scholarly work would be a worthy informative choice in depth and breadth of the period for specialists in Sixteenth Century, French and European History, in Monarchies, and in the Renaissance Period. The book is a beautiful edition in glossed paper and pleasing print. It should be in the Sixteenth Century collection of any reputable library and highly cited and recommended to its enlightened patrons." European Studies Journal

"A serious reader will appreciate the realization of Knecht's second edition. The scholarly work would be a worthy informative choice in depth and breadth of the period for specialists in sixteenth-century French of European history, in monarchies, and in the Renaissance Period. The book is a beautiful edition in glossed paper and pleasing print. It should be in the sixteenth-century collection of any reputable library and highly cited and recommended to its enlightened patrons." Michael D. Buzash, European Studies Journal

"To portray a balanced and meaningful picture of this giant of the sixteenth century is a challenge which Robert Knecht has grasped and brought to fruition." Keith Cameron, International Journal of the Classical Tradition

From the Publisher