Francis I: The Maker of Modern France

by Leonie Frieda

Overview

Leonie Frieda, the bestselling author of Catherine de Medici, returns to sixteenth-century Europe in the evocative and entertaining biography, Francis I.

Catherine de Medici’s father-in-law, King Francis of France, was the perfect Renaissance knight, the movement’s exemplar and its Gallic interpreter. An aesthete, diplomat par excellence, and contemporary of Machiavelli, Francis was the founder of modern France, whose sheer force of will and personality molded his kingdom into the first European superpower. Arguably the man who introduced the Renaissance to France, Francis was also the prototype Frenchman—a national identity was modeled on his character. So great was his stamp, that few countries even now are quite so robustly patriotic as is France. Yet as Leonie Frieda reveals, Francis did not always live up to his ideal; a man of grand passions and vision, he was also a flawed husband, father, lover, and king.

With access to private archives previously unused in a study of Francis I, Frieda recreates a remarkable era of French history to explore the life of a man who was the most human of the monarchs of the period—and yet, remains the most elusive.

“Superb and vivid . . . brings the world of Francis I to life, skillfully delineating the moves and major players in both European and domestic politics . . . and also gives the reader wonderful glimpses of the often licentious court life of that time . . . Frieda suggests that, under Francis I, France preserved its political power, greatly increased its cultural influence, and positioned itself for the Grand Siecle that his Bourbon successors would soon preside over.” —Wall Street Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062871404
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	11/21/2023
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	381
Sales rank:	305,618
File size:	10 MB

About the Author

Leonie Frieda is the author of a bestselling biography of Catherine de Medici and The Deadly Sisterhood: A Story of Women, Power and Intrigue in the Italian Renaissance. She lives in London.

Table of Contents

List of Illustrations ix

Maps xi

Genealogical Tables xvii

List of Principal Characters xxvii

List of Monarchs of France xxxi

Introduction 1

Chapter 1 A Prophecy Fulfilled 7

Chapter 2 A Game of Thrones 21

Chapter 3 'The King Never Dies' 39

Chapter 4 Swimming in French Blood 53

Chapter 5 A Good and Honest Man 71

Chapter 6 A New King of France 83

Chapter 7 The End of Ambition 99

Chapter 8 The Field of the Cloth of Gold 111

Chapter 9 Consequences 123

Chapter 10 The Enemy Within 140

Chapter 11 Nothing Remains Save Honour 160

Chapter 12 The King Without a Country 172

Chapter 13 A King Restored 186

Chapter 14 A Reversal of Fortune 198

Chapter 15 Violent Beginnings and Peaceful Ends 211

Chapter 16 A Trio of Marriages 227

Chapter 17 Allies of Necessity 241

Chapter 18 Friendships Old and New 254

Chapter 19 God Governs the Hearts of Men 268

Chapter 20 'In Spite of These Wretched Backbiters' 282

Chapter 21 Salvation and Redemption 296

Chapter 22 'Tears and Continual Lamentations' 307

Epilogue 319

Notes 323

Bibliography 329

Acknowledgements 337

Index 339

Editorial Reviews

03/15/2018
Frieda (Catherine de Medici) aims to rehabilitate the image of Francis I, king of France from 1515 to 1547, whom the author claims deserves to be known as the "Maker of Modern Europe." While honest in highlighting the king's obvious flaws (womanizing foremost among them), the book does not quite live up to the promises made in its introduction, which unfortunately is its only analytical section. What follows is a chronological and fairly standard accounting of the king's reign and accomplishments, overwhelmingly reliant on previously published sources. We learn of the king's fascination with Renaissance philosophy, art, and architecture; military campaigns in Italy; and relationships with rivals such as Henry VIII of England and Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor. Of interest is Francis's role in acquiring Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa for France. Readers interested in the lives of royals past will enjoy the rich descriptions of funerals, coronations, and marriage ceremonies, among many other details. Yet, the volume would have been stronger had it traced the historiographical changes in Francis's reputation. Furthermore, the absence of a conclusion weakens the narrative, as does the omission of the king's involvement in the contemporary challenges of religious reformation and overseas exploration. VERDICT For general readers interested in 16th-century Europe, French history, and royal biographies.—Marie M. Mullaney, Caldwell Coll., NJ

Library Journal

In the lively colorful prose of this fast read…Leonie Frieda seeks context and truth for Francis I…who pulled his country together after…a time of great dissent caused by the Hundred Years War and feudal infighting.” — New York Journal of Books

From the Publisher

In the lively colorful prose of this fast read…Leonie Frieda seeks context and truth for Francis I…who pulled his country together after…a time of great dissent caused by the Hundred Years War and feudal infighting.

New York Journal of Books

A superb and vivid biography…that brings the world of Francis I to life, skillfully delineating the moves and major players in both European and domestic politics…and also gives the reader wonderful glimpses of the often licentious court life of that time…Ms. Frieda suggests that, under Francis I, France preserved its political power, greatly increased its cultural influence, and positioned itself for the Grand Siècle that his Bourbon successors would soon preside over.

John Steele Gordon

Most Americans are not so familiar with French history; if they know Francis I at all, it's as the patron of Leonardo da Vinci. But this audiobook shows how he deliberately moved France into the Renaissance, setting it on the road to modernity. In an era of great leaders—his contemporaries were Henry VIII of England and Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire—Francis held his own. Historian Leonie Frieda does not conceal his flaws, but narrator Carole Boyd evokes compassion for the struggles even autocrats must face. She keeps the story lively and active, even though we know, for example, that Francis and his sons will, eventually, be released from imprisonment. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

MAY 2018 - AudioFile

Most Americans are not so familiar with French history; if they know Francis I at all, it's as the patron of Leonardo da Vinci. But this audiobook shows how he deliberately moved France into the Renaissance, setting it on the road to modernity. In an era of great leaders—his contemporaries were Henry VIII of England and Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire—Francis held his own. Historian Leonie Frieda does not conceal his flaws, but narrator Carole Boyd evokes compassion for the struggles even autocrats must face. She keeps the story lively and active, even though we know, for example, that Francis and his sons will, eventually, be released from imprisonment. D.M.H. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine

MAY 2018 - AudioFile

2018-01-10
Thoroughgoing biography of the French ruler who allied with Islam in an effort to resist his Habsburg neighbors."If ever there were a king who warrants rehabilitation, it is Francis." So writes Frieda (The Deadly Sisterhood: A Story of Women, Power, and Intrigue in the Italian Renaissance, 1427-1527, 2013, etc.), who makes a solid effort here. Allowing that Francis I was a "deeply flawed figure" who was committed to the principle of absolutist rule and violently suppressed dissenting religionists, the author lends him humanity by examining his scholarly and artistic interests. As she shows, Francis was a man of letters who supported the work of Andrea del Sarto, Leonardo da Vinci, and other artists even if he sometimes experienced disappointment at their hands—Leonardo never produced the great work of art while residing in Paris that Francis hoped for, though he did leave the Mona Lisa, which explains why it's housed in the Louvre, which Francis had restored. He also took considerable effort to learn the many and diverse regions that made up his domain. Events placed him in contention with the neighboring powers of Europe, including the Habsburgs of Austria and the pope. While Francis "mired himself in a succession of skirmishes and conflicts on too many fronts," he took some interesting and daring risks, including forging a short-lived alliance with Suleiman the Magnificent, the leader of the Ottoman Empire, leading to the arrival of a "large and potentially dangerous Muslim population" within France; another anti-Italian alliance with the pirate king Barbarossa led to the ransacking of the French fleet. For all his diplomatic and military difficulties and problems with orderly succession, Francis was also a patron of explorers who soon extended France's empire into the Americas, Africa, and Asia.Though a figure of major importance, Francis has been forgotten against better known contemporaries such as England's Henry VIII. Frieda's work helps restore him to history.

Kirkus Reviews