The Ascendancy of France, 1598-1715

In 1598, France was a traumatized nation emerging from three decades of religious civil war. By 1715, it was the unquestioned superpower of Europe. This is the story of that astonishing transformation. Wakeman traces France's journey from the assassination of Henry IV to the death of Louis XIV, examining how a kingdom torn apart by sectarian violence became the model for centralized European monarchy. Through the cunning of Richelieu, the wars of Louis XIV, and the patient construction of royal power, France reshaped the continent. The book places French developments within the broader context of German fragmentation, Spanish decline, and English constitutional evolution. For readers fascinated by the birth of the modern state, the age of absolutism, or the foundations of European power politics, this remains a thoughtful introduction to an era that defined the Western political tradition.