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Versailles
Versailles: A Biography of a Palace | Tony Spawforth
7 posts | 2 read | 5 to read
The behind-the-scenes story of the world's most famous palace, painting a picture of the way its residents truly lived and examining the palace's legacy, from French history through today The story of Versailles is one of historical drama, under the last three kings of France's old regime, mixed with the high camp and glamour of the European courts, all in an iconic home for the French arts. The palace itself has been radically altered since 1789, and the court was long ago swept away. Versailles sets out to rediscover what is now a vanished world: a great center of power, seat of royal government, and, for thousands, a home both grand and squalid, bound by social codes almost incomprehensible to us today. Using eyewitness testimony as well as the latest historical research, Spawforth offers the first full account of Versailles in English in over thirty years. Blowing away the myths of Versailles, he analyses afresh the politics behind the Sun King's construction of the palace and shows how Versailles worked as the seat of a royal court. He probes the conventional picture of a "perpetual house party" of courtiers and gives full weight to the darker side: not just the mounting discomfort of the aging buildings but also the intrigue and status anxiety of its aristocrats. The book brings out clearly the fateful consequences for the French monarchy of its relocation to Versailles and also examines the changing place of Versailles in France's national identity since 1789. Many books have told the stories of the royals and artists living in Versailles, but this is the first to turn its focus on the palace itself---from architecture and politics to scandal and restoration.
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review
Sophronisba
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Mehso-so

Comprehensive but oddly-paced -- Spawforth is apparently a lateral thinker and there's not really a clear chronology even though it's billed as a biography. Lots of great anecdotes, though.

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Judybskt
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Love this library in the Palace of Versailles.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful ❤️ 2y
19 likes1 comment
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Librarybelle
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It‘s on my bucket list to visit Versailles. I had to grab this book when I saw it on Book Outlet. Again, another one I‘ve yet to read, but Spawforth writes the history of the palace, from its brick and mortar (so to speak) to the political intrigues discussed within its walls. #Foundations #LilithJuly

Crazeedi Sounds like an interesting read! 5y
KarenUK Clever choice..... and great bucket list item! 💕👍😊 5y
Cinfhen Stunning cover and fabulous choice 🙌🏻❤️ 5y
103 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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toofondofbooks
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I absolutely loved this series on Netflix and need some good historical fiction recs about Louis XIV and Versailles. I've read all of Karleen Koens books and can find lots about Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette but not as much about the infamous Sun King.

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Maggie_Reads
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When you find some books you‘ve had on your TBR list on the 1/2 price cart in the local library bookstore....$2 mini-book haul. 👍🏻😁❤️📚

AmberWB The Nazi Officer‘s Wife was fascinating! 6y
Maggie_Reads @AmberWB It looks like it would be and I‘m a sucker for WWII love stories, especially those involving the forbidden love kind with a Nazi. 6y
18 likes2 comments
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Lcsmcat
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Jane could have visited Versailles, but her #memorabilia would probably have been different than mine. 😀 #austeninaugust @Crinoline_Laphroaig

Crinoline_Laphroaig 😂 Jane would admire your wit and originality in this post. 6y
46 likes1 comment
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Caroline2
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Extremely underwhelmed by the library at Versailles...it is teeny tiny! 😲🙄😔

drokka Well, with all the other goings on, they probably didn't have much time for reading. 😂😂😂 7y
TrishB @drokka 😂😂 exactly! 7y
51 likes2 comments