A proud, indomitable, absolutist monarch, Francis I (1494–1547) ‘was the king that his country needed, if not the one it might have wished for’, and despite his achievements – in unifying and glorifying France and as the patron of art and architecture who recruited Leonardo da Vinci to his court and built Fontainebleau – Francis is remembered, if at all, for his failings. In this biography, Leonie Frieda offers a rigorous reassessment of the ‘Maker of Modern France’.
'A captivating biography ... This rollicking story is packed with anecdotes' The Times
Francis I was inconstant, amorous, hot-headed and flawed. Yet he was also arguably the most significant king that France ever had. This is his story.
A contemporary of Henry VIII of England, Francis saw himself as the first Renaissance king, a man who was the exemplar of courtly and civilised behaviour throughout Europe. A courageous and heroic warrior, he was also a keen aesthete, an accomplished diplomat and an energetic ruler who turned his country into a force to be reckoned with.
Yet he was also capricious, vain and arrogant, taking hugely unnecessary risks, at least one of which nearly resulted in the end of his kingdom. His great feud with his nemesis Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor, defined European diplomacy and sovereignty, but his notorious alliance with the great Ottoman ruler Suleiman the Magnificent threatened to destroy everything.
With access to never-before-seen private archives, Leonie Frieda's comprehensive and sympathetic account explores the life of the most human of all Renaissance monarchs - and the most enigmatic.
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https://www.psbooks.co.uk/francis-i-2511563Francis Ihttps://www.psbooks.co.uk/media/catalog/product/5/1/511563_5c2f0e87c3424dd206563332f8c2870d.jpg8.998.99GBPInStock/History/Non-Fiction/Highlights/History/Categories/Modern History/Non-Fiction/Categories/Biography & Memoirs/Non-Fiction/Categories/Biography & Memoirs/Biographies/Non-Fiction/Categories/Biography & Memoirs/Biographies/Historical Biographies/Almost Gone/Almost Gone HistoryA proud, indomitable, absolutist monarch, Francis I (1494–1547) ‘was the king that his country needed, if not the one it might have wished for’, and despite his achievements – in unifying and glorifying France and as the patron of art and architecture who recruited Leonardo da Vinci to his court and built Fontainebleau – Francis is remembered, if at all, for his failings. In this biography, Leonie Frieda offers a rigorous reassessment of the ‘Maker of Modern France’.Hardback00add-to-cartrrp_info:£25.00productId:50164bic_code:BG, HBJD, HBLHBG, HBJD, HBLH£25.00Leonie FriedaGeneral232x253mmWeidenfeldNoHardbackGeneralEuropean
