The most recommended books about Louis XIV

Who picked these books? Meet our 13 experts.

13 authors created a book list connected to Louis XIV, and here are their favorite Louis XIV books.
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Book cover of Memoirs Duc De Saint-Simon Volume Three: 1715-1723

Philip Mansel Author Of King of the World: The Life of Louis XIV

From my list on French Court.

Why am I passionate about this?

The French court has fascinated me since boyhood visits to Blois and Versailles. The appeal of its unusually dramatic history is heightened by the prominence of women, by the number and brilliance of courtiersā€™ letters and memoirs, and by its stupendous cultural patronage: Even after writing seven books on the French court, from Louis XIV to Louis XVIII, I remain enthralled by Versailles, Fontainebleau, and Paris where, as the new science of court studies expands, there is always more to see and learn. The power and popularity of the French presidency today confirm the importance of the French monarchy, to which it owes so much, including its physical setting, the ElysĆ©e Palace.

Philip's book list on French Court

Philip Mansel Why did Philip love this book?

Saint-Simon was another passionate outsider. He compensated for his lack of position and favour under Louis XIV by putting his fantasies of omniscience and his psychological perception into his memoirs. One of the great stylists of the French language, he leads readers into a universe where class, personality, and ambition are more important than public issues. He blamed French defeats on Louis XIVā€™s pride and ignorance. He called Versailles ā€™the saddest and most unrewarding place in the worldā€™ and the Kingā€™s Revocation of the Edict of Nantes, heightening persecution of Protestants, ā€˜a general abomination born of flattery and crueltyā€™. At the same time, he praised the Kingā€™s ā€˜incomparable grace and majestyā€™. ā€˜Never was a man so naturally polite.ā€™

By Louis De Rouvroy Saint-Simon, Lucy Norton (translator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Memoirs Duc De Saint-Simon Volume Three as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This is the third volume in Lucy Norton's three-volume abridgement and translation of the the memoirs of the Duc de Saint-Simon, first published in the 1960s. The court of Louis XIV, the Sun King, at Versailles was unequalled for splendour in Europe's history, a hotbed of intrigues and jealousy, passion both political and personal, as well as artistic and literary excellence - this is its memorial. This, like the previous volumes, is peppered throughout with character sketches which bring the period to life. The third volume starts with the funeral of Louis XIV, the ensuing violent quarrels of the Ducā€¦


Book cover of The Hand of the Sun King

Scott Drakeford Author Of Rise of the Mages

From my list on speculative fiction featuring revolutions: fight the power!.

Why am I passionate about this?

Iā€™m Scott Drakeford, engineer, former corporate person, long-time reader of fantasy fiction, and current author of epic fantasy books that heavily feature a fight against an unjust empire. Iā€™m also the co-host of the Publishing Rodeo podcast, which explores the business side of traditional publishing. I approve this message.

Scott's book list on speculative fiction featuring revolutions: fight the power!

Scott Drakeford Why did Scott love this book?

This book is still quite under the radar, but it will get it's due someday, I think.

Wen Alder is a top student in the new and growing empire before being radicalized by his magic-practicing rebel of a grandmother. Itā€™s fresh and familiar all at once. Inspired by Taiwanese history, this book will not disappoint those looking for elegance and creativity in a classic story of revolution and fighting back against an aggressive empire.

By J.T. Greathouse,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked The Hand of the Sun King as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'A captivating epic of conflicted loyalties and dangerous ambition' Anthony Ryan, New York Times bestselling author

'Brilliantly told and immediately engrossing, filled with magic, mistakes, and their merciless consequences' Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter

'An exciting new voice in epic fantasy' SFX

'This is one of the best debuts I've ever read' Novel Notions

My name is Wen Alder. My name is Foolish Cur.

All my life, I have been torn between two legacies: my father's, whose family trace their roots back to the right hand of the Emperor. My mother's, whose family want to bring theā€¦


Book cover of Scottish Soldiers in France in the Reign of the Sun King: Nursery for Men of Honour

Kirsteen MacKenzie Author Of La Garde Ecossaise: The Life of John Hamilton 1620-1689: Part 1

From Kirsteen's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Historian Broadcaster Podcaster

Kirsteen's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Kirsteen MacKenzie Why did Kirsteen love this book?

I spent time with family who were Scottish expats in France, and this is a subject close to my heart. 

I used to visit Versailles regularly, and I quickly learned about the Scottish communities in France during the reign of Louis XIV.

This work focuses on Scottish soldiers who served Louis XIII and Louis XIV. Many years later, while exploring my family history, I discovered that an ancestor, George Gordon, 2nd Marquis of Huntly, raised a unit of Gendarmes for King Louis XIII.

By Matthew Glozier,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Scottish Soldiers in France in the Reign of the Sun King as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

This volume examines the role and significance of Scottish soldiers in France in the age of the Sun King, Louis XIV. The study examines the complex relationship of expatriate Scottish soldiers to their homeland and native sovereign, within the context of a changing environment for military employment. The amity of the so-called 'auld' alliance meant little in an age of rapid development in the relationship between armies and the states they served. Caught in the middle were a number of Scots, attempting to perpetuate traditional modes of employment abroad. They found themselves the target of increasing pressures to commit wholeheartedlyā€¦


Book cover of Kiki's Paris: Artists and Lovers 1900-1930

Jim Fergus Author Of The Memory of Love

From my list on 1920ā€™s Paris les annĆ©es folles - the ā€œcrazy yearsā€.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a young boy, I dreamed of becoming a novelist. I was fascinated and inspired by Les AnnĆ©es Folles, The Crazy Years of 1920ā€™s Paris, when artists of all disciplines, from countries all around the world came together electrifying the City of Lights with an artistic passion. My mother was French. France is my 2nd country, where I spend a portion of each year. While researching my novel, The Memory of Love, I stayed in the actual atelier of my protagonist Chrysis Jungbluth, a young, largely unknown painter of that era. I visited, too, the addresses of dozens of the artists who bring the era alive again in our imagination. 

Jim's book list on 1920ā€™s Paris les annĆ©es folles - the ā€œcrazy yearsā€

Jim Fergus Why did Jim love this book?

Due to the title, and the fact that the authors of this book edited my 3rd book, this may seem to be a redundant choice on my part. But I can assure the reader that it is not. Although a fine photo of Kiki also graces the cover, she plays a minor, more metaphoric role in the grand scheme of this large-format work, and only a handful of pages are devoted to her.

On the inside of the cover, and the first thick page to its right, one is presented with 96 roughly 1ā€x 2ā€ black & white thumbnail photographs, not alphabetically arranged, but as it happens, beginning with a photo image of a portrait of Louis XIV in the top left corner and finishing in the bottom right corner of the following page with a photo of James Joyce. All those photos in between should tip off the readerā€¦

By Billy KlĆ¼ver, Julie Martin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Kiki's Paris as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Recreates life in the tumultuous world of 1900-1930 Montparnasse. This book presents photographs of legendary figures, among them the model Kiki, Modigliani, Picasso, Satie, Matisse, Leger, Gertrude Stein, James Joyce and Miro. Gossip and anecdotes aim to bring this world alive.


Book cover of Bride of New France

E.M. Spencer Author Of Freedom Reins

From my list on Canadian historical fiction with strong females.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a Canadian who enjoys travelling and reading historical fiction from around the world. Having had the privilege of living in a variety of areas in Canada from coast to coast since childhood, I can recall listening to the stories of past generations and exploring the locations where some of these events took place. With a passion for Canadaā€™s beauty and the history of its people, I like to research, explore, and incorporate these passions into my own stories.

E.M.'s book list on Canadian historical fiction with strong females

E.M. Spencer Why did E.M. love this book?

During the colonial period, women from Europe were shipped to Canada to marry military men, explorers, and fur traders. This story is about the Filles du Roi, sent by King Louis XIV of France, to populate the new colony.

In reading this story, I was given a taste of what life must have been like for these women who left a more modern society to marry a complete stranger and live in the rough, cold wilderness of 1660s Canada. They had to be strong if they were to adapt and survive, which many did not.

By Suzanne DesRochers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bride of New France as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Transporting readers from cosmopolitan seventeenth-century Paris to the Canadian frontier, this vibrant debut tells of the struggle to survive in a brutal time and place. Laure Beausejour has been taken from her destitute family and raised in an infamous orphanage to be trained as a lace maker. Striking and willful, she dreams of becoming a seamstress and catching the eye of a nobleman. But after complaining about her living conditions, she is sent to Canada as a fille du roi, expected to marry a French farmer there. Laure is shocked by the primitive state of the colony and the minglingā€¦


Book cover of Poison

Kitty Zeldis Author Of The Dressmakers of Prospect Heights

From my list on historical novels that feature bad-ass women.

Why am I passionate about this?

As a girl growing up in the 1960s, I loved books that were set in the pastā€”Anne of Green Gables, A Little Princess, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn were among my favorites. But those books werenā€™t historical fiction because they were written back then. So discovering that I could set my own books in the past was a thrill. I love evoking the sights, sounds, and smells of the past. And I especially love describing what my characters wear. Vintage clothes are my passion and being able to incorporate that love into my work is an ongoing delight.

Kitty's book list on historical novels that feature bad-ass women

Kitty Zeldis Why did Kitty love this book?

Set in 17th-century Spain, this one follows the lives of two very different women: one the daughter of a poor silk grower in love with a priest, and the other a pampered princess married to a king who just happens to be impotent.

Although the two barely connect, Harrison plays them off against each other; both are exploited and misused not only by the men around them but by the entire system thatā€™s been stacked against them from the start.

Harrisonā€™s writing is vivid, dense, and flat-out gorgeous; she skews dark but believe me, itā€™s worth the ride.

By Kathryn Harrison,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Poison as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Written in gorgeous prose that has the sheen of silk, Kathryn Harrison's POISON vividly reminds us of the persistence of desire and the sorcery of dreams.

Francisca de Luarac, the daughter of a poor Spanish silk grower, is a dreamer of fabulous dreams. Marie Louise de Bourbon, the niece of Louis XIV, dances in slippers of fine Spanish silk in the French Court of the Sun King and imagines her own enchanted future. Born on the same dayā€”in an age when superstition, repression, and the Inquisition reignā€”the lives of these two young women unfold in tandem, barely touching. Each hoardsā€¦


Book cover of Letters from Liselotte: Elizabeth-Charlotte, Princess Palatine and Duchess of Orleans

Philip Mansel Author Of King of the World: The Life of Louis XIV

From my list on French Court.

Why am I passionate about this?

The French court has fascinated me since boyhood visits to Blois and Versailles. The appeal of its unusually dramatic history is heightened by the prominence of women, by the number and brilliance of courtiersā€™ letters and memoirs, and by its stupendous cultural patronage: Even after writing seven books on the French court, from Louis XIV to Louis XVIII, I remain enthralled by Versailles, Fontainebleau, and Paris where, as the new science of court studies expands, there is always more to see and learn. The power and popularity of the French presidency today confirm the importance of the French monarchy, to which it owes so much, including its physical setting, the ElysĆ©e Palace.

Philip's book list on French Court

Philip Mansel Why did Philip love this book?

Born a German princess, married to Louis XIVā€™s gay younger brother, ā€˜Liselotteā€™, as the Duchesse dā€™Orleans was often known, was an outsider who also, by her rank, was an insider. She put her venom and her frustrations into her letter-writing, denouncing the French courtā€™s morals, policies, and personnel to her German relations. Versailles made her prefer dogs to people: she called Madame de Maintenon, the kingā€™s second wife, ā€˜the old whoreā€™. Her letters make us feel we are living at Versailles, when it was at the heart of European politics and culture.

By Maria Kroll,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Letters from Liselotte as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Married in 1672, at 19, to Louis XIV's bisexual brother, the Duke of Orleans, Liselotte began her voluminous and fascinating correspondence from the Court of Versailles which she continued until her death 50 years later, making her the greatest chronicler of her day. Feared for her sharp tongue and her bluntness, Liselotte refused to be drawn into the viscious life at the Sun King's Court, of which she was outspokenly critical and her letters, collected here in this volume, describe the bawdy, spontaneous and idiosyncratic personages and life of Louis XIV's corrupt court.


Book cover of Hope: Adventures of a Diamond

Matthew Hart Author Of The Russian Pink

From my list on stealing diamonds.

Why am I passionate about this?

I live in New York City, where I write thrillers about diamonds. My interest began when news broke of a diamond discovery in the Canadian Arctic. A reporter looking for a story, I climbed on a plane the next day. The discovery made Canada the worldā€™s third largest diamond minerā€”one of the stories told in my non-fiction book, Diamond: the History of a Cold-Blooded Love Affair. I went on to write about diamonds for many publications, including Vanity Fair and the London Times, until finally, seduced by the glitter of the possibilities, I turned to fiction. The Russian Pink appeared in November 2020. The next in the series, Ice Angel, comes out in September.

Matthew's book list on stealing diamonds

Matthew Hart Why did Matthew love this book?

Marian Fowlerā€™s lavish non-fiction account tracks the storied diamond from its origins in India, where it was bought by the great French jewel merchant Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, who sold it to Louis XIV. Weighing 110 carats in the rough, the blue was eventually cut into a heart-shaped jewel of 67.13 carats, known to history as the French Blue. In the turbulent early days of the French Revolution, all the crown jewels were moved from the Palace of Versailles to the Garde-Meuble, a treasure house in central Paris. On the night of September 11, 1792, thieves broke in and stole the jewels. Many were recovered, but the French Blue vanished forever. Too famous to be sold as it was, the London jeweler who eventually bought it, cut it down to 44.5 caratsā€”the jewel sold to Henry Philip Hope in 1830. The Hope diamond passed through many hands, leaving behind a trail ofā€¦

By Marian Fowler,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hope as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Allegedly a curse to those that own it, the Hope Diamond - a flawless blue diamond of over forty-five carats - has inspired centuries of legends and lies, fabulous superstition and fierce passion. In rich, shimmering prose, Marian Fowler explains how the Hope Diamond was formed in nature - and how it was taken from the mines and temples of India to the royal courts of seventeenth-century Europe. Acquired and cherished by Louis XIV, the stone was stolen in an almost farcical French Revolution robbery. It resurfaced twenty years later in London and passed through numerous hands, including those ofā€¦


Book cover of The Armies and Wars of the Sun King 1643-1715, Volume 1: The Guard of Louis XIV

Kirsteen MacKenzie Author Of La Garde Ecossaise: The Life of John Hamilton 1620-1689: Part 1

From Kirsteen's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Historian Broadcaster Podcaster

Kirsteen's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Kirsteen MacKenzie Why did Kirsteen love this book?

This is an extremely detailed and comprehensive account of the French bodyguard to the King of France under Louis XIV.

Chartrand is a leading expert in his field but conveys the subject in a lively and accessible way. Although geared towards military enthusiasts, it is an enjoyable read for audiences of all interests.

Highly recommended if you want to know what the Kingā€™s Musketeers (as made famous by Alexandre Dumas) were really like!

By RenƩ Chartrand,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Armies and Wars of the Sun King 1643-1715, Volume 1 as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The reign of Louis XIV of France had a great impact on the course of European and world military history. The years 1643 to 1715 were a defining epoch for western military, diplomatic and economic matters. Most of those years were marked by conflict between major European powers and the Sun Kingā€™s forces. This four volume series is the first that present an extensive account of the many facets of the French army and the wars it fought.

It was an era during which the Sun Kingā€™s and eventually all armies saw extraordinarily significant changes such as: the advent ofā€¦


Book cover of Before Versailles: Before the History You Know...a Novel of Louis XIV

Peggy Joque Williams Author Of Courting the Sun: A Novel of Versailles

From my list on court life in pre-revolutionary France.

Why am I passionate about this?

My fascination with pre-revolutionary France began when my love of genealogy and my family research took me to the France of my ancestors. Most of my French ancestors migrated to Canada in the 1600s and 1700s. Twenty of my 7th and 8th-great-grandmothers were recruited to emigrate as part of the Filles du Roi (Daughters of the King) program, and I have often wondered what life was like for them before they left France and what it was like for their ancestors. I have discovered that I am descended from several of the earlier kings of France and England, and that feeds into my passion for reading about the French.

Peggy's book list on court life in pre-revolutionary France

Peggy Joque Williams Why did Peggy love this book?

I loved this book because it focuses so closely on young King Louis XIV before he built Versailles (mid-17th century). I also loved that it takes place at the sumptuous palace of Fontainebleau. Louis is devoted to his wife, Queen Maria Theresa, but he canā€™t help himself when it comes to his mistresses. Even his brother Philippeā€™s young wife, Henriette, is a temptation.

While the story is told from multiple points of view, we are most often inside Louisā€™ head as he struggles to govern his kingdom, meet his sexual needs, and solve the mystery of who is leaving the lurid pamphlets in places the King is most likely to find them. For me, it was romance, temptation, and mystery all in oneā€”the perfect combination.  

By Karleen Koen,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Before Versailles as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A grand yet intimate look at the Sun King, a tale rich with detail and action."ā€•Library Journal (Starred Review, one of the best historical novels of the year)

Before Versailles transports you to a world of secret passions and plots, a world of duplicity and malice...a world that created one of the bestā€“known monarchs to grace the French throne.

At the most decisive time in the young king's life, Louis XIV can taste the danger. His court teems with greed and corruption, the wrong woman draws him into a wrenching love affair, and a mysterious boy in an iron maskā€¦


Book cover of Memoirs Duc De Saint-Simon Volume Three: 1715-1723
Book cover of The Hand of the Sun King
Book cover of Scottish Soldiers in France in the Reign of the Sun King: Nursery for Men of Honour

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