by Tony Spawforth
This is mostly a social history of Versailles in the reigns of Louis XIV through Louis XVI, and as such it’s pretty interesting (though the first couple of chapters, which focus more on the architectural history of the palace, were less so to me). It answers questions such as: how did people (mostly...
This was another book that I was pleasantly surprised by. It's full of all sorts of trivia, all built around the history of the palace of Versailles, including the town and the people within. This one is a must read for anyone interest in Ancient Regime France.For the longer review, please go here:h...
Spawforth's Versailles is more a biography of court life than a biography of the palace itself. The chapters do more to illustrate what life was like at Versailles than to show a biography of the palace itself. Therefore, the sub-title A Biography of a Palace is misleading. Spawforth, however, do...
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