Structure of This Book

The chapters that follow proceed chronologically through the major periods of French royal history:

Part I: The Early Medieval Foundations examines the Merovingian and Carolingian dynasties, tracing the emergence of Frankish kingship and its transformation under Charlemagne and his successors.

Part II: The Capetian Establishment follows the new dynasty from its precarious beginnings in 987 through its consolidation of power in the high Middle Ages, including the reigns of Philip Augustus and Saint Louis.

Part III: Crisis and Renewal covers the challenges of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, including the Hundred Years' War and the transition from the Capetians to the Valois dynasty.

Part IV: Renaissance and Reformation examines how French monarchs navigated the cultural flowering of the Renaissance and the religious divisions of the Reformation era.

Part V: The Early Modern Monarchy traces the development of absolutism under the early Bourbons, culminating in the reign of Louis XIV.

Part VI: Decline and Fall analyzes the eighteenth-century monarchy's attempts at reform and its ultimate collapse in revolution.

Each chapter balances narrative history with analysis of broader themes. Biographical sketches of major figures are integrated with discussions of institutional development, social change, and cultural achievement. Maps, genealogical tables, and illustrations help readers navigate this complex history.