Love and Louis XIV : the women in the life of the Sun King / Antonia Fraser

London : Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006. First Edition. Hardback. Fine cloth copy in a near-fine, very slightly edge-dulled dust wrapper, now mylar-sleeved. Remains particularly well-preserved overall; tight, bright, clean and strong.; 8vo 8"" - 9"" tall; 388 pages; xxviii, 388 p., [32] p. of plates : geneal. table, ill. (chiefly col. ) ; 24 cm. The book centres around the Sun King and his relationship with numerous and fascinating women. Naturally dividing into five parts it will concentrate on the King's mother, Anne of Austria, to whom he was devoted; his first important mistress, Louise de la Valliere, who bore him several illegitimate children; Athenais Marquise de Montespan, who acted as unofficial Queen of Versailles until her involvement in the affair of poisons, and of course Marie Therese, his wife; and Madame de Maintenon, governess to the illegitimate royal children. The fifth part concentrates on his relations in old age with his daughters, granddaughters and the wife of his grandson. It will vividly bring to life the vast edifice of Louis XIV's court - the magnificence, artistic splendour, elaborate ritual and in some cases, absurdity and misery. Review: 'bringing vividly to life the fairytale dazzle of the most splendid court in Western history... lively and wholly absorbing.' -- Matthew Dennison THE TIMES '.