Louis XII

Louis XII by Baumgartner, Frederic J.. Paperback edition. ISBN: 9780312161736.

The reign of Louis XII (1498-1515) has been much neglected by historians. Falling between the conventional end of the French middle ages and Francis Is notional ushering in of Renaissance France, Louis rule belongs neither to medievalists nor to historians of the the early modern period. While not in the front rank of French monarchs, Louis XII, The Father of the People, remains an interesting and appealing figure, and the events of his reign (the Valois-Habsburg wars in Italy, Louis bitter disputes with Pope Julius II, the complications of his marriages) had a profound effect on the future of the French state. Frances church, legal system, and cultural life (many of the artistic achievements associated with the reign of Francis I in fact occurred under Louis) were all strongly influenced by the king, and this readable and lucid account of his rule offers a wealth of interesting information.