Éminence: Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France

Chief Minister to King Louis XIII Cardinal Richelieu was the architect of a new France in the seventeenth century and the force behind the nations rise as a European power. One of the first statesmen to clearly understand the necessity of a balance of powers he has captured the imagination of generations both through the story of his life and through Alexandre Dumass portrayal of him as a ruthless political mastermind in the classic The Three Musketeers. Jean-Vincent Blanchards rich and insightful new biography brings Richelieu fully to life in all his complexity. His careful understanding of politics as spectacle speaks to contemporary readers; much of what he accomplished was promoted strategically through his great passion for theater and literature. minence offers a rich portrait of a fascinating man and his era and gives us a keener understanding of the dark art of politics. "Blanchards captivating biography vividly captures the rise to power of a seminal figure who was instrumental in creating France as we know it."-Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Lovers of intrigue and derring-do will enjoy Jean-Vincent Blanchards Eminence ... His lively style will appeal to general readers while history buffs will appreciate his careful footnotes and plethora of primary sources."-The Baltimore Sun