Louis XVI

'Nobody who writes in future about Louis XVI will be able to ignore Hardman.' English Historical Review 'Hardman's command of the political history of the age and the intimate and intricate doings of the court is impressive.' Journal of Modern History 'The historian of the Revolution, however, will find unique insights into a king who argued that he sincerely loved the people, who bemoaned the lack of morality on the international scene, who preferred peace to war, and who read Thomas a Kempis in prison. This book presents a nuanced view of an honorable man who believed that "one can never govern a country against its inclinations."...No one can rival his understanding of the various facets of the king's personality or of the sources.' History 'Thought provoking, if not always entirely clear in argument, this work is recommended for undergraduate and general readership.' Choice

• Part 1 The many faces of Louis XVI: inheritance; the education of a king; 1774 - a new king - and a new monarchy?; Louis XVI and Turgot; Necker, 1776-1781 - charlatan or saviour?; foreign policy, 1774-1789; 1781-1787 - personal rule?; watershed, 1787-1788. Part 2 Louis XVI and the French Revolution; 1789; Varennes; the fall of the monarchy, September 1791 - august 1792; trial and death; three general perspectives and a conclusion.