'A valuable synthesis of recent work on seventeenth-century France.' - - David Hardman,Times Literary Supplement'...very readable and impressive book.' - Donald Lowndes Sanderson, Socialist History Reviews UL'Challenging, meaningful and immensely interesting ... Parker has given us a better understanding of French society.' - William Beik, Koninklijke Brill NV, 2001

• INTRODUCTION 1 APPROACHES TO FRENCH ABSOLUTISM 2 THE FRENCH ECONOMY: A CASE OF ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT 3 THE ROOTS OF CONFLICT 4 ORDERS AND CLASSES 5 THE NOBILITY: A HEGEMONIC TOUR DE FORCE 6 POWER, IDEOLOGY AND THE FRENCH STATE 7 FRANCE, ENGLAND AND THE CAPITALIST ROAD 8 EMPIRICAL RÉSUMÉ AND THEORETICAL AFTERTHOUGHTS

'A valuable synthesis of recent work on seventeenth-century France.' - - David Hardman,Times Literary Supplement'...very readable and impressive book.' - Donald Lowndes Sanderson, Socialist History Reviews UL'Challenging, meaningful and immensely interesting ... Parker has given us a better understanding of French society.' - William Beik, Koninklijke Brill NV, 2001

• INTRODUCTION 1 APPROACHES TO FRENCH ABSOLUTISM 2 THE FRENCH ECONOMY: A CASE OF ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT 3 THE ROOTS OF CONFLICT 4 ORDERS AND CLASSES 5 THE NOBILITY: A HEGEMONIC TOUR DE FORCE 6 POWER, IDEOLOGY AND THE FRENCH STATE 7 FRANCE, ENGLAND AND THE CAPITALIST ROAD 8 EMPIRICAL RÉSUMÉ AND THEORETICAL AFTERTHOUGHTS

'A valuable synthesis of recent work on seventeenth-century France.' - - David Hardman,Times Literary Supplement'...very readable and impressive book.' - Donald Lowndes Sanderson, Socialist History Reviews UL'Challenging, meaningful and immensely interesting ... Parker has given us a better understanding of French society.' - William Beik, Koninklijke Brill NV, 2001

• INTRODUCTION 1 APPROACHES TO FRENCH ABSOLUTISM 2 THE FRENCH ECONOMY: A CASE OF ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT 3 THE ROOTS OF CONFLICT 4 ORDERS AND CLASSES 5 THE NOBILITY: A HEGEMONIC TOUR DE FORCE 6 POWER, IDEOLOGY AND THE FRENCH STATE 7 FRANCE, ENGLAND AND THE CAPITALIST ROAD 8 EMPIRICAL RÉSUMÉ AND THEORETICAL AFTERTHOUGHTS