French Society

A "birds eye" view of social change in France during the "long seventeenth century" from 1589-1715, this is an engaging account of one of the most dynamic phases of French history, which provides an original perspective on social change. Covering the reigns of the first three Bourbon kings, Henri IV, Louis XIII, and Louis XIV, Sharon Kettering explores the upheavals in French society during this period through an examination of changing social solidarities and explains why, by 1715, France had become a more peaceful and civilized place.