A masterful new survey of sixteenth-century France which examines the vicissitudes of the French monarchy during the Italian Wars and the Wars of Religion. It explores how the advances made under a succession of strong kings from Charles VIII to Henri II created tensions in traditional society which combined with economic problems and emerging religious divisions to bring the kingdom close to disintegration under a series of weak kings from Francois II to Henri III. The political crisis culminated in France's first succession conflict for centuries, but was resolved through Henri IV's timely reconnection of dynastic legitimism with religious orthodoxy.

PART 1
Introduction
The People and the Country Urban Life
PART 2 Passions in France Charles VIII and Louis XII
Foreign Policy under Francois I and Henri II
Domestic Politics under Francois I and Henri II
The Monarchy and its Image
PART 3
Introduction to Part 3
The People in Power
The Church and the Protestant Faction
The Church and the Catholic Faction
The Politiques Conde's Wars (1559-1570)
The Massacre of Saint Bartholomew and the Baronial Wars (1570-1584)
The 'War of the Three Henries' and the Struggle for Peace under Henri IV (1584-1598)
Conclusion
Glossary
Bibliography
Index.