Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, And Sacrilege in Louis XIV's France (Magic in History) |
Buy Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, And Sacrilege in Louis XIV's France (Magic in History) here, one of 749 France History books offered for sale at discount prices here in the history books section at R bookshop. There are currently 71945 history books in our history books section, and over 1,000,000 books listed in our book store. We greatly appreciate your patronage at R bookshop and look forward to offering you a large selection of great books at discount prices now and in the future. Thank you for shopping at R Bookshop!
|
You Are Here: Home > History Books > France History > Item 330
 |
Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, And Sacrilege in Louis XIV's France (Magic in History)
|
by Lynn Wood Mollenauer
Sales Rank: 2848258
|
List Price: $70.00
$70.00
At Amazon
on 6-16-2008.
|
|
|
|
Features
Cover Type: Hard Cover with 213 pages
Published by: Pennsylvania State University Press January 30, 2007
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0271029153
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0271029153
Book Dimensions:
9.5 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
Weighs: 12.8 ounces
Book Description
The Affair of the Poisons was the greatest court scandal of the seventeenth century. From 1679 to 1682 the French crown investigated more than 400 people--including Louis XIV's official mistress and members of the highest-ranking circles at court--for sensational crimes. In Strange Revelations, Lynn Mollenauer brings this bizarre story to life, exposing a criminal magical underworld thriving in the heart of the Sun King's capital.
The macabre details of the Affair of the Poisons read like a gothic novel. In the fall of 1678, Nicolas de la Reynie, head of the Paris police, uncovered a plot to poison Louis XIV. La Reynie's subsequent investigation unveiled a loosely knit community of sorceresses, magicians, and renegade priests who offered for sale an array of services and products ranging from abortions to love magic to poisons known as "inheritance powders." It was the inheritance powders (usually made from powdered toads steeped in arsenic) that lent the Affair of the Poisons its name. The purchasers of the powders gave the affair its notoriety, for the scandal extended into the most exalted ranks of the French court.
Mollenauer adroitly uses the Affair of the Poisons to uncover the hidden forms of power that men and women of all social classes invoked to achieve their goals. While the exercise of state power during the ancien régime was quintessentially visible--ritually displayed through public ceremonies--the affair exposes the simultaneous presence of other imagined and real sources of power available to the Sun King's subjects: magic, poison, and the manipulation of sexual passions.
Highly entertaining yet deeply researched, Strange Revelations will appeal to anyone interested in the history of court society, gender, magic, or crime in early modern Europe.
About The Author
Lynn Wood Mollenauer is Assistant Professor of History at the University of North Carolina at Wilmington.
Reader Reviews
This review is from: Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, And Sacrilege in Louis XIV's France (Magic in History) (Paperback)
As a graduate student in early modern Europe I thought this book was well done. The book focuses on the poison issue in Louis XIV's France. There is a clear shift in the methods of investigation--meaning each case was carefully examined. The Affair of the Poison was a major event only because members of Louis's court were accused or targeted. 1. The author does not ramble and use every possible quote from accusations, etc. Enough are used to support the flow of her argument, and the pages are not flooded with testimonies. It contrasts "In the Devil's Snare" where the author flooded the pages with testimony after testimony creating a tedious read. 2. Well written and well organized. 3. If your interested in witchcraft/poisons/potions/etc of early modern Europe this is a good book. Furthermore, you do not need to be an expert on the subject matter to understand the argument. If you are a history student focusing on early modern Europe, get this book. I would also suggest "The Bewitching of Anne Gunther"
Comment | |
(Report this)
Back To Top
|
Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, And Sacrilege in Louis XIV's France (Magic in History)
Available from Amazon
Price: $70.00
Updated on 6-16-2008.
|
NOTICE: All prices, availability, and specifications
are subject to verification by their respective retailers.
| We offer Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, And Sacrilege in Louis XIV's France (Magic in History) and other related France History Books here at Rbookshop.com. To view more books about France History please use the previous and next buttons near the top of this page.
|
|
Search for books at
