Book Categories
|
The French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629 (New Approaches to European History) |
Buy The French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629 (New Approaches to European 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 290
 |
The French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629 (New Approaches to European History)
|
by Mack P. Holt
Sales Rank: 2196336
|
List Price: $79.00
$49.00
At Amazon
on 6-16-2008.
|
|
|
|
Features
Cover Type: Hard Cover with 258 pages
Published by: Cambridge University PressEdition: 2nd Edition November 7, 2005
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 052183872X
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0521838726
Book Dimensions:
9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
Weighs: 1.2 pounds
Product Review
'This book is the first comprehensive study of the wars to appear for over twenty years it succeeds admirably in steering the reader through the confusing morass that is the history of the French Wars of Religion and provides the reader with a concise summary of current academic thinking on the matter it would provide those members wishing to learn more about the ones with an great starting point.' Arquebusier 24:3
'Using brief biographies of the main actors of that time, figures, maps and an index, this book deals with a great amount of facts, questions, and ideas in a limited number of pages. Well written and carefully presented, it is a good and useful synthesis which gives an great overview of a deeply controversial period.' Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire Moderne et Contemporaine 3-4
'A skillful weaver of narrative and analysis Holt . offer[s] [a] masterful probing of complex and fascinating issues.' Renaissance and Reformation
'Holt develops both a comprehensive narrative of the wars and an important synthesis of the scholarly literature The book is balanced and extremely enjoyable to read.' Sixteenth Century Journal
Product Description
This book is a new edition of Mack P. Holt's classic study of the French religious wars of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Drawing on the scholarship of social and cultural historians of the Reformation, it shows how religion infused both politics and the socio-economic tensions of the period to produce a long extended civil war. Professor Holt integrates court politics and the political theory of the elites with the religious experiences of the popular classes, offering a fresh perspective on the wars and on why the French were willing to kill their neighbors in the name of religion.
Reader Reviews
This review is from: The French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629 (New Approaches to European History) (Paperback)
This book is a wonderful read. Offered as a survey book for undergraduates on the French Wars of Religion, the author succeeds in laying out the main points of an incredibly complex series of events. He downplays the theological issues and sees the "religious issues" as social history, i.e., as a struggle ultimately over the principle of "one king, one faith, one law" that had dominated the French consciousness as its unifying principle. According to Prof. Holt, the Huguenots challenged that principle, and the religious disputes played out in the context of that challenge. By writing the religious differences as social history, the result is automatically pro-Catholic though cast in seemingly more objective historical/scholarly language. Prof. Holt accepts that principle "one king, one faith, one law" as the norm, and thus depicts Huguenot leadership as well as Catholic leadership as having to deal with it. Should it be maintained by severe repression of the Huguenots? Would it be possible to have a Huguenot on the throne and still have that principle (seemingly it would not since the crown was sworn to stamp out heresy)? Could any kind of short or long term acceptance of the Huguenots be acceptable in light of the need to maintain fundamental unity? These are just some of the many questions Prof. Holt addresses. However, this is a book without heroes. Everyone has a mixed bag of good and bad qualities trying to work out compromises in the context of the overarching principle of state and other political and economic realities. Religion is a defining reality only up to a point. Basically other realities are defining for the actors on the historical stage. Henry IV is not judged to be a manipulator or a hypocrite for abjuring his religion but as a kind of pragmatist making decisions that were generally wise, albeit expressing a lenience towards the Huguenots in two brevets that were part of the Edict of Nantes. Catholic leadership would certainly find these brevets irksome and could not by any stretch of the imagination be thought likely to allow them to continue beyond Henry IV's death. Thus, it was almost inevitable that the support of Huguenot pastors by funds from the central treasury and the permission to allow the Huguenots to have fortified towns and their own militia (allowed for in the two brevets) were overturned by Louis XIII. Thus, the movement of events is looked at as carried out by pragmatic actors working out their destiny and the destiny of France within a narrow context. My main complaints are that Prof. Holt does not pay sufficient respect to the victims of the persecution. To me the Huguenots were martyrs to true religion. To me, the principle of "one faith, one king, one law" was a self-serving truth perpuating an invalid monarchy, an invalid religion, and a law that had no real depth and certainly lacked the important "rights" that came to be embodied in English law and in post-revolutionary French law. Protestant faith came as an antidote to the poisonous mistakes of Catholic religiosity and to the excesses of the feudal or semi-feudal lifestyle. Again, I ask: where are the heroes: at best the leaders he likes show some good sense. But does he properly appreciate Admiral Coligny or the marvelous boldness of the evangelists from Geneva. I haven't read a book about the role of the Huguenot pastors, but I certainly would like to. Aren't those warriors of faith crucial players in the development of events? What about Calvin's role? That is not discussed. Also, while Prof. Holt seems to commiserate to some degree with the peasants who were harmed by the civil wars, it seems he is hardly touched by the sufferings of the Huguenot martyrs who were tortured, raped, robbed, and murdered by the Catholic League, the Guise family, various kings, and Catholic mobs who saw them not only as heretics but to the very fabric of French society. Is this what those who challenge the status quo deserve? Or even, is this what they have a right to expect? Thus, while the book is a brilliant survey it ultimately lacks compassion and, in my opinion, sides with the wrong side.
Comments (2) | |
(Report this)
Back To Top
|
The French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629 (New Approaches to European History)
Available from Amazon
Price: $49.00
Updated on 6-16-2008.
|
NOTICE: All prices, availability, and specifications
are subject to verification by their respective retailers.
| We offer The French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629 (New Approaches to European 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
