Brother to the Sun King: Philippe, Duke of Orleans

by Nancy Nichols Barker

Book Overview

In battle he fought with legendary valor . . .At court, dressed in silks and ribbons, he openly favored his male lovers . . .Despised but feared by his brother, he was the perpetual loser in a... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 080183791X
• ISBN13: 9780801837913
• Release Date: March 1989
• Publisher: Johns Hopkins University Press
• Length: 368 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Very interesting

Though I disagree with some of the author's opinions, it's always good to read and learn more about easily misjudged historic characters.

Excellent study of Philippe, Duke of Orleans

As only brother to the Sun King, Louis XIV of France, Philippe, Duke of Orleans lived forever in the shadow of his older brother. Because of the numerous uprisings in France by a younger brother of the King, Philippe was taught from birth that he could never outshine his brother or be given any prominent place in his government. Because of this, Philippe led a fairly "wasted" life, perhaps best known for his flagrant homosexuality. Yet author Nancy Nichols Barker points out that when allowed to shine, the Duke was a competent soldier, lover of fine arts, good father and the founder of the Orleans dynasty which eventually ruled France. While the progeny of Louis XIV died out with the revolution, the descendants of Philippe populated the great Catholic thrones of Europe. The author does a good job with source material and especially the "psychological" background of her characters, such as Philippe and his two wives, Henriette of England and Elizabeth Charlotte of Palatine. The first marriage was a disaster but the second marriage flourished for a long time. Elizabeth Charlotte or Liselotte is given a major part of the biography and her background is presented in a very interesting manner. I would recommend this book highly to anyone interested in French history.

That is the best book I ever read!

The story of Philippe, brother of Louis XIV (also known as Sun King) is very exciting and iteresting. The book provides knowledge not only about Philippe, but also about his surroundings and with link to all possible things that were happening in France of that time. The description of his life is not like in most history books - you can even feel the atmosphere as you were there! You can also learn about Louis XIV from it and about their family realtions. The book covers both official and privat aspects of Philippe's life. Great book and very good work of the author!