King of World: The Life of Louis XIV - Philip Mansel

Louis XIV was not only King of France, but also a global ruler interested in global trade and global conquests. The ‘Sun King’ wanted to rule wherever the sun shone. He expanded French territory in Europe, made his grandson King of Spain and Spanish America, tried to reinstate his Stuart cousins on the throne of England and to make another cousin King of Poland, and planned to conquer the Rhineland, parts of Africa, the Aegean and Thailand. He also took possession of the Mississippi valley in 1683 and expanded French territory in what is now Canada. Louisiana is named after him, New Orleans after his nephew.

Dr Philip Mansel has published fourteen books of history and biography, mainly relating to France or the Ottoman Empire. He has contributed to numerous newspapers, journals and TV programmes, and is a co-founder of the Society for Court Studies and of the Levantine Heritage Foundation, dedicated to the history and cultures of the eastern Mediterranean. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, the Royal Society of Literature, the Institute of Historical Research and the Royal Asiatic Society and is the president of the Conseil Scientifique of the Centre de Recherche du Chateau de Versailles. Seven of his books have been translated into French, including the most recent, King of World: The Life of Louis XIV, published by UChicago in September 2020.