Eminence

Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France

By: Jean-Vincent Blanchard

Narrated by: Mary Kane

Chief minister to King Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu was the architect of a new France in the 17th century, and the force behind the nation's rise as a European power. Among the first statesmen to clearly understand the necessity of a balance of powers, he was one of the early realist politicians, practicing in the wake of Niccol Machiavelli. Truly larger than life, he has captured the imagination of generations, both through his own story and through his portrayal as a ruthless political mastermind in Alexandre Dumas's classic The Three Musketeers.

Forging a nation-state amid the swirl of unruly, grasping nobles, widespread corruption, wars of religion, and an ambitious Habsburg empire, Richelieu's hands were always full. Serving his fickle monarch, he mastered the politics of absolute power. Jean-Vincent Blanchard's rich and insightful new biography brings Richelieu fully to life in all his complexity. At times cruel and ruthless, Richelieu was always devoted to creating a lasting central authority vested in the power of monarchy, a power essential to France's position on the European stage for the next two centuries. Richelieu's careful understanding of politics as spectacle speaks to contemporary readers; much of what he accomplished was promoted strategically through his great passion for theater and literature, and through the romance of power. Eminence offers a rich portrait of a fascinating man and his era, and gives us a keener understanding of the dark arts of politics.

©2011 Jean-Vincent Blanchard (P)2013 Audible, Inc.

An uninspired telling of an an important man’s life

This book is filled with tales of court intrigue and gossipy quotes, but little context about why Richelieu was historically important. The performance of the reader was at best average. The reader has a pleasant voice but no expression of the drama of the story. Bottom line: a disappointment

French history

the real story behind Cardinal Richelieu from the book Three Musketeers, and the 30 Years War.

sounds like ai

I have trouble believing a real person actually read the material. it's so mechanical that i'll certainly never purchase an audiobook with the same narrator.

Nothing stood out. That was the problem. Author should have spent more time setting 5he scene and drawing together threads.

T he narrator sounded snippy and snide. She spoke so quickly I had to slow the narrative down.

Great story but boring book

Sadly the book was boring but the character was fantastic. I would love to listen a good Richelieu audiobook.