'Expansion and Crisis in Louis XIV's France' examines these central yet understudied aspects of the age of the Sun King through the experience of Franche-Comté, a possession of the Spanish empire with a long history of autonomy, conquered by Louis XIV in 1674. Dee's detailed research reconstructs the ensuing dialogue - sometimes harmonious, sometimes discordant - between the king and the elites who ruled this province. The integration of Franche-Comté into France proved to be a protracted process involving confrontation, negotiation, and compromise. The resulting regime was then severely tested by the challenges of Louis XIV's late reign; its survival demonstrated how the king had brought a distinctly early modern state to the height of its development. This study offers significant new insights on the growth of the territorial state in early modern Europe, the nature of the French absolute monarchy, and the political legacy of the Sun King. Darryl Dee is assistant professor of history, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada.

Lucidly written, cogently argued, and masterfully researched in appropriate archives, Dee's study is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the debate over the nature of absolute monarchy.'

Source: H-France Review