This book analyzes the evolving relationship between the French monarchy and the French nobility in the early modern period. New interpretations of the absolutist state in France have challenged the orthodox vision of the interaction between the crown and elite society. Using the three examples of Provence, Brittany, and Dauphiné, Bohanan illustrates the ways in which elites organized and mobilized by vertical ties were co-opted or subverted by the crown.

Donna Bohanan is Associate Professor of History, Auburn University.

'...an especially useful book for students...fine overviews of both the period's events and recent interpretations of them.' - H-France Book Reviews