Noble affinities were the essence of power in sixteenth-century France. This is the first book to analyze the development of a noble following during the whole course of the Wars of Religion. The Guise were one of the greatest families of Christendom and this is the first substantial work on them for a century. In Normandy, a stronghold of Protestantism, they built a formidable ultra-Catholic party that ultimately challenged the monarchy. This book breaks new ground by discussing all groups in political society, from international dynastic politics to peasant revolt.
Contents
Acknowledgments; Introduction: the rise of the house of Lorraine in Normandy; 2. Servants and clients; 3. Faction, religious schism and dynastic strategy, 1558–62; 4. Civil war and blood feud, 1562–1574; 5. Malcontents and defenders of the faith: the building of a power base; 6. The triumph of the Guise affinity in Normandy; 7. The Catholic League in Normandy: hegemony and decline; Conclusion; Appendices; Bibliography.
Reviews
"The author provides valuable insights into Guisard activities on the national level, such as the St. Bartholomew's Massacre and efforts on behalf of their kinswoman, Mary Stuart. Based on extensive archival research, this book should lead to a reconsideration of the Guise role in the religious wars." Choice
"[Carroll's] book rests on a remarkable body of archival research and on an unmatched reconstruction of specific political happenings; and it gives unusually close attention to the lesser lights among the Guise, alongside the acknowledged stars. This very impressive research permits a more balanced appreciation of the Guise than we usually get, as well as numerous corrections of other historians' errors of detail." Catholic Historical Review
"The author is to be praised...for expanding our knowledge of early modern French clientage." Sharon Kettering, Journal of Interdisciplinary History
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