Intellect

The Civil War of the Fronde, which provided the young Louis XIV with five years of object lessons in the fact of kingly life, was recognized right from the start as having the making of an entertaining piece of theatre: colourful intrigues, spectacular episodes, unstoppable heroes, fearless heroines, and one or two villains worth hissing.
This book after the fashion of a play programme, introduces the leading members of the cast, gives a synopsis of the plot and shows how and why a performance that initially drew applause ultimately turned out to be a flop.

The present writer was embolded to embark upon what must figure as the ultra-impossible task: that of narrating the Fronde in a coherent fashion for the benefit of English-speaking francophiles whose reading-time, prior Knowledge of the period, and command of French are not unlimited.

• Principal Personnages and Décor
• Act I
• Act II
• Act III
• Act IV
• Act V
• Review of Performance
• The Fronde as Contemporaries Viewed and Lived It