Download or read book Social Relations, Politics, and Power in Early Modern France written by Barbara B. Diefendorf and published by Penn State Press. This book was released on 2016-09-01 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The study of history is a fundamentally sociable practice, with the exchange of ideas taking place in writing, over the seminar table, and often in informal discussions over food. These essays grew out of a web of sociability centered around French historian Robert Descimon, and focus on the nexus of social relations, politics, and power in France as it moved from the age of religious wars into the age of absolutism. Using a wide variety of historical approaches and methods, these essays offer new insights into the evolving role of early modern elites and the social, familial, and cultural influences that shaped their values and priorities.