The French Wars of Religion, 1562–1629

Cambridge University Press

2005

xiii, 243 p.

New approaches to European history ; 36

Includes bibliographical references (p. 232-237) and index

Prologue: Gallicanism and reform in the sixteenth century -- 'The beginning of a tragedy': the early wars of religion, 1562-1570 -- Popular disorder and religious tensions: the making of a massacre, 1570-1574 -- The rhetoric of resistance: the unmaking of the body politic, 1574-1584 -- 'Godly warriors': the crisis of the League, 1584-1593 -- Henry IV and the Edict of Nantes: the remaking of Gallicanism, 1593-1610 -- Epilogue: the last war of religion, 1610-1629 -- Conclusions: economic impact, social change, and absolutism

This is a new edition of Mack P. Holt's classic study of the French religious wars of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Drawing on the scholarship of social and cultural historians of the Reformation, it shows how religion infused both politics and the socio-economic tensions of the period to produce a long extended civil war. Professor Holt integrates court politics and the political theory of the elites with the religious experiences of the popular classes, offering a fresh perspective on the wars and on why the French were willing to kill their neighbours in the name of religion. The book has been created specifically for undergraduates and general readers with no background knowledge of either French history or the Reformation. This new edition updates the text in the light of new work published in the last decade and the 'Suggestions for further reading' has been completely rewritten

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