mirrors
capetian france 987 1328
p in 987 when hugh capet took the throne of france founding a dynasty which was to rule for over 300 years his kingdom was weak and insignificant . but by 1100 the kingdom of france was beginning to dominate the cultural nd religious life of western europe . in the centuries that followed to scholars and to poets to reforming churchmen and monks to crusaders and the designers of churches france was the hub of the universe . la douce france drew people like a magnet even though its kings were until about 1200 comparatively insignificant figures . then thanks to the conquests and reforms of king philip augustus france became a dominant force in political and economic terms as well producing a saint king louis ix and in philip iv a ruler so powerful that he could dictate to popes and emperors . spanning frances development across four centuries capetian france is a definitive book . this second edition has been carefully revised to take account of the very latest work without losing the original books popular balance between a compelling narrative and an fascinating examination of the periods main themes .