The Last Summer at Versailles

In what is poised to be his breakout book, acclaimed historian Gareth Russell takes readers into the opulent, intricate world of Versailles with this meticulously researched and engaging history that follows six individuals during the tumultuous months leading directly to the French Revolution.

On May 4, 1789, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie-Antoinette were greeted with cheers from an admiring public as they walked through the town of Versailles to open the first meeting of the Estates General in more than a century. Four months later, the summer ended with the royal family being taken at bayonet-point to Paris, their personal guards mutilated and killed, their power and their freedom gone. They would never return to Versailles. This is the story of those four months at the palace, told from the points of view of six key figures, including Marie-Antoinette, the Marquis de Lafayette, the Duchess de Polignac, a palace servant named Madame Campan, and Camille Demoulins, a leader of the revolution. As 1788 drew to a close, France teetered on the brink of chaos. The opulent Palace of Versailles, home to the French monarchy, glittered in stark contrast to a society consumed by fear, uncertainty, and anger. Louis XVI and his Austrian-born wife, Marie-Antoinette, faced mounting pressure as the country grappled with political tension, economic crisis, and natural disasters. The convening of the Estates-General in 1789 ignited a demand for greater representation and tax reform. The Third Estate, representing the common people, sought change, while the King's reluctance and eventual concessions led to a breakdown in negotiations, culminating in the storming of the Bastille on July 14th, 1789. With flair and discernment, Gareth Russell delves into the complex web of events, key figures, and the profound changes that shaped the French Revolution, and gives an unforgettable look at daily life inside the walls of Versailles. Revelatory, erudite, and marvelously entertaining, this book provides a nuanced understanding and a fresh perspective on the forces that drove one of the most significant upheavals in history.