House of Lilies

“A joy to read from start to finish. This is not only the best history of the Capetian dynasty now available in English, it is also one of the most entertaining popular history books published in recent years.”

“A splendid, enthralling book…[Firnhaber-Baker] has a deep understanding of the Middle Ages, an often perplexing era, and thus helps us grasp the wider world of the kingships she so vividly describes.”

“Crisp, entertaining and direct…a mighty, panoramic history…a dexterous and engrossing account, a treasury for anyone with an interest in the royal, political and religious worlds of the high medieval period.”

“There is no better guide in English to the politics of royal government.” 

“Entertaining, unfailingly lively.”
 

“Highly enjoyable.”

“The short review is: I would encourage anyone with an interest in the later Middle Ages to pick up a copy of this book. It’s a bright, brilliantly readable narrative with a tight scholarly thesis at its core and more weird and wonderful anecdotes than you can shake a baguette at.”

“Superb… [a] sparkling account.”

“House of Lilies is a delight in every way. Justine Firnhaber-Baker demonstrates her complete mastery of the lives of the Capetians, while also telling a story that pulls you along from beginning to end. The book manages to convey how history ebbs, flows, and thunders, but even more importantly allows the reader to almost feel how events moved across four centuries of medieval Europe.”

“Engagingly written, very carefully researched, filled with fascinating stories, and populated with deeply odd personalities, this is a persuasive and illuminating study.”

“Wonderful.” 

“With verve and dexterity, Firnhaber-Baker weaves the story of a family who, from their small power base surrounding Paris, created the most powerful kingdom in medieval Europe: a personal tale of power encompassing royal women as well as men, featuring philandering rulers, flights of crusading fancy, the forging of chivalry, the paranoid persecution of minorities, and the systemic exploitation of peasantry. Her narrative is accessible, fast-moving, and ambitious, covering the transformative half-millennium from the age of Charlemagne to the brink of the Hundred Years War.”

“Rigorous history and brilliant storytelling. Firnhaber-Baker brings the kings and queens of Capetian France to life with rare verve and intimacy. A dazzling cast of characters finally has the biography it deserves.”

“With consummate erudition and narrative artistry, Firnhaber-Baker brings to life the human drama of an extraordinary dynasty. This rich and engaging history recounts the stories of men and women made great by birth, and sometimes by deeds, who created Capetian kingship. House of Lilies recounts the marvelous and the terrible origin story of the French nation, not to be missed for lovers of the medieval, the royal, or the French.”

“More than the history of a dynasty, House of Lilies is the engrossing story of the building of France, the greatest political and cultural power of the Middle Ages. The book’s protagonists are not only violent, saintly, and hapless kings, but also a series of fascinating, clever, and often indestructible queens and consorts.”