CHARLES VII by Vale, Malcolm Graham Allan

University of California Press, Berkeley, CA, 1974, US first edition, hard bound in dust jacket, 6 1/2 x 9 1/2, VG/VG condition ( miniscule bump to lower corner & dj price clipped ), xiii, 267 pages, illus., map, notes, bibliog., index.-----------------------------------------------Charles VII of France (1422-61) is perhaps best remembered as Joan of Arc's dauphin and as such is often dwarfed by her into insignificance. This new study, the first life to appear in English and the first to appear anywhere since 1891, proves how misleading the popular picture has been. By his death the unknown 'king of Bourges' had become the 'very victorious king'. The English had been expelled from France, the Valois monarchy's survival was assured, and the reign of Louis XI could begin in far more favourable circumstances than those that faced Charles VII.--------------------------------------------------------------------- In this highly intelligible and scholarly appraisal of the reign, Dr Vale attempts to see Charles VII as both a king and a man. What is known of his character and personality is related to his political technique and it is argued that this could sometimes provide a key to his behaviour.Special attention is devoted to the problems posed by his disinheritance and its consequences and to his attitude to Joan of Arc. His relations with his son, the future Louis XI, are examined and current interpretations strongly challenged. The king is seen at work in the context of the expulsion of the English and the measures which made it possible.--------------------------------------------------------------------------One of the most fascinating aspects of Charles VII's reign is the power politics at court, which Dr Vale reveals with considerable insight as he explores the intrigues and struggles for power and influence among the king's family, favourites and servants. Agnes Sorel, the king's mistress, also plays her part. The effects of his illnesses on political affairs are examined and also one aspect crucial to fifteenth-century French monarchy