The Road to Compiegne - Jean Plaidy

The Road to Compiegne is the second book of Jean Plaidy's French Revolution trilogy. The previous book, Louis the Well-Beloved, is about the first half of Louis XV's life. This book finishes his life story. Expenditure on maintaining a lavish court, with new buildings for himself and mistresses, plus costly wars leaves the ordinary people unable to afford the high prices of basic food. Not surprising, they are sickened by this, and the book tells us in the first chapter that Louis has a road built around Paris to his palace at Compiegne. This by-pass is to avoid travelling through the city where he has become extremely unpopular. He only wants to enter Paris ...  Read the complete review