title: Cardinal Richelieu: And the Making of France
author:  Anthony Levi 
description: For a man who might justifiably lay claim to being the father of the French nation, Cardinal Richelieu (1585-1642), the first minister of King Louis XIII's council, was quite remarkably unpopular. His overtaxed countrymen, ever rebellious during his lifetime, lit bonfires to celebrate his death, and "it may well be true," according to his new biographer, "that it is impossible to name any historical personage in French public life who has provoked more hatred." From Richelieu's life as described by Levi (a scholar of French studies and editor of the two-volume Guide to French Literature), one might conclude that the centralization of the nation state was a morally bankrupt goal driven by the most inhumane of ideals; but Levi is circumspect in his judgments, preferring simply to observe and understand. This is a sophisticated narrative, perfectly accessible yet pervaded by gravitas and alert to the complexities of the Catholic revival movement which followed the internecine Wars of Religion. Levi's recurrent idea is that Richelieu aspired to the creation of national unity as much through cultural symbolism (creating, for instance, the French Academy and initiating a great art collection) as through strictly political means. He presents a complex man of manipulative intelligence and inexhaustible nervous energy, capable of good humor and charm as well as violent mood swings. However, he is strikingly indulgent in dealing with Richelieu's revenge on rebellious rural workers in Normandy. Levi's account provides plentiful grounds to suspect why Richelieu destroyed huge volumes of private documents, as well as a little Norman village. This sharp portrait will interest students of French, European and political history. (Dec.) <br />Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
zlib_text: CARDINAL
  
  OBSESSION
  
  ROY LEWIS
  
  ROBERT HALE • LONDON
  
  CONTENTS
  
   _Prologue_
  
   _Chapter One_
  
   _Chapter Two_
  
   _Chapter Three_
  
   _Chapter Four_
  
   _Chapter Five_
  
   _Chapter Six_
  
   _Chapter Seven_
  
   _Chapter Eight_
  
   _Chapter Nine_
  
   _Chapter Ten_
  
   _Chapter Eleven_
  
   _Chapter Twelve_
  
   **PROLOGUE**
  
  THEY HAD SOMETIMES called him _Il Moro_ , because of his dark, swarthy
  complexion, but that had been when he was a child and unable to respond to the
  insult: matters had changed, with the vicious power that he could now unleash
  upon his enemies.
  
  It was many years now since he had heard the sobriquet: few dared use the
  sneering reference for he was now Duke of Milan, the Eagle, the powerful and
  respected Lodovico Sforza.
  
  Powerful, respected and ruthless. Naturally, his enemies – and there were many
  of them – might still call him _Il Moro_ behind his back but they knew his
  reputation; they hated him for his ambitions, then for his political
  intrigues, not least his manoeuvrings with the Frenc