Éminence: Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France
Jean-Vincent Blanchard
May 2026 · Bloomsbury US Audio · Narrated by Craig Van Ness
headphones
Audiobook
10 hr 1 min
Unabridged
Want a free 15 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline.
Add
About this audiobook
Bloomsbury presents Eminence: Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France by Jean-Vincent Blanchard, read by Craig Van Ness.
Chief Minister to King Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu was the architect of a new France in the seventeenth century and the force behind the nation's rise as a European power. One of the first statesmen to clearly understand the necessity of a balance of powers, he has captured the imagination of generations, both through the story of his life and through Alexandre Dumas's portrayal of him as a ruthless political mastermind in the classic The Three Musketeers.
Jean-Vincent Blanchard's rich and insightful new biography brings Richelieu fully to life in all his complexity. His careful understanding of politics as spectacle speaks to contemporary readers; much of what he accomplished was promoted strategically through his great passion for theater and literature. ƒminence offers a rich portrait of a fascinating man and his era, and gives us a keener understanding of the dark art of politics.
"Blanchard's captivating biography vividly captures the rise to power of a seminal figure who was instrumental in creating France as we know it."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Lovers of intrigue and derring-do will enjoy Jean-Vincent Blanchard's Eminence ... [His] lively style will appeal to general readers, while history buffs will appreciate his careful footnotes and plethora of primary sources."-The Baltimore Sun
Chief Minister to King Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu was the architect of a new France in the seventeenth century and the force behind the nation's rise as a European power. One of the first statesmen to clearly understand the necessity of a balance of powers, he has captured the imagination of generations, both through the story of his life and through Alexandre Dumas's portrayal of him as a ruthless political mastermind in the classic The Three Musketeers.
Jean-Vincent Blanchard's rich and insightful new biography brings Richelieu fully to life in all his complexity. His careful understanding of politics as spectacle speaks to contemporary readers; much of what he accomplished was promoted strategically through his great passion for theater and literature. ƒminence offers a rich portrait of a fascinating man and his era, and gives us a keener understanding of the dark art of politics.
"Blanchard's captivating biography vividly captures the rise to power of a seminal figure who was instrumental in creating France as we know it."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Lovers of intrigue and derring-do will enjoy Jean-Vincent Blanchard's Eminence ... [His] lively style will appeal to general readers, while history buffs will appreciate his careful footnotes and plethora of primary sources."-The Baltimore Sun
Bloomsbury presents Eminence: Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France by Jean-Vincent Blanchard, read by Craig Van Ness.
Chief Minister to King Louis XIII, Cardinal Richelieu was the architect of a new France in the seventeenth century and the force behind the nation's rise as a European power...
Discover more
About the author
Jean-Vincent Blanchard is an associate professor of French literature and politics at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He has published on a broad range of subjects in politics, history, religion, philosophy, and the arts. This is his first book published in English.
Jean-Vincent Blanchard is an associate professor of French literature and politics at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He has published on a broad range of subjects in politics, history, religion, philosophy, and the arts. This is his first book published in English.
Rate this audiobook
Tell us what you think.
Listening information
Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.
