The search for the man in the iron mask
a historical detective story
- ISBN: 9781538141441
- Editorial: The Rowman & Littlefield
- Fecha de la edición: 2020
- Lugar de la edición: Lanham (MD). Estados Unidos de Norteamérica
- Encuadernación: Rústica
- Medidas: 22 cm
- Nº Pág.: 286
- Idiomas: Inglés
The Search for the Man in the Iron Mask triumphantly solves an enduring puzzle that has stumped historians for centuries and seduced novelists and filmmakers to this day. Who was the man who was rumored to have been kept in prison and treated royally during much of the reign of Louis XIV while being forced to wear an iron mask? Could he possibly have been the twin brother of the Sun King? Like every other serious scholar, intrepid historian Paul Sonnino discounts this theory, instead taking the reader along on his adventures to uncover the truth behind this ancient enigma. Exploring the hidden, squalid side of the lavish court of France, the author uncovers the full spectrum of French society, from humble servants to wealthy merchants to kings and queens. All had self-interested reasons to hold their secrets close until one humble valet named Eustache Dauger was arrested and jailed for decades, simply because he knew too much and opened his mouth at the wrong time. Presenting his dramatic solution to the mystery, Sonnino convincingly shows that no one will be able to tell the story of the man in the iron mask without taking into account the staggering array of evidence he has uncovered over the course of decades.
Illustrations
Chronological Table
Principal Characters
Map
Introduction: The State of the Question
Chapter One: The Sex Life of Anne of Austria
Chapter Two: The Candidacy of Claude Imbert
Chapter Three: The Fouquet Connection
Chapter Four: Calais
Chapter Five: Follow the Money
Chapter Six: A Tale of Two Families
Chapter Seven: The Testament of Cardinal Mazarin
Chapter Eight: The Cover Up
Chapter Nine: Was Eustache Dauger Gay?
Conclusion
Abbreviations
Notes
Bibliography