Wars of the Age of Louis XIV, 1650‐1715: An Encyclopedia of Global Warfare and Civilization

Louis XIV held supreme power in France for 54 years, and for 33 of them his country was at war, usually on his initiative. Thus the “Age of Louis XIV” (as Voltaire first called it) was indeed one of wars. But, as its subtitle indicates, this book is not confined to European warfare, extending its coverage throughout the world, even to China where Louis' contemporary, the Kangxi Emperor, found himself less troubled by neighbouring Great Powers than was the French King. In fact, most of the world's warfare in that era took place either in Europe or in its colonies,...