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Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Note on the Text
Introduction
1. Constructing Status: Family Narratives, Family Myths
2. Constructing Identity: Henri de Rohan, 1579–1638
3. Women, Gender, and the Management of Dynastic Capital
4. Material Contexts: Wealth, Income, Strategies
5. Followers and Servants: Aristocracy as Collective Practice
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography
Index
“An epic account of one of France's most notable—and notorious—families. Writing with flair and an eye for detail, Jonathan Dewald shows how the Rohan amassed power in the sixteenth century and pulled themselves back from the brink of dynastic disaster in the seventeenth century, which saw the great commander Henri de Rohan and his brother, the duc de Soubise, in exile without male heirs. In a perfect blend of political and cultural history, this startling new account of the house of Rohan weaves together public and private histories to elucidate the fragility of social standing, the fortunes spent to acquire or maintain it, and the provincial estates, esteemed bloodlines, military exploits, and family myth-making that produced both hard cash and social capital. A must-read for anyone interested in French aristocratic society.”
—Kate van Orden, Harvard University
