{"product_id":"versailles-9780312603465","title":"Versailles","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003eCalled fast-paced (\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e) and highly engrossing (\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e), this is the behind-the-scenes story of the world''s most famous palace.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe story of Versailles is one of high historical drama mixed with the high camp and glamour of the European courts, all in an iconic home for the French arts. The palace itself has been radically altered since 1789. \u003ci\u003eVersailles\u003c\/i\u003e sets out to rediscover what is now a vanished world: a great center of power and, for thousands, a home both grand and squalid.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eUsing the latest historical research, Spawforth offers the first full account of Versailles in English in over thirty years. He probes the conventional picture of this  perpetual house party and gives full weight to the darker side: not just the mounting discomfort of the aging palace but also the intrigue and status anxiety of its aristocrats, as well as the changing place of Versailles in France''s national identity since 1789.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMany books have\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"St Martin's Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49401643991383,"sku":"9780312603465","price":18.39,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780312603465.jpg?v=1730478079","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/versailles-9780312603465","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}