This was an incredibly solid, well researched, good book. I have been to Versailles and always wanted to know more about Louis XIV, and this book not only provided insight to his life and times, but the women in his life. Louis surrounded himself and was influenced by some incredibly strong women - from his mother, Anne of Austria to his clandestine wife, Madame de Maintenon. The genealogy can get a bit confusing but it‘s worth the perseverance!