French Legends

In an age where it was difficult to steer clear of a king's wrath and keep one's head for their entire life, Armand Jean du Plessis managed to become the power behind a king. The royal courts of 17th and 18th century France were famed for powerful and versatile Ministers like Talleyrand and the Comte de Vergennes, yet none have held as much sway like the man best known to the world today as Cardinal Richelieu.

In many ways it is fitting that Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) is one of the best known figures of the French Revolution. The early years of the Revolution were fueled by Enlightenment ideals, seeking the social overthrow of the caste system that gave the royalty and aristocracy decisive advantages over the lower classes. Few were as vocal in their support of Enlightenment ideals as Robespierre. But the Reign of Terror became the most memorable aspect of the Revolution, and Robespierre's position made him the Reign of Terror's instrumental figure.

Jean-Paul Marat (1743-1793) gave the French Revolution a voice. One of the most memorable and notorious revolutionaries, Marat became one of the Revolution's best-known figures through his speeches, writings, and scathing attacks on everyone he perceived as, "[E]nemies of the revolution". No revolutionary was more passionate, determined, and willing to die for the cause.

Throughout history, a countless number of historical figures have had their lives overshadowed by the myths and legends that surround them to the extent that their legacy comes to define them. In French history, this is truer of Marie Antoinette than just about everyone else. Nearly 220 years after she was put to the guillotine, Marie Antoinette is more famous than ever, fairly or unfairly coming to epitomize royalty and everything that was wrong with it.

The old salt farmers have always said that the violet scent of the Fleur de Sel at harvest time on the salt marshes of the Guerande Peninsula has been known to cause hallucinations. Commissaire Dupin also starts to believe this when he's attacked out of the blue in the salt works. He had actually been looking forward to escaping his endless paperwork and taking a trip to the "white country" between the raging Atlantic Ocean and idyllic rivers.

The ghosts of New Orleans are waiting… will you dare to listen? Step into the misty streets of the French Quarter, where restless spirits roam and the echoes of the past still linger. From haunted mansions and eerie cemeteries to ghostly figures in historic hotels, these chilling true stories will take you deep into the supernatural heart of New Orleans. Inside, you'll discover: 👻 The infamous LaLaurie Mansion – home to one of the city’s darkest legends 👻 Ghosts of the French Quarter – mysterious figures seen in the shadows of historic buildings 👻 Voodoo and restless ...

Louis XVI is one of the most famous kings of France, but for reasons he would have much rather avoided. Coming of age in the wake of the reign of the Sun King, Louis XIV, and his father, Louis XV, Louis XVI initially intended to be one of France's most enlightened kings. Instead, he was destined to be the only French king ever executed. Indeed, it is his death and his role in fomenting the French Revolution (along with his infamous queen, Marie Antoinette) that continue to play the central role in Louis XVI's legacy.

Camavor is a brutal land with a bloody legacy. Where the empire’s knights go, slaughter follows. Kalista seeks to change that. When her young and narcissistic uncle, Viego, becomes king, she vows to temper his destructive instincts, as his loyal confidant, advisor, and military general. But her plans are thwarted when an assassin’s poisoned blade strikes Viego’s wife, Isolde, afflicting her with a malady for which there is no cure. As Isolde’s condition worsens, Viego descends into madness and grief, threatening to drag Camavor down with him.

France's most famous king, and Europe's longest serving, Louis XIV (1638-1715) is often viewed today as a symbol of royal extravagance and splendor. Reigning for over 72 years, the legacy of the "Sun King" is remembered for the magnificent Palace of Versailles, the patronizing of arts and theater, and the apocryphal quote "l'Etat c'est moi" (I am the State).

Lux and Ben receive a call from their old friend Rowan Merrick, the owner of the Witch’s Brew restaurant in New Orleans. Rowan's friend's son has disappeared, and it's suspected that he has been cursed by a Rougarou. The boy was last seen in the eerie Acadian swamps west of the city. Lux and Ben decide to bring along Chelsea, who has experience with wendigos, and Francois, thinking this small team will be sufficient for a straightforward rescue mission. However, what starts as a simple favor quickly takes a dark turn. The team soon discovers that the swamps conceal more than just murky ...

Camavor is a brutal land with a bloody legacy. Where the empire's knights go, slaughter follows. Kalista seeks to change that. When her young and narcissistic uncle, Viego, becomes king, she vows to temper his destructive instincts, as his loyal confidant, advisor, and military general. But her plans are thwarted when an assassin's poisoned blade strikes Viego's wife, Isolde, afflicting her with a malady for which there is no cure.

Joan of Arc is one of the most famous women in history: a French folk legend, a Catholic saint, and a military heroine. Yet almost nothing is truly known about the Maid of Orleans besides her ultimate fate - being burned at the stake when she was still a teenager. Claiming God instructed her to save France from England, she convinced the uncrowned Charles to send her to the siege of Orleans, and she subsequently led the French army to a string of important victories that made it possible for Charles VII to be coronated as the king of France.

The whimsical tale of a witch and an enchanted scarecrow come to life from the otherwise serious author Nathaniel Hawthorne (July 4, 1804-May 19, 1864), whose themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity. He is best known for The House of the seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter, a story of a proud adulteress sentenced by her stern Puritan judges to wear a scarlet A on her breast, published in 1850.

Blaise Pascal: The Life and Legacy of the Legendary French Mathematician and Theologian examines the life and work that made this unconventionally educated yet brilliant scientist, mathematician, and man of letters one of modern history’s most important figures. You will learn about Pascal like never before.

Sylvestre Bonnard is a mild-mannered, kind-hearted book collector and antiquarian, a little tyrannized by his housekeeper maybe, but nonetheless respected and eminent in his field of research into the abbeys, abbots and monks of medieval France. He has spent his life with his books, and knows little of the ways of the world. Resigned to reaching old age and retirement without being able to complete his life's work, he suddenly comes across the one thing that would not only complete it, but that would crown it with success. He heads off on an adventure to get his hands on this treasure and ...

And you think you have problems resisting those Christmas cookies! It is Christmas Eve in Provence. The date is seventeen hundred and something and Father Balagère is getting ready to say Midnight Mass at Trinquelage castle. The tradition calls for the service to be three Low Masses, that is, Masses where the responses are spoken by the acolyte, not sung by the choir.The celebrants and the congregation are required to be fasting, and everyone is hungry. Meanwhile, in the kitchens the feast is being prepared for after the service, and all the delicious smells are wafting throughout the ...

While it would be impossible to name every individual who has contributed to the ever-advancing field of science, it almost goes without saying that one of the most important was Louis Pasteur, father of microbiology and modern immunology. Apart from propelling the field of vaccination to new heights, this visionary scientist would also revolutionize a significant part of the beverage industry, and highlight the importance of sterilization. These are only some of the extraordinary achievements on Louis' glaring résumé, one so well-rounded and extensive that it beggars belief.

Calais-born Olivier Le Vasseur aka La Buse is infamous for his 1721 attack on a Portuguese ship docked at Bourbon (modern day Réunion), the island where he eventually met his fate on the gallows in 1730. The raid yielded one of the most spectacular treasure hauls in the recorded history of piracy. The value of the plunder taken - and a fabled incident that occurred on the day La Buse was hanged - have led to enduring claims about the supposed buried treasure of this ill-fated pirate. The recorded facts of Le Vasseur’s life – and their importance in debunking the legend- are the subject...

In the early spring morning light, shortly after seven o’clock, the body looked like a pile of debris covered by brown and black leaves left over from the previous autumn. A decorated war hero with severe amnesia sustained twelve years before, Clifford Dumont has remained lost in the middle of his life until unexpected events challenge him to confront his suppressed fears and the black wall of his past. When he finds the dead body of his co-worker, Jean-Paul, at a national historical battlefield, Clifford is jarred out of his day-to-day routines. His complacency is further challenged by ...

Hereby begins the noble tale of young Rhys, a page for Morgana le Fae, who is chosen to compete for the honor of becoming a Son of the Round Table. He’s been learning the sword, the spear, and the shield, and seeks to use them for a higher purpose—especially as Mordred, the son of King Arthur, gathers his forces with a plan to usurp his father’s throne. But as Rhys bravely obeys King Arthur’s call to arms, he must leave his beloved Naida behind—a faerie who warns that supernatural forces are crossing into the Earth realm. Indeed, a magical kingdom from just beyond the veil has ...