Spawforth does phenomenal work with Versailles. He combines so much in one small book. It can get confusing with all the Louis BUT if you have prior knowledge of the family line (and a grasp on what Roman numerals stand for) it should be much easier. Spawforth uses the palace to talk about the function of court life. He shows how court life influenced the building of Versailles and ALL the editions made to the palace and the palace grounds. Spawforth covers how nobles were trapped by tradition and basically homeless inside Versailles while also illustrating how later royalty would become trapped by the same tradition used to enforce their power.

Each chapter is around a central theme. However, I think because it spans so much time from Louis the 13th to Louis the 16th in each chapter, it seems like Spawforth is all over the case when that is not actually true. There is just so much information to cover that Spawforth has to get through it all in a calm manner. Each chapter has soooo many details, I would have liked just a few more illustrations to show what rooms he was talking about. The format might not be for everyone BUT I enjoyed it immensely. I want to see Versailles someday.