A very readable and entertaining look at the Capetian Dynasty of France. Gothic architecture and chivalry had their roots in this era, and the author does an excellent job of making what could be dreary into something fun and enjoyable to read.

That this book took me almost four months to read should not lead people to think this is a dry history tome. In reality, it is far from it. Firnhaber-Baker writes exceptionally well, her prose is tight and she moves through the years at a great clip. This is not an in-depth look at just one of the Capetian kings that ruled what would become what we know as France from the late 900s to the early 1300s. Instead it romp through the dynasty that set the course for the creation of a magnificent kingdom the likes of which was only rivaled by the opulence of tsarist Russia.

We get a little bit of everything in The House of Lillies: crusades, progroms, dynastic marriages, wars with England and Flanders (oh and Burgandy, and Rome, and well everyone really). This is a narrative history that is engaging but also scholarly. This one reminds me of Helen Castor and Dan Jones, high praise from me. If you are at all interested in early medieval France (or how France came to be France), pick this one up!

Fascinating and informative book detailing the history of the Capetian Dynasty in Medieval France. If you haven’t heard of them, think the French version of the Plantagenets: they ruled France almost four centuries from the 10th century, when it was still a small Kingdom called Francia to the 14th century in an unbroken line of succession from father to son. The Capetians were also one of the royal dynasties who inspired George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones: it wasn’t just based on English history or the Wars of the Roses.

Like the Plantagenets, there were many colourful figures among the Capetians and a few who were deeply unpleasant. From the Saintly Louis IX to the mighty Philip II, known as Augustus. He was the King who reclaimed Normand from the English, to reunite the Duchy with France for the first time since the 10th century.

The Capetians were succeeded by the more famous Valois dynasty after a series of deaths of infant heirs and other unfortunate circumstances. Not before the King of England decided to try to claim the French crown though. An event which sparked off the Hundred Year War. Edward III, the King in whose reign the war started, was the son of Isabella, whose father was one of the last Capetians. Fitting that the Plantagenets should have taken advantage of a succession crisis and the last gasps of an ancient dynasty to press a claim for power without much basis.

The book is also peppered with useful maps and family trees, not just shoved in the back or front, but where they’re useful and relevant.

I had great fun reading this book, and I think I’ll try to get hold of a hard copy because my knowledge of French royal history is sadly lacking.
Basic Books approved me for this title on Netgalley. This didn’t influence my opinions, which are freely given and my own.

I really enjoyed this book detailing the early French royal house. It is well read ahead and sheds light on a little known period.

Though England is the first country that comes to mind when most Western people think of the medieval ages, France was also a major player in European politics at the time. Although, if you saw France’s borders as they were in the late 900s, you might not have thought that such a little kingdom would grow to be so important. But when Hugh Capet came to power in 987, his line would enrich the kingdom and expand it borders over the next three centuries, turning it into an economic and military powerhouse and making the once-muddy town of Paris into a glittering European capital.

In House of Lilies, Professor Justine Firnhaber-Baker gives us a thorough biography of a dynasty, showing how they rose to power in the late 900s, ruled an expansive kingdom that changed the face of Europe, and then how it fell in the span of a generation in the early 1300s. Though the prose is clear throughout, it is sometimes– necessarily– dense, as Firnhaber-Baker does not skip generations or gloss over the contributions of women involved with the house of Capet. Eleanor of Aquitaine and Ingeborg of Denmark were, after all, dynamic women who influenced the politics of their day more than their male contemporaries would like to admit. And while there is plenty of room for supposition and guesswork, the author does not lay down opinion as fact or make assumptions about events. Instead, she lays out the evidence surrounding the event and explains its consequences as best she can. Thus the reader gets as clear of an idea of the history as possible, given the current sources.

Accuracy in history is important, so it’s appreciated when a historian doesn’t sugarcoat the facts or twist sources to suit their pet theories. Though Firnhaber-Baker is clearly fascinated by the Capetian dynasty, she hasn’t let her imagination run away with her or built any member of the dynasty up into an overblown figure unsupported by evidence.

Readers interested in medieval should be sure to add House of Lilies to their collections, as it provides such a detailed and fascinating account of a dynasty that is often overlooked in favor of their English brethren, but was just as influential and important.


Thank you to NetGalley and Basic Books for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review.

“House of Lilies” helps fill a gap in when it comes to narrative histories about the Capetian dynasty - this book was a delight to read and covered a broad range of events without feeling like I was being rushed through each reign.

This has been a very long and complex book, and so easy to read!

It's been a while since I read a book covering such a great subject, featuring such a long period, who despite the many characters featured, had a sort of lightness, an ease to its pages that made the narrative to flow nicely.

I appreciated the fantastic research, the clarity it brought in this subject that I knew close to nothing. And I liked greatly the attention it gave to the women that were, also, part of these times, and sometimes quite important.

I got a copy of this in order to share my view on it.

A perfect introduction to this overlooked and yet seminal French royal dynasty. I loved how short and easily accessible each chapter was and how they each dealt with their own king. It gave a really good overview of the family and dynastical struggles but also the individuals themselves.

House of Lilies

Family drama, rivalries, resentments, and bloody escapades gilding the social, religious, and power structures we all know and love from the medieval era. This brilliantly written history of the Capetians captures what it meant to be royal in medieval France and the tenuous grip of those who had power (but who actually had the power??). From crusades to cathedrals and alliances to wars and marriages to … ends of marriages… this book covers (in amazing detail and very fun asides) a broad, in-depth look at the Capetian dynasty in a fresh and exciting way. This is easily now among my favorite historical nonfiction books of all time and truly a triumph.

Thanks to NetGalley and Basic Books for the eARC of this incredible book. It’s so worth the hype.

Ruling France from 987 to 1328, the Capetian dynasty left an indelible mark on history. This saga tells the human stories of how they rose to power, shaped culture and religion, and profoundly influenced society and politics. From the Crusades to Gothic architecture, the Capetians etched an enduring legacy on the world’s stage.

This engaging chronicle covers a critical era in French history, when power was consolidated in the central government. I enjoyed this informative and easy-to-read book.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I enjoyed this book. Mostly. It is an interesting read about the Capetian dynasty and its influence in the history of Europe, and how many of the cultural aspects that are so prevalent in today’s France have their origins during the time period (from 987 to 1328) in which the Capetians reigned, from courtly love to gothic architecture.
That premise was engaging enough for me to want to read the book asap. But at some point it started to feel a little bit slow and too focused on palatial intrigues that I don’t really care much about.
It is wonderfully written and deeply researched but I needed more of the cultural context and influences and less political manipulation.

Royal dynasties interest me. The older, the less attention in the general popular literature. In the case of France, it's no different.
Here I was extremely intrigued by the title House of Lilies and the book cover. I believe it will attract many readers.
In six sections, we get an overview from Hugo Capet to Charles IV and, in fact, to his successors, who were already the members of a different family.
I appreciated the clear family trees, making it easy to navigate the text. It was very readable to the point of making one lose awareness that one is not reading fiction.

The author has presented her expertise in a very accessible way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Basic Books for a free digital review copy. This is my honest review.

This was an interesting read encompassing 350 years of French monarchial history that was really accessible. I found the depth a little bit lacking for me, which I understand given the scope, but I did feel that each chapter (most of which focus on one king from the Capetian dynasty) tended to highlight one particular aspect of the reign as opposed to giving more detail about the overall history of the period. It was definitely a fun way to make my way through this period but it did leave the overall narrative feeling a bit disjointed and episodic rather than a cohesive through line. Overall, this was an enjoyable time.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Four stars for the following reasons:

* easy to read
* informative though not dull or dry
* covers the Capetian Dynasty well, including the women
* well researched
* additional notes, maps, family trees

Covering nearly over three centuries of French history and international politicking, Firnhaber-Baker does a remarkable job at presenting one of the pivotal dynasties in French history - the Capetians. This work has all the elements: religious fervor and upheaval, crusades,scandal, warfare, adultery, ambition, family drama, politicking - and on a magnificent grandiose scale.

Each monarch has their own dedicated chapter which covers off the pivotal moments of their reign, including each monarch's relationships with France's closest neighbours - England, Normandy, Flanders, Blois, Anjou, Valois - as France as we know it today, was still very much in its infancy and only really beginning to coalesce.

Recommended reading for those with an interest in French history and royal dynasties.