The Spider King: Lawrence Schoonover Collection - Paperback

by Lawrence Schoonover (Author)

From his birth into a struggling France, through a life of challenge from his father, his cousin, and a powerful rival nation, the young prince Louis treads a fine path into kingship, all the while battling his own private inner challenge. The force of history offers him opportunity to create a strong nation that defines an age.

Louis XI is arguably the man who more than anyone else created and defined France as we know it today. Political intrigues, romance, wars, all bow to this master of the arts of power, opportunity and intrigue.

All the color, all the piled-up swift happening, all the intrigue and the suspense...built upon a solid understanding of its subject.
New York Times

Mr. Schoonover has sliced off an impressive chunk of Western civilization and garnished it most palatably.
Springfield Republican

Researched historical fact and incident...ramntic engagements rippling thru the narrative at all times provides a bright leavening...
Chicago Sunday Tribune

Not only history and science in detail, but excellent characterizations and fine prose as well...Recommended.
Library Journal

Author Biography

Lawrence Schoonover, successful author of highly popular historical and biographical novels, passed away in 1983, but left a legacy of exceptionally readable and thoroughly researched works of great interest to lovers of history, adventure, and romance.Schoonover was born in Iowa and graduated from the University of Wisconsin before moving to New York to work for a large advertising agency. In the spring of 1948 he began research for what was later published as The Burnished Blade, the novel which immediately won him critical accolades and was chosen as a Literary Guild selection. This success allowed Schoonover to continue his writing. Many editions and millions of copies of his works have been printed and translated into eight languages including Spanish and Norwegian. Among his highly acclaimed works are The Spider King, a novel of King Louis XI who united France, The Queen's Cross about Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile and their reconquest of Spain, and Gentle Infidel which tells the story of the son of a Venetian merchant who grows up to become a Turkish Janissary during the Turkish conquest of Constantinople.