Published by the Folio Society, London, 2011.
 
The book is in excellent condition, bound in blue cloth and blocked with a design in gilt and white by Neil Gower, lettered gilt to the spine. Introduction by Roy Strong. Colour illustrated frontispiece/title page and many colour illustrations throughout. The slipcase has some shelf-wear, but overall in excellent condition. 
 
The Sun King is a dazzling double portrait of Louis XIV and his Palace of Versailles, the opulent court from which he ruled. Mitford portrays the daily life of king and courtiers during France's golden age, offering vivid sketches of the architects, artists, and gardeners responsible for the creation of the most magnificent palace Europe had yet seen. She explores the complex and deadly intrigues in the stateroom and the no less high-stakes power struggles in the bedroom. At the centre of it all is Louis XIV, the demanding, mercurial but strong sovereign who guided France through nearly three quarters of the Grand Siècle.