The search for the Man in the Iron Mask
Subtitle: a historical detective story
By: Paul Sonnino
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 252
ISBN-13: 9781442253636
Subjects: Political prisoners; History
Description: The search for the man in the iron mask triumphantly solves an enduring puzzle that has stumped historians for centuries and seduced novelists and filmmakers to this day. Who was the man who was rumored to have been kept in prison and treated royally during much of the reign on Louis XIV while being forced to wear an iron mask? Could he possibly have been the twin brother of the Sun King? Like every other serious scholar, intrepid historian Paul Sonnino discounts this theory, instead taking the reader along on his adventures to uncover the truth behind this ancient enigma. Exploring the hidden, squalid side of the lavish court of France, the author uncovers the full spectrum of French society, from humble servants to wealthy merchants to kings and queens. All had self-interested reasons to hold their secrets close until one humble valet named Eustace Dauger was arrested and jailed for decades, simply because he knew too much and opened his mouth at the wrong time. Presenting his dramatic solution to the mystery, Sonnino convincingly shows that no one will be able to tell the story of the man in the iron mask without taking into account the staggering array of evidence he has uncovered over the course of decades.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-239) and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction: the state of the question; title: The sex life of Anne of Austria; title: The candidacy of Claude Imbert; title: The Fouquet connection; title: Calais; title: Follow the money; title: A tale of two families; title: The testament of Cardinal Mazarin; title: The cover-up; title: Was Eustache Dauger gay?; title: Conclusion.