While French political discourse in the late Middle Ages had been based on ancient Roman ideas that government existed for the common good (le bien public, or la chose publique, a French translation of the Latin res publica), these ideas began to evolve in the 1570s. Although references to the common good continued to be used right up to the French Revolution, they were gradually overtaken by a focus on the good of the State (le bien de l'État). James B. Collins demonstrates how this evolution in language existed at every social level from the peasant village up to the royal court. By analysing the language used in scores of local, regional and national lists of grievances presented to provincial estates and the Estates-General, Collins demonstrates how the growth was as much a bottom-up process as a top-down enforcement of royal power.

‘This book succeeds in bringing the history of political thought into contact with the world of local political practice. Collins shows how the French state was built from below and how political discourse was transformed by the clamour for security amid the violence of civil war.’

Stuart Carroll - University of York

‘In this book, James Collins argues for a rapid transformation in the vocabulary (and thus the conduct) of French politics between 1561-1651. Based on a lifetime of research in the sources, The Empire of Fear challenges us to see this transformation as an example of how easily a polity can persuade itself that there is no alternative to an absolute authority that is not obliged to take account of others.’

Mark Greengrass - University of Sheffield

‘Empire of Fear expertly distils James Collins’ longstanding engagement with all facets of the early modern French state into an in-depth and authoritative study. Its close analysis will benefit not only those interested in the development of the monarchical regime, but in the practical application of political ideas and the use of political language throughout French society.’

Penny Roberts - University of Warwick