The Edict of Nantes of 1598 is often seen as marking the end of the French Wars of Religion, but, as scholars now know, denominational friction and even violence continued. This collection of thirteen papers given at a conference of the Society for the Study of French History in 2002 focuses on the two decades that followed the edict. Henry iv's conversion to Catholicism may have given him Paris, but many people who had supported the Catholic League continued to distrust him.The collection begins auspiciously with an investigation by Alain Tallon of Franco-papal relations around 1595 when Pope Clement viii controversially decided to absolve Henry iv. The author shows how the king actively sought to promote the Counter-Reformation in France and how she recovered some of the influence in Rome that had been lost under Henry iii. Megan Armstrong focuses on the part played by the Franciscan Observants in reconstruction after the wars. Drawing on the evidence of sermons, she shows how the Observants set aside any doubts about the new régime in the interest of peace. Anyone doubting the sincerity of Henry iv's conversion should have been reassured by his pro-Catholic partisanship when organising the doctrinal debate at Fontainebleau in 1600 that is the subject of Michael Wolfe's essay. The so-called ‘legend of Henry iv’ is contradicted by the large number of attempts on his life. Robert Descimon points to the significance of Jean Chastel's attempt in 1597 which led to the expulsion of the Jesuits from France. The advocacy of tyrannicide in some of their writings caused them to be seen as agents of Spain. Henry iv wanted the Edict of Nantes to be freely registered by the parlement. To this end he invited its members to the Louvre where, in January 1599, he delivered a remarkably clever speech that is skilfully analysed by Eric Nelson. Focusing on different types of insurgency Michel De Waele argues, somewhat predictably, that royal clemency was commonplace under Henry iv and Louis xiii except where conspiracy was involved. Barbara Diefendorf points to the sincerity of Henry iv's attempts to win Catholic support by his support for dévot activities, and the early career of Vincent de Paul, more particularly his relations with the Gondi family and other patrons, is scrutinised by Alison Forrestal. Elizabeth Tingle shows that, in Nantes, religious observances, such as good works, normally ascribed to dévot Catholicism of the seventeeth century, was already flourishing in the 1580s. The final essay, an examination of the politico-religious role of Senlis in the period after 1598, though erudite enough, is, alas, an awful muddle, not helped by poor translation. The quality of collections of conference papers is always variable. This one succeeds on the whole in maintaining a high standard. This reviewer found the papers by Tallon, Descimon, Nelson, Diefendorf, Wolfe and Tingle particularly rewarding.