Best Selling Books by William Doyle

This comprehensive, authoritative book traces the turbulent history of France from the 1774 accession of Louis XVI, through revolution, terror, and counter-revolution, to the final triumph of Napoleon in 1802. This third edition incorporates the results of twenty-first century research, and offers an up-to-date guide to further reading.

Latino entrepreneurs discuss their careers and provide insight into the wisdom of Latino elders and conquering racism and sexism

On April 12, 1945, a fleet of American B-29 bombers flew toward Japan. Their mission was simple: Stop World War II by burning the cities, factories, and military bases of the Japanese em­pire, thereby forcing an unconditional surrender. But it didn't go as planned. Beyond Valor is one soldier's extraordinary tale of bravery, faith, and devotion. Onboard one of the B-29s, the City of Los Angeles, a phosphorus bomb detonated inside the plane. Staff Sergeant Henry E. "Red" Erwin absorbed the blast of burning phosphorus and managed to throw the still-flaming bomb overboard be­fore collapsing from the third-degree burns that covered his body. Breaking protocol, the plane diverted to a military hospital at Iwo Jima. President Truman quickly ordered that Erwin be awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest honor of the American military. Drawn from in-depth interviews with eyewitnesses and deep archival research, Beyond Valor tells the gripping story of Erwin's life--from his upbringing in the suburbs of Birmingham, Alabama to his enduring commitment to supporting veterans. Beyond Valor gives you a front-row seat to Erwin's amazing life and legacy. Along the way, you'll learn: How Erwin's childhood in Birmingham shaped his faith and his family How a split-second decision changed the course of his life The countless ways that Erwin chose to give back to his fellow veterans after he returned home Beyond Valor is about more than that fateful day in April 1945. It's a story of one man's journey from the ultimate despair to a place beyond service, beyond honor, and beyond valor: a life illuminated by the light of God's love.

Chronicles the history of some of the nation's most famed hunters, from Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett to Kit Carson and Teddy Roosevelt.

In 1961, a black veteran named James Meredith applied for admission to the University of Mississippi — and launched a legal revolt against white supremacy in the most segregated state in America. Meredith’s challenge ultimately triggered what Time magazine called “the gravest conflict between federal and state authority since the Civil War,” a crisis that on September 30, 1962, exploded into a chaotic battle between thousands of white civilians and a small corps of federal marshals. To crush the insurrection, President John F. Kennedy ordered a lightning invasion of Mississippi by over 20,000 U.S. combat infantry, paratroopers, military police, and National Guard troops. Based on years of intensive research, including over 500 interviews, JFK’s White House tapes, and 9,000 pages of FBI files, An American Insurrection is a minute-by-minute account of the crisis. William Doyle offers intimate portraits of the key players, from James Meredith to the segregationist Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett, to President John F. Kennedy and the federal marshals and soldiers who risked their lives to uphold the Constitution. The defeat of the segregationist uprising in Oxford was a turning point in the civil rights struggle, and An American Insurrection brings this largely forgotten event to life in all its drama, stunning detail, and historical importance.

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING FOLLOW-UP TO AMERICAN SNIPER Join Chris Kyle on a journedy to discover “how 10 firearms changed United States history” (New York Times Book Review) Drawing on his legendary firearms knowledge and combat experience, U.S. Navy SEAL and #1 bestselling author of American Sniper Chris Kyle dramatically chronicles the story of America—from the Revolution to the present—through the lens of ten iconic guns and the remarkable heroes who used them to shape history: the American long rifle, Spencer repeater, Colt .45 revolver, Winchester 1873 rifle, Springfield M1903 rifle, M1911 pistol, Thompson submachine gun, M1 Garand, .38 Special police revolver, and the M16 rifle platform Kyle himself used. American Gun is a sweeping epic of bravery, adventure, invention, and sacrifice. Featuring a foreword and afterword by Taya Kyle and illustrated with more than 100 photographs, this new paperback edition features a bonus chapter, “The Eleventh Gun,” on shotguns, derringers, and the Browning M2 machine gun.

If greatness is measured by achievement, Orrin Hatch was the greatest U.S. senator of modern times—discover the life and career of the senator through archival material, original research, and exclusive interviews. This is the dramatic story of a conservative champion who shaped modern America—by leading a Golden Age of Bipartisanship and passing more legislation than any other Senator in the post-Vietnam era. Senator Orrin Hatch co-wrote the most sweeping civil rights bill since the 1960s, launched a health insurance program for 25,000,000 uninsured children, co-created the generic drug industry, and championed the greatest HIV/AIDS legislation in American history, while sponsoring or co-sponsoring over 750 pieces of legislation. Based on interviews with Hatch and many of his Senate colleagues plus over 10,000 pages of research from the U.S. Senate Historian's files, this is also the story of a leader who envisions a New Golden Age of Bipartisanship for the future of American politics.

"Play is the key to giving children skills they need to succeed - creativity, innovation, teamwork, focus, resilience, expressiveness, empathy, concentration, and execution function. Yet our policies are destroying authentic play in our schools and replacing it with standardization and stress. Not so in Finland, which is ranked as having the #1 education system in the world as well as the happiest citizens. In Let the Children Play, Pasi Sahlberg, former Director General of Finland's Ministry of Education and Culture, and William Doyle, documentary producer, author, and Fulbright Scholar, announce a platform for bringing the Finnish style of education to the U.S. Providing a glimpse into the play-based experiments ongoing now all over the world, readers will find the book to be both a call for change and a guide for making that change happen in their own communities"--

The first half of this book highlights the lives of men and women of biblical fame and in the second half fearless heroes of the truth, in our times; men and women who at a pivotal point in their lives were guided by their Higher God-Mind to serve the purposes of the Ultimate Reality - God. This book draws attention to ordinary people with extraordinary ways, noble characters whose lives are a shining example in our communities showing that with diligence and faith we can all reach the plateau of righteousness, improve our own landscape and go on to make a difference. The lives of these men and women are a testimony of God's grace and challenge to all Christians to wake up from spiritual sleep and seek the mind of God; to work with His Spirit in the community in which they live. Never has there been a time when the consciousness of men has been so assailed with misguided philosophy and questionable values. This book brings into focus the wisdom of the author and a much needed message for our times.

Divine Books of the Ages briefly traces the lives of those special Messengers of God, who have graced the world during the last six millennia: Krishna, Zoroaster, Abraham, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammad, the Bab and Baha’u’llah. All of which offers a panacea for the worlds ills.

Doyle describes how the French revolutionaries tried to abolish the nobility, analysing the intellectual roots of hostility to nobles, the steps by which revolutionaries turned against aristocracy, the impact of persecution, and the long-term consequences of these developments for the nobility.

New York Times bestselling author Montel Williams offers a pathway to emotional wellness. In his inspiring New York Times bestseller Living Well, renowned talk-show host Montel Williams chronicled his personal battle against a life-threatening disease, the foods and regimen that countered his illness, and how everyone could benefit from his dynamic plan for better health. Now, just as he shared the story of his physical triumph, Montel shares inspiration, advice, and a practical emotional wellness program so that readers can overcome personal obstacles to find the peace and love everyone deserves.

For six months in 2006, a charismatic young U.S. Army captain and Arab linguist named Travis Patriquin unleashed a diplomatic and cultural charm offensive upon the Sunni Arab sheiks of Anbar province, the heart of darkness of the Iraqi insurgency. He galvanized American support for the “Sunni Awakening,” the tribal revolt against Al Qaeda that spread through the province and eventually across Iraq, a turning point that led to dramatically lower levels of violence in the country. The Awakening may not have succeeded without Patriquin, who was so beloved by Iraqis that they adopted him into their tribes and loved him as a brother. This is the true story of a man who loved Iraq, and a soldier who helped engineer the turning point of the Iraq War. It is the story of America’s T.E. Lawrence—Travis Patriquin.

Since the 1950s a once-dominant interpretation of the French revolution has fallen to pieces. Elaborated by generations of distinguished left-wing French historians, this version was gradually undermined by the piecemeal criticisms of English-speaking scholars. Many of their doubts, and the controversies which they provoked, appeared in articles scattered over a wide range of learned journals and conference proceedings. This collection brings together the more important contributions of one of the leading British participants in these debates. Some of the essays explore the motivations and achievements of the old monarchy's aristocratic opponents. Others probe the development of venality of offices, one of the old regime's most distinctive institutions. A wide range of revolutionary reforms, their motivations and results, are also examined, and some of the achievements of a generation of revisionism in this field are reviewed.

Aristocracies or nobilities dominated the social, economic, and institutional history of all European counties until only a few generations ago. The relics of their power, in traditions and behaviour, in architecture and the arts, are still all around us. This short introduction shows how ideas of aristocracy originated in ancient times, were transformed in the middle ages, and have only fallen apart over the last two centuries. The myths in which aristocracies have always sought to shroud themselves are stripped away, but the true sources of their enduring power are also revealed. Their outlook and behaviour affected the rest of society in innumerable and sometimes surprising ways, but perhaps most surprising was the way in which a centuries-old aristocratic hegemony crumbled away over the last two hundred years. In this Very Short Introduction William Doyle considers why this happend and what remains today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

In this message, the author draws on his life-long ministerial experience to convey the realities of where we are on our journey through this life to where it is we are going. The book reflects the treasure of shared knowledge and reveals what the author terms the “unconscious unreality,” which draws people away from the conscious realities that would otherwise enrich their lives. It is directed to all God’s people, both Christians and non-Christians. These spiritual messages come at a time when the world is set on a course that is causing much consternation and answers many perplexing problems facing individuals. The author takes church leaders to task for allowing much of what is changing the face of a civil society. This book is not for idle curiosity. Each chapter is at times sad, at times joyful, and at times soul-searching. There is strong emphasis on the lure of easy borrowing and sensationalism, one of the plagues of modern times that mask the face of lasting values, diminishing the hunger for the spiritual life, and depleting the soul of contentment. This book offers a clear and unshakeable understanding of the truth of God and clarifies scriptural text about the end times—it speaks about you.

First published in 1980, this book rapidly established itself as the indispensable guide to what brought about the French Revolution, and to the debates of historians about the issue. It combined a full critical account of recent controversies with a fresh interpretation taking stock of wherethe debate had led. Since 1980 discussion among historians has continued as lively as ever, and has moved in directions scarcely explored at that time. The `revisionist' criticism which destroyed the classic mid-century consensus emphasizing the Revolution's social and economic origins has openedthe way to a `post-revisionist' approach focused on cultural change. This new edition brings the subject up to date with an extensisively rewritten survey of the historiography up to the present day, and a revised interpretation modified in the light of research by a new generation of scholars. It will thus remain the starting point for any serious study of thegreatest of all revolutions, which lies at the root of the modern political world. `important book . . . readable and perceptive analysis', Times Higher Education Supplement `His book is excellent, achieving the rare distinction of being both useful and revealing', Spectator `brief, clear, and thoughtful', Journal of Modern History

A surprising appointment to command the Army of Italy and a series of battles resulting in the defeat of Italy’s French enemies were the precursors to Napoleon Bonaparte, a son of the Revolution, changing the face of Europe prior to his position in France. A confident and relentless man, Napoleon Bonaparte became the First Consul—possessing supreme power as the ruler of France. His eventual self-coronation as the Emperor Napoleon led to many people in Europe developing harsh feelings toward the Corsican soldier-turned-ruler. This book features detailed accounts of Napoleon’s various triumphs—as well as his biggest blunders—in battle and the reputation he left behind as a result of his exile. Despite the hatred some people felt toward him during his reign, Napoleon Bonaparte made a lasting impression on Europe.

New York Times Bestseller • “A celebration of sport fishing in America, its history, locales, and impact.” — New York Times Book Review An essential book for everyone who loves casting a line into our nation's waters, The American Fisherman, by outdoorsman Willie Robertson (CEO of Duck Commander and star of A&E’s Duck Dynasty) and historian William Doyle, reveals that in the U.S.A., fishing is far more than a pastime — it has shaped our past and defined our character in remarkable ways. This generously illustrated celebration of fish, anglers, and our country’s treasured wild places traces fishing’s astonishing impact on the United States and its people, from its settlement and founding, to powering its economy and inspiring our creativity and faith. Blessed by perhaps the most diverse and abundant waters in the world, Native Americans were the continent’s first master anglers and incorporated fish into their spiritual beliefs and legends. When the Vikings, the earliest European visitors, arrived, they were drawn across the Atlantic Ocean by the bountiful fishing grounds of North America’s East Coast. During the colonial era, fish helped save the Pilgrims, make George Washington wealthy, and win the American Revolution. From New England cod to Pacific Northwest salmon to Gulf shrimp, the fishing industry has fed and financed centuries of Americans in every region of the country. Throughout, Willie and Bill explore how fishing has made an enduring mark on our national identity and culture. The American Fisherman is also an ode to our nation’s extraordinary natural places: alpine trout streams in the Rocky Mountains, steelhead runs along the storm-tossed Alaskan coast, the azure waters off Key West where marlin roam, and the bayous of Louisiana where the Robertsons have instilled the love and lessons of fishing down through the generations, as so many other families have. A spirited and unique look at the U.S.A. and its people, The American Fisherman will hook every sportsman from the first page and forever deepen their appreciation for the fishing life. INCLUDES MORE THAN 75 PHOTOS

“Captures the essence of Naval Special Warfare from our storied beginnings to the current fight.” —Admiral WILLIAM H. McRAVEN Written with the unprecedented cooperation of the Naval Special Warfare community, this vivid and definitive history of the U.S. Navy SEALs reveals the inside story behind the greatest combat operations of America's most celebrated warriors. Illustrated with forty pages of photographs and based on exclusive interviews with more than 100 U.S. frogmen (including multiple Medal of Honor recipients), here is "the first comprehensive history of the special operations force" (Military.com). New York Times bestselling authors Dick Couch—a former SEAL—and William Doyle chart the SEALs' story, from their origins in the daring Naval Combat Demolition Teams, Underwater Demolition Teams, Scouts and Raiders commando units, and OSS Operational Swimmers of World War II to their coming of age in Vietnam and rise to glory in Iraq and Afghanistan after 9/11.

A cogent, comprehensive, and sweeping account of Napoleon’s dismantling of the French Revolution, giving new insight into this critical period of French history. The French Revolution facilitated the rise of Napoleon Bonaparte, but after gaining power he knew that his first task was to end it. In this book William Doyle describes how he did so, beginning with the three large issues that had destabilized revolutionary France: war, religion, and monarchy. Doyle shows how, as First Consul of the Republic, Napoleon resolved these issues: first by winning the war, then by forging peace with the Church, and finally by making himself a monarch. Napoleon at Peace ends by discussing Napoleon’s one great failure—his attempt to restore the colonial empire destroyed by war and slave rebellion. By the time this endeavor was abandoned, the fragile peace with Great Britain had broken down, and the Napoleonic wars had begun.

What would happen if you built one of the world’s most advanced societies inside a forest—and strove to make made women full partners in power? After living for twenty-five years in New York, Naomi Moriyama moved with her husband and co-author William Doyle and their seven-year-old child to the vast forest of Finland's Karelia, a mysterious region on the Russian border that helped inspire J.R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth fantasies. She entered a life-altering zone of tranquility, peace, and beauty, the spiritual heart of the nation ranked as the happiest nation on Earth, with among the world's most empowered women. Finland is also the country with cleanest air and water and the best schools, a country where motherhood and fatherhood are championed by law, childhood is revered, schoolchildren are required to play outdoors multiple times a day, and trains contain mini-libraries and mini-playgrounds for children to enjoy. It was here in the Karelian forest that Naomi found a culinary symphony of succulent wild edibles, herbs, berries, mushrooms and fish, all freshly plucked from the moss-carpeted forest and sparkling clear streams. She also found something that changed her life—a tribe of invincible women who became her soul-sisters. As an idyllic summer and fall gave way to a sub-Arctic winter of mind-bending darkness and cold, Naomi faced her fears and her future. Over the course of six unforgettable months with her family and her new “sisters”, she found her life transformed, and discovered the power that lay within her all along. Then she tried to leave. But she kept coming back. Come, take a journey deep into Europe's most distant, magical wilderness, and join the sisterhood of the enchanted forest.

Beginning with a discussion of familiar images of the French Revolution, garnered from Dickens, Baroness Orczy, and Tolstoy, as well as the legends of let them eat cake, and tricolours, Doyle leads the reader to the realization that we are still living with developments and consequences of the French Revolution such as decimalization, and the whole ideology of human rights. Continuing with a brief survey of the old regime and how it collapsed, Doyle continues to ellucidate how the revolution happened: why did the revolutionaries quarrel with the king, the church and the rest of Europe, why this produced Terror, and finally how it accomplished rule by a general. The revolution destroyed the age-old cultural, institutional and social structures in France and beyond. This book looks at how the ancien regime became ancien as well as examining cases in which achievement failed to match ambition. Doyle explores the legacy of the revolution in the form of rationality in public affairs and responsible government, and finishes his examination of the revolution with a discussion as to why it has been so controversial. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

What if there were a land where people lived longer than anywhere else on earth, the obesity rate was the lowest in the developed world, and women in their forties still looked like they were in their twenties? Wouldn't you want to know their extraordinary secret? Japanese-born Naomi Moriyama reveals the secret to her own high-energy, successful lifestyle–and the key to the enduring health and beauty of Japanese women–in this exciting new book. The Japanese have the pleasure of eating one of the most delicious, nutritious, and naturally satisfying cuisines in the world without denial, without guilt…and, yes, without getting fat or looking old. As a young girl living in Tokyo, Naomi Moriyama grew up in the food utopia of the world, where fresh, simple, wholesome fare is prized as one of the greatest joys of life. She also spent much time basking in that other great center of Japanese food culture: her mother Chizuko's Tokyo kitchen. Now she brings the traditional secrets of her mother's kitchen to you in a book that embodies the perfect marriage of nature and culinary wisdom–Japanese home-style cooking. If you think you've eaten Japanese food, you haven't tasted anything yet. Japanese home-style cooking isn't just about sushi and raw fish but good, old-fashioned everyday-Japanese-mom's cooking that's stood the test of time–and waistlines–for decades. Reflected in this unique way of cooking are the age-old traditional values of family and the abiding Japanese love of simplicity, nature, and good health. It's the kind of food that millions of Japanese women like Naomi eat every day to stay healthy, slim, and youthful while pursuing an energetic, successful, on-the-go lifestyle. Even better, it's fast, it's easy, and you can start with something as simple as introducing brown rice to your diet. You'll begin feeling the benefits that keep Japanese women among the youngest-looking in the world after your very next meal! If you're tired of counting calories, counting carbs, and counting on being disappointed with diets that don't work and don't satisfy, it's time to discover one of the best-kept and most delicious secrets for a healthier, slimmer, and long-living lifestyle. It's time to discover the Japanese fountain of youth….

The extraordinary World War II story of shipwreck and survival that paved John F. Kennedy's path to power – hailed as a “breathtaking account” by James Patterson, “masterfully written” by historian Douglas Brinkley, and “the finest book” ever written on the subject by Lt. Commander William Liebenow, the man who rescued JFK and the PT 109 crew in August 1943. In the early morning darkness of August 2, 1943, during a chaotic nighttime skirmish amid the Solomon Islands, the Japanese destroyer Amagiri barreled through thick fog and struck the U.S. Navy's motor torpedo boat PT 109, splitting the craft nearly in half and killing two American sailors instantly. The sea erupted in flames as the 109's skipper, John F. Kennedy, and the ten surviving crewmen under his command desperately clung to the sinking wreckage; 1,200 feet of ink-black, shark-infested water loomed beneath. "All hands lost," came the reports back to the Americans' base: no rescue was coming for the men of PT 109. Their desperate ordeal was just beginning—so too was one of the most remarkable tales of World War II, one whose astonishing afterlife would culminate two decades later in the White House. Drawing on original interviews with the last living links to the events, previously untapped Japanese wartime archives, and a wealth of archival documents from the Kennedy Library, including a lost first-hand account by JFK himself, bestselling author William Doyle has crafted a thrilling and definitive account of the sinking of PT 109 and its shipwrecked crew's heroics. Equally fascinating is the story's second act, in which Doyle explores in new detail how this extraordinary episode shaped Kennedy's character and fate, proving instrumental to achieving his presidential ambitions: "Without PT 109, there never would have been a President John F. Kennedy," declared JFK aide David Powers. Featuring castaways on a deserted island, a spy network of Solomon Island natives, an Australian coast watcher hidden on the side of a volcano, an S.O.S. note carved into a coconut, and a daring rescue attempt led by Kennedy's fellow American PT boats, PT 109 is an unforgettable American epic of war and destiny.

Traces taping history

America is the ultimate start-up venture – and these are the heroes who made it happen The history of the United States is, to a remarkable degree, the story of its entrepreneurs, those daring movers and shakers who dreamed big and risked everything to build better lives for themselves, and their fellow Americans. In American Entrepreneur, Duck Commander CEO and star of the blockbuster Duck Dynasty series Willie tells the captivating true tale of the visionaries and doers who have embodied the American Dream. We begin with the first American entrepreneurs, the Native Americans, who established a highly sophisticated commercial network across the land in the precolonial days. The original Founding Father, George Washington, was also a founding entrepreneur, at the head of a thriving agri-business venture that gave him the executive skills to steer the nation through the darkest hours of the revolution. Then, of course, there were the Mega-entrepreneurs, legendary figures like Astor, Vanderbilt, Carnegie, and Rockefeller, who transformed America, connected the country with miles of railroad track and supplied the fuel and steel that would help make this country the most powerful nation on earth. And in recent years, business visionaries from Jobs to Gates to Zuckerberg, not to mention the thousands of equally vital, yet smaller-scale, operators that spring up every year, have ushered America into the 21st century. American Entrepreneur also relates the story of the Robertson family business, telling how Willie’s family turned a humble regional duck call manufacturer, founded by his father Phil, into an international powerhouse brand. From a young age, Willie had the entrepreneurial bug, buying candy in bulk and hawking it on the school bus. He did special orders, offered revolving credit plans, and earned a small fortune for a ten-year-old—until he was hauled into the principal’s office and told to knock it off. So he transferred his focus to Phil’s fledgling business, helping in whatever way he could: folding endless numbers of cardboard boxes, cutting up roadkill to use as bait, and acting as the company’s customer service department—though he still wasn’t out of grade school. Willie helped build Duck Commander, which he now runs, into a worldwide brand, culminating in the mega-success of the Duck Dynasty television show. American Entrepreneur tells a most American tale, of those among us who through their vision, ingenuity, and good old-fashioned hard work, made something that changed the world.

"How do I know whether I have a vocation or not?" How often this question has risen to the lips of many a young boy or girl, who has come to realize that life has a purpose, only to be brushed aside with an uneasy "I am sure I have not," or a secret prayer that they might be saved from such a fate! How little they know the happiness they are throwing away in turning from God's invitation, for such a question, and such a feeling, is often the sign of a genuine vocation. In the first place, a vocation, or "a call to the priesthood or the religious life," in contradistinction to the general invitation, held out to all men, to a life of perfection even in the world, is a free gift of God bestowed on those whom He selects: "You have not chosen Me," He said to His Disciples, "but I have chosen you," and the Evangelist tells us that "Christ called unto Him whom He willed." Often that invitation is extended to those whom we would least expect. Magdalene, steeped to the lips in iniquity, became the spouse of the Immaculate; Matthew, surrounded by his ill gotten gains; Saul, "breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the Christians," each heard that summons, for a sinful life in the past, St. Thomas teaches, is no impediment to a vocation.

In ancien regime France almost all posts of public responsibility had to be bought or inherited. Rather than tax their richer subjects directly, French kings preferred to sell them privileged public offices, which further payments allowed them to sell or bequeath at will. By the eighteenthcentury there were 70,000 venal offices, comprising the entire judiciary, most of the legal profession, officers in the army, and a wide range of other professions - from financiers handling the king's revenues down to auctioneers and even wigmakers. Though now yielding diminishing returns to theking, offices were more in demand than ever for the privileges and prestige, profit and power, that they conferred; and although it was widely accepted that selling public authority was undesirable, nobody imagined that those who had invested in offices could ever be bought out. The Revolutionbrought an unexpected opportunity to do so, but the legacy of venality has marked French institutions down to our day. William Doyle, one of the foremost historians of early modern Europe, has written the first comprehensive history of the last century of venality. He traces the evolution and dissolution of a system which was fundamental to the workings of state and society in France for over threecenturies.