Book excerpt: This book provides a detailed and insightful account of the religious wars that rocked France in the second half of the sixteenth century, and had a profound impact on the politics, society, and culture of early modern Europe. The author examines the complex interplay between religious, political, and social forces that drove the conflict, as well as the role played by key figures like the Huguenot leader Admiral Coligny, Queen Mother Catherine de Medici, and the Spanish King Philip II. This book is a seminal work in the field of French and European history. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.