"A wonderful, deep, scholarly treatment of the development of the gardens of Versailles during the reigns of Louis XIV, XV, and XVI, based on original sources including government records and works of philosophers, artists, garden designers, and others." (Choice) "This work treats its subject from an original angle, recalling that the gardens were conceived according to the will of Louis XIV and reflect the politics set in motion by Colbert, which profoundly altered the structure of French society." (L'Express) "Known the world over, the gardens of Versailles are often visited hurriedly by crowds of tourists. . . . In contrast, this book examines the political and cultural intrigues during the era of the gardens' creation. To achieve his masterpiece, Louis XIV mobilized the seventeenth century's artistic and scientific elite. This work enables us to discover this universe." (Jardins, in a review of the French edition)