Capetian France 987-1328 Book

Not, it's not exactly a captivating page-turner, but it is a very informative academic account of its subject matter.

Under the Capetians, France congealed as a kingdom, but we shouldn't read that as inevitable. There were ups and downs along the way and it was never foreordained that things would work out as they did. The early Capetian kings had minimal power outside their own family domains around Paris. Barons and lords could ignore the kings with impunity, especially in southern France. Things hit a low point in the 1040s due to a crisis of authority, but from the late 11th century onward the kingdom experience a gradual rise in power. The turning point came around 1200 or so, when Philip Augustus began his series of successful conquests versus England's King John. Hallam locates the key period in the rise of Capetian power as 1200-1226 - the back half of Philip's reign plus that of his son. Royal power continued to expand, thanks in part due to the development of feudal suzerainty. Louis IX (St. Louis) gets a lengthy chapter devoted to his reign, when he used a combination of his own piety and the furthering instruments of power (increasing administration and judicial networks under royal power) to increase his power. Around 1300, the rise of other states caused ruinously expensive wars, which led to financial problems, which caused the need for new forms of taxation.

After the Capetian line ended, the more consolidated princes were able to gain more influence (aided by the financial problems of the Late Medieval royalty). In the 14th century, royal power went into decline -- but that's beyond the Capetians.