Richelieu and the French Monarchy Book

This is a brief but enjoyable account of the Cardinal's rise to prominence (so many of these narratives hinge on the fate of sibling unexpectedly passing) in a career--in which Richelieu essentially centralized the French government, shearing off medieval vestiges , established a navy which would lend France a global presence and all along was a ruthless bastard in dealing with enemies -- both political and/or sectarian. Richelieu was savvy that his power was predicated on royal approval and he appears to be constantly plotting and repositioning himself. Such political agility is always interesting. Unfortunately Richelieu confronted many issues with the arrogance of a McNamara, one can imagine his holy slide rule.