The court of Louis XIV (the Sun King) at Versailles was unequalled for splendour in Europe's history, a hotbed of intrigue, jealousy, passion and political skullduggery, as well as artistic and literary excellence. The Duc de Saint-Simon was a man of political skill and influence at the heart of the royal court of over thirty years and a writer who captured its atmosphere at the height of French power and pretige. The second volume covers the wars with the coalition led by the Duke of Marlborough, the death of the Dauphin and of two of the King's grandsons, and, at the end, the death of King Louis XIV himself.