Kings of the Seine: The French Rulers from Pippin III to Jacques Chirac is an up-to-date historical biography capturing the dramatic and chaotic span of over 1,250 years of French political development from the first Carolingian king, Pippin III, to the current presidency of Jacques Chirac. The book is formatted in the style of a dictionary chronicling the reigns of the individual kings, emperors and presidents in the context of their age, evoking their unique personalities, achievements and failures. The central theme presented is the rise and fall of the French monarchy and the resulting turbulent establishment of the Republic. The individual entries are arranged by separate royal dynasties followed by profiles of the political leaders whose energies forged the Republican era. Kings of the Seine is also a comprehensive narrative history of France as related through the institution of the king from the post-Charlemagne fragmentation to the absolute rule of Louis XIV, from the destruction of the monarchy as the result of the 1789 Revolution to the Napoleonic Empire and the resulting republican form of government. The book is an ideal reference source for personal, school and library use.