The Splendid Century

Title: The Splendid Century: Life in the France of Louis XIV
Genre: History
Author: Warren Hamilton Lewis (1895-1973)
Cover Design and Illustration: Edward Gorey (1925-2000)
Publisher: Doubleday Anchor, Doubleday & Co. Inc., New York, New York
Year: 1957 (paperback edition of 1953 book)
Pages: 308
Format: Paperback, Mass Market
Provenance: Multiple text passages underlined in felt tip pen. Also contained a group of photographs of a boys' basketball game (dated 2004), and the adorably doctored photo below.
Chapter Titles: The King; The Court; The Base of the Pyramid; The Church; The Army; The Country Gentleman; The Town; The Medical World; The Art of Living; The Galleys; Sea Travel; Female Education; The World of Letters; Notes for Further Reading; Index.
Opening Sentence: "We know both too much and too little about Louis VIV ever to succeed in capturing the whole man."
Random Passage: "Simultaneously, with this military activity, the Chancellor turned his attention to the wholesale bribery of the Huguenot gentry, bribery after dark, conducted in whispers between the needy gentleman and the local Intendant, who was told to do the thing regardless of expense."
Back Cover Blurb: "The Splendid Century is social history at its best." — The New York Times
Notes: This particular edition of The Splendid Century was art directed by Edward Gorey, later renowned as a macabre illustrator, during the artist's 1953-1960 stint at Doubleday's paperback division. Though the drawing style is different, Gorey's quirky hand-lettering completely gives it away.