Le Roman de Chambord

A "Linguality" series book, designed for learning the French language. As you read the french text, you can refer to the extensive English glossary placed opposite every page of text. Each page has so much annotation you don't need a translation, or even a dictionary. As a bonus, the book comes with a FREE audio interview - a fascinating conversation in French or Italian with the author. We make it easy to understand by including a full transcript for you to follow. About this book: For five centuries, the château of Chambord has been an emblem of the epic scope and tumultuousness of French history. This chatty, eminently readable history of the château traces the high points and low ebbs of a magnificent monument, beginning with the coup de foudre experienced by François 1er when he first hunted in the forest there as a teenager. Three years into his reign as king, François experienced the first failure of his life when Charles V was named Holy Roman emperor. To compensate, he decided to raze the old hunting lodge at Chambord and build a château grander than any other in Europe. For the next three centuries, Chambord welcomed some of France's most eminent figures. After the Revolution, the château fell into disrepair, but its surrounding forest remained a popular hunting ground. After World War II, it underwent a major restoration and today is one of the principal tourist attractions in France.