Research & Resources
Below you'll find links, bibliographies, and more - what I used to write the book and where you can learn more, as well as helpful links to sites of interest.
Ye Olde French Memoires
18th century aristocrats had a penchant for writing their memoires. These gained popularity as the century went on and the number of primary sources expands exponentially. "Primary Sources" really needs to be in air quotes - pretty much all of these sources contradict each other and there didn't seem to be a whole lot of emphasis placed on what actually happened; rather they seem designed primarily to offer up the version of the past, and themselves, that the author wanted remembered by posterity. In no particular order, and with links where they are available online (and thanks to Google Books that's pretty much all of them!):
Memoires du Duc de Luynes
- All 17 volumes of it, a blow by blow account of daily life at Versailles from 1735 to 1758. Unfortunately I could never find an English version.
http://cour-de-france.fr/article299.html?lang=fr
Mémoires du Maréchal Duc de Richelieu
- Lots of volumes and lots of different versions. Authorship in doubt but hugely entertaining. An English version can be found on the Forgotten Books site:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=WQntKhkxosAC&rdid=book-WQntKhkxosAC&rdot=1
Mémoires et journal inédit du marquis d'Argenson
- By one of Louis' ministers and the brother of the more famous comte d'Argenson
http://books.google.ca/books/about/M%C3%A9moires_et_journal_in%C3%A9dit_du_marquis.html?id=fbcvAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y
Les Memoires de la Duchesse de Brancas
- This is Diane's mother-in-law
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=iQFbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PP1
Dictionnaire critique et raisonnee des etiquettes de la cour, et des usages du monde by the Comtesse de Genlis
- Interesting book on etiquette and manners by the amazing and prolific Comtesse de Genlis
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=Oq95jNMScrcC&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PP11
Souvenirs de la Marquise de Crequey
- High aristocrat entertaining "memoires"; contemporary of the sisters
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/crequy/
Mémoires du comte de Maurepas, by Soulavie
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=QZCeLDGTeB4C&rdid=book-QZCeLDGTeB4C&rdot=1
- All 17 volumes of it, a blow by blow account of daily life at Versailles from 1735 to 1758. Unfortunately I could never find an English version.
http://cour-de-france.fr/article299.html?lang=fr
Mémoires du Maréchal Duc de Richelieu
- Lots of volumes and lots of different versions. Authorship in doubt but hugely entertaining. An English version can be found on the Forgotten Books site:
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=WQntKhkxosAC&rdid=book-WQntKhkxosAC&rdot=1
Mémoires et journal inédit du marquis d'Argenson
- By one of Louis' ministers and the brother of the more famous comte d'Argenson
http://books.google.ca/books/about/M%C3%A9moires_et_journal_in%C3%A9dit_du_marquis.html?id=fbcvAAAAMAAJ&redir_esc=y
Les Memoires de la Duchesse de Brancas
- This is Diane's mother-in-law
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=iQFbAAAAQAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PP1
Dictionnaire critique et raisonnee des etiquettes de la cour, et des usages du monde by the Comtesse de Genlis
- Interesting book on etiquette and manners by the amazing and prolific Comtesse de Genlis
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=Oq95jNMScrcC&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PP11
Souvenirs de la Marquise de Crequey
- High aristocrat entertaining "memoires"; contemporary of the sisters
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/crequy/
Mémoires du comte de Maurepas, by Soulavie
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=QZCeLDGTeB4C&rdid=book-QZCeLDGTeB4C&rdot=1
Older secondary sources
A group of books that rely heavily on the memoires above. Veracity not to be trusted in many cases and can't be used as primary sources. Some of them are written as novels.
Louis XV intime et les petites maitresses by Comte Fleury
https://play.google.com/books/reader?printsec=frontcover&output=reader&id=fMLLDpORxlgC
Les galanteries de la cour de Louis XV by Gabrielle Anne Cisterne de Courtiras Vicomtesse de Saint-Mars
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=UpwtAAAAMAAJ&rdid=book-UpwtAAAAMAAJ&rdot=1
Les Maitresses du Louis XV by Jules and Edmund Goncourt
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=vPorAAAAIAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PP5
La Duchesse de Chateauroux et ses soeurs, by Jules and Edmund Goncourt
https://books.google.ca/books?id=oDQJAAAAQAAJ&pg=PR15&lpg=PR15&dq=la+duchesse+de+chateauroux+et+ses+soeurs&source=
Correspondance Inedite de Madame de Chateauroux, foreward by Madame Gacon du Four
These are supposedly letters written by Marie Anne to a number of her contemporaries, including Richelieu, but they are likely apocryphal. To me they sound exactly like they had been written by a writer to advance key plot points (it takes one to know one).
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=q8Q-AAAAYAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PR4
Mesdemoiselles de Nesle et la jeunesse de Louis XV, par M. Capfigue
https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=YldAAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontcover&output=reader&hl=en&pg=GBS.PP8
The Real Louis XV by Andrew Haggard
http://www.ebooksread.com/authors-eng/andrew-haggard/the-real-louis-the-fifteenth-volume-1-gga.shtml
La duchesse de Chateauroux, by Sophie Gay
Journal Historique, Ou Fastes Du Regne de Louis XV, Surnomme Le Bien Aime par Jean-Baptiste-Michel De Levy
https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=2FY5ujep8qUC&rdid=book-2FY5ujep8qUC&rdot=1
Modern secondary sources
The third group of books that I consulted while researching Sisters were contemporary biographies of Louis XV as well as general works about France, society, religion and culture in the 18th century. Too many to list individually; I've listed some on The Rivals of Versailles Resources & Research page.
Links and other resources
Helpful general site about Versailles and the Court
http://www.courduroi-versailles.fr/Pages/default.aspx
Versailles Palace Research Centre
- Great biographical resource
http://www.chateauversailles-recherche-ressources.fr/jlbweb/jlbWeb?html=accueil
Dames et Filles d'honneur des cours françaises
- Crazy comphrensive list of every single lady in waiting at the French courts from the 15th century
http://roglo.eu/roglo?lang=fr;m=NOTES;f=Listes:Les_femmes_dans_Roglo:Dames_d_honneur#p_1200
A really comprehensive family tree of the Mailly family, which clarifies (as well as showing the complexity) of the relationships between the sisters, Tante, Louise's husband, etc. Scroll down to pages 38-41 for the relevant slides.
http://www.courduroi-versailles.fr/Pages/default.aspx
Versailles Palace Research Centre
- Great biographical resource
http://www.chateauversailles-recherche-ressources.fr/jlbweb/jlbWeb?html=accueil
Dames et Filles d'honneur des cours françaises
- Crazy comphrensive list of every single lady in waiting at the French courts from the 15th century
http://roglo.eu/roglo?lang=fr;m=NOTES;f=Listes:Les_femmes_dans_Roglo:Dames_d_honneur#p_1200
A really comprehensive family tree of the Mailly family, which clarifies (as well as showing the complexity) of the relationships between the sisters, Tante, Louise's husband, etc. Scroll down to pages 38-41 for the relevant slides.
Blogs I follow
Madame Guillotine
http://madameguillotine.org.uk/
Marie Antoinette’s 18th century Gossip Guide
http://marie-antoinettequeenoffrance.blogspot.com/
Historical Fiction Chicks
http://histficchick.com/
Scandalous Women
http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.com/
Historical Fiction Notebook
http://www.historicalfictionnotebook.com
Reading the Past
http://readingthepast.blogspot.com/
Tea at Trianon
http://teaattrianon.blogspot.com/
Enchanted by Josephine
http://www.enchantedbyjosephine.blogspot.com
Two Nerdy History Girls
http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com
HisStory Her Story
http://authorherstorianparent.blogspot.com/
Writing Women's History
http://writingwomenshistory.blogspot.com/
History and Women
http://www.historyandwomen.com
Historical Novel Review
http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com
Amazing Women in History
http://www.amazingwomeninhistory.com
18th century Common
http://www.18thcenturycommon.org
18th Century Cuisine
http://18thccuisine.blogspot.com
Women of History
http://womenofhistory.blogspot.com
Women's History Blog
http://womenshistorynetwork.org
http://madameguillotine.org.uk/
Marie Antoinette’s 18th century Gossip Guide
http://marie-antoinettequeenoffrance.blogspot.com/
Historical Fiction Chicks
http://histficchick.com/
Scandalous Women
http://scandalouswoman.blogspot.com/
Historical Fiction Notebook
http://www.historicalfictionnotebook.com
Reading the Past
http://readingthepast.blogspot.com/
Tea at Trianon
http://teaattrianon.blogspot.com/
Enchanted by Josephine
http://www.enchantedbyjosephine.blogspot.com
Two Nerdy History Girls
http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot.com
HisStory Her Story
http://authorherstorianparent.blogspot.com/
Writing Women's History
http://writingwomenshistory.blogspot.com/
History and Women
http://www.historyandwomen.com
Historical Novel Review
http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com
Amazing Women in History
http://www.amazingwomeninhistory.com
18th century Common
http://www.18thcenturycommon.org
18th Century Cuisine
http://18thccuisine.blogspot.com
Women of History
http://womenofhistory.blogspot.com
Women's History Blog
http://womenshistorynetwork.org
