Philippe, Duke of Orleans has had rather a bad press from history, and Christine Pevitt argues that much of it is undeserved. When Louis XIV died in 1715, Philip acted as regent during the minority of Louis's great-grandson, later Louis XV. The son of a homosexual and a German mother, he is not an easy man to evaluate; some saw him as a cynical rake who cared little for the chores of government, and he has also been accused of corrupting the future king. The truth appears to be more complex. Philippe undoubtedly had brains and ability, as well as an innate judgment of men and woman, but he was also pleasure-loving and seemingly without any deep convictions or loyalties, and intrigue was a constant feature of his years in power. Nevertheless, the book sheds a good deal of light on French life and politics in what was essentially a period of transition and change.