Jacques Coeur rose from ignoble circumstances to become a bursar to the king, dealing in a line of luxury goods reserved for the privileged. He became one of the richest and most powerful men
in France in the fifteenth century, cultivating trade in the Mediterranean and Near East. However, accused of various crimes including treason by way of provisioning Saracens and poisoning the
king's mistress, fraud, mismanagement of funds, and tax evasion, he only escaped death by paying off the king and escaping to papal protection. Reyerson (history, U. of Minnesota) examines
Coeur's life in the context of the diplomacy, court corruption, and complex politics of his times, drawing interesting conclusions about the nature of state trade and its motivations. She
includes a glossary and notes on her sources. Annotation 穢2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
