Témoigner de la guerre à la Renaissance

In the middle of the Italian Wars and the Wars of Religion, French captains did much more than lead their men into battle. With pens in hand, they fought another battle for the honor of their house and their order, chronicling their martial exploits. These warrior-authors were gentlemen, patrons, servants, readers, cadets, Christians, and courtiers for whom writing was a way of engaging with the world. They drew on their professional expertise, their skills as lords, and their literary, noble, and religious culture to acquire the tools necessary to gain mastery over the writing of military affairs and to capture the benefits of their commitment. As acts of writing, their memoirs prolong the everyday practices of servants accustomed to reporting on their service and social domination. Far from being monuments for posterity, they were at the heart of a negotiation with society and the State.