Maurice Druon: Les Rois maudits and early editions

Maurice Druon in a few words

Born in Paris, nephew of Joseph Kessel, Maurice Druon joined the Free French Forces during the war and composed, with his uncle, the lyrics of The Song of the Partisans. The Goncourt Prize crowned Les Grandes Familles, the first instalment of the trilogy The End of Men, followed by The Fall of the Bodies and Rendezvous with Hell. He then published The Accursed Kings, a series of seven historical novels chronicling the last direct Capetians and the early stages of the Hundred Years' War, from The Iron King to When a King Loses France. Druon also wrote a children's tale, Tistou the Green Thumbs, a biography of Alexander the Great, and The Memoirs of Zeus. Elected to the Académie française, he became its perpetual secretary; he also served as Minister of Cultural Affairs.

What we offer

Our stock includes several dozen copies by Maurice Druon: individual volumes or sets of The Accursed Kings, novels from The End of Men, essays, speeches, and academic texts, in both standard editions and numbered printings. The grid above lists titles where the author's name appears in the heading, from the most recently acquired to the oldest. Complete sets in first editions are indicated as such in the descriptions.

Identifying a fine edition of Druon

Druon's novels first appeared in paperback, with Les Grandes Familles published by Julliard and the early volumes of The Accursed Kings by Del Duca, later taken over by Plon. The original edition is identifiable by the publisher's name, the absence of any reprint notice, and, for limited editions, the paper quality and justification of the print run on large paper. Many later hardcover editions, often illustrated, were distributed by book clubs: these are pleasant to read and give as gifts, but lack the value of a first edition. An author's signed inscription, common on volumes from his peak years, is always prized.

Buying and conservation advice

For The Accursed Kings, check the uniformity of a set: same publisher, same format, same condition. The seven volumes were published over more than twenty years, and later boxed sets often combine different editions; our listings specify this. Paperbacks from this period yellow quickly: store them away from sunlight in a temperate room, and handle the spines with care. A copy bound at the time, with covers preserved, is a good compromise between durability and respect for the edition.

To go further

The historical novel in old editions holds a prominent place in our Literature and Original Editions section and in the History section, where one can find the sources of Les Rois maudits: chronicles, histories of France, and biographies of the Capetians. The page dedicated to Alexandre Dumas features another great serial novelist of French history. Our Original Editions and Presentation Copies guide helps decipher printing justifications. For a gift, the Offering an Old Book page provides suggestions.