The "Precis du siecle de Louis XV" is Voltaire's vivid and engaging account of his own era. In this volume, the War of the Austrian Succession concludes with the victory of Maria Theresa, and France and England continue to skirmish in the global Seven Years War. Voltaire then turns his attention to French domestic politics and the attempted assassination of the king by Damiens, in the context of the struggle between the crown and the parlement. The text is supported by extensive notes and variants from manuscript drafts and significant print editions.