Le Pouvoir
One of the first 200 hors commerce copies (no. 16).
Presentation copy inscribed by Druon to Maurice Genevoix: “À Monsieur et Madame Maurice Genevoix pour leur porter toutes mes pensées d'admiratif attachement. Druon.”
Accompanied by: “Madeleine et Maurice Druon, mille vœux pour vous, les filles et les Vernelles! Très affectueuse pensée. Maurice.”
Published in 1964, Le Pouvoir reflects reflection informed by experience, at a time when Maurice Druon — still a novelist and historian — was already being called upon as a public figure. This dense text examines the deep mechanisms of domination: legitimacy, morality, force, manipulation. Themes that, in their gravity, foreshadow Druon’s later responsibilities as minister and academician.
A fine provenance: this copy was sent by the academician to Maurice Genevoix, who served for fifteen years, from 1958 to 1973, as permanent secretary of the Académie française. Jean Mistler succeeded him from 1973 to 1985; on 7 November 1985, it was the turn of the author of Les Rois maudits to replace Mistler, who had resigned for health reasons. Druon then held the position for thirteen years, until 1999, roughly the same length of time as Maurice Genevoix.