Brantôme, Pierre de (Bourdeille) (c. 1540–1614)

French chronicler, soldier, and courtier. Attached to the court of Charles IX and Henry III, he travelled widely in Europe and North Africa as a soldier, and fought on the Catholic side in the French Wars of Religion. In retirement he wrote memoirs that give a vivid account of military and court life in 16th-century France.

He was born in Bourdeilles and spent his early years at the court of Marguerite de Navarre. He then studied in Paris and at the university of Poitiers before embarking on a military career. He fought in French campaigns in Italy, Spain, and Portugal, and in North Africa against the Turks. In the Wars of Religion he supported the Guise faction.

Forced to retire through injury after falling from his horse, he began to write his memoirs, his main claim to fame. These were published posthumously 1665–66 and include: Les Vies des hommes illustres et des grands capitaines, an informative account of military life in the 16th century; Les Vies des dames galantes, an anecdotal exposé of the scandals of the French court; and Discours sur les duels.