Master Bernard is a historical novel which reflects what actually happened during the terrible religious wars between the Roman Catholics and the Huguenots (Calvinist Protestants) in France during the second half of the 16th century. The principal character is a real person: Bernard Palissy, master potter, craftsman, writer, researcher and lecturer who lived from 1510 to 1589. Many of his glazed pottery masterpieces can be found today in the Louvre and other major museums around the world.

This is a story which vividly describes the customs of that time and how Palissy and his family were drawn into one of the bloodiest chapters of French history. The French author closely followed events as described in Palissy’s own autobiography which provides the reader with a real insight into the challenges of that period. Elie Berthet (1815-1891), the author of this work, was one of France’s leading writers in the 19th century, having produced over 100 novels about Paris, French history and other subjects. His books have been translated into a dozen languages.

This is the first English translation.