A History of France
Books | History / Europe / France
4.1
(60)
John Julius Norwich
An “engaging, enthusiastic, sympathetic, funny” journey through French history from the New York Times–bestselling author of Absolute Monarchs (The Wall Street Journal). Beginning with Julius Caesar’s conquest of Gaul in the first century BC, this study of French history comprises a cast of legendary characters―Charlemagne, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, and Marie Antoinette, to name a few―as John Julius Norwich chronicles France’s often violent, always fascinating history. From the French Revolution―after which neither France nor the world would be the same again―to the storming of the Bastille, from the Vichy regime and the Resistance to the end of the Second World War, A History of France is packed with heroes and villains, battles and rebellion—written with both an expert command of detail and a lively appreciation for the subject matter by this “true master of narrative history” (Simon Sebag Montefiore).
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More Details:
Author
John Julius Norwich
Pages
400
Publisher
Atlantic Monthly Press
Published Date
2018-10-02
ISBN
0802146708 9780802146700
Community ReviewsSee all
"It’s is rare to find a history book that is both informative and funny in equal parts, but the late John Julius Norwich has undoubtedly pulled it off. I generally take pride in my overall knowledge of European history, but this book rightly put me in my place. I didn’t even know that there was a Second French Empire, to be perfectly honest; post Revolution to WWI I knew absolutely nothing about. Luckily that’s why I read this book! I highly recommend to anyone who is interested is high-level French history. It is (relatively) short and presents the facts in a concise (and often very funny) way. Certainly it is a testament to the author’s expansive knowledge and love for the French that this book is as wonderful as it is."
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Allie Peduto
"This is a very condensed history of France, written in a very engaging style. Its a nice way to get an overview of the country and gives you enough information that if something intrigues you, you can easily look up that particular event or person or era and research it more thoroughly."
John Detrick