A History of France
New York : Atlantic Monthly Press, 2018.
Format: Book
Edition: First Grove Atlantic hardcover edition.
Description: xiii, 382 pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm
John Julius Norwich--called a "true master of narrative history" by Simon Sebag Montefiore--returns with the book he has spent his distinguished career wanting to write, A History of France : a portrait of the past two centuries of the country he loves best.
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 Antionette, to name a few--as 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, stories so enthralling that Norwich declared, "I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed writing a book more."
With his celebrated stylistic panache and expert command of detail, Norwich writes in an inviting, intimate tone, and with a palpable affection for France. One of our greatest contemporary historians has deftly crafted a comprehensive yet concise portrait of the country's historical sweep.
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 Antionette, to name a few--as 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, stories so enthralling that Norwich declared, "I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed writing a book more."
With his celebrated stylistic panache and expert command of detail, Norwich writes in an inviting, intimate tone, and with a palpable affection for France. One of our greatest contemporary historians has deftly crafted a comprehensive yet concise portrait of the country's historical sweep.
Contents:
Very dark indeed, 58 BC-843 -- Their own destruction sure, 843-1151 -- The gift of Excalibur, 1151-1223 -- The fatal tower, 1223-1326 -- A captured king, 1326-80 -- A foregone conclusion, 1380-1453 -- The universal spider, 1453-83 -- A warm, sunlit land, 1483-1515 -- With his usual flourish, 1515-47 -- "Well worth a mass," 1547-1643 -- "L'État c'est moi?," 1643-1715 -- The writing on the wall, 1715-89 -- "I am indeed your king," 1789-93 -- "Pas de faiblesse!," 1793-5 -- A blessing or a curse?, 1795-1815 -- The perfect compromise, 1815-48 -- "A symbol of national glory," 1848-52 -- A sphinx without a riddle: 1852-70 -- The last manifestation, 1870-3 -- "J'accuse!," 1873-1935 -- The Cross of Lorraine, 1935-45.
ISBN:
9780802128904 (hardcover)
Availability | |||
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Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
HISTORY Europe France Nor | Wheatley (Shandon) | Nonfiction | In |