The Cambridge Illustrated History of France

by Colin Jones, Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie

Overview

In a tour de force, Colin Jones gives a gripping, superbly and intelligently illustrated account of the political, social and cultural history of France, placing an innovatory emphasis on the impact of regionalism, class, gender and race in French heritage. Ranging from prehistoric menhirs to the Pompidou Centre, from Louis XIV's Versailles to twentieth-century highrises, from Marie Antoinette to Marie Claire, The Cambridge Illustrated History of France is host to lively and penetrating new insights that take us through the shaping of France from the earliest times to the brink of a new millennium. Combining superb illustration with outstanding scholarship, the diversity of the French heritage—scientific and artistic, national and regional—is explored with an engrossing and accessible style. Special features on places, people and events, a glossary, and a further reading section enhance this engaging book that will appeal to history buffs and students of French history and culture. Colin Jones is also the author of the Longman Companion to the French Revolution and The Cultural Atlas of France.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780521669924
Publisher:	Cambridge University Press
Publication date:	05/28/1999
Series:	Cambridge Illustrated Histories
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	352
Sales rank:	938,146
Product dimensions:	8.03(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.94(d)

Table of Contents

Preface; Foreword E. Le Roy Ladurie; Introduction; 1. France before the Romans; 2. Roman Gaul 55 BC to c. AD 500; 3. From Frankish Gaul to the kingdom of West Francia c. 500 to 987; 4. The Middle Ages 987 to 1328; 5. Valois France: the later Middle Ages and the Renaissance c. 1300 to c. 1600; 6. From Counter-Reformation to Enlightenment c. 1610 to c. 1780; 7. The Revolution and beyond c. 1780 to 1851; 8. From the Second Empire to World War I 1852 to 1914; 9. France in transition: World War I to the Liberation 1914 to 1944; 10. Post-war France: expansion and beyond 1945 to 1981; 11. France after 1981: the Mitterand years; Chronology; Picture acknowledgements; Bibliography; Index.

Editorial Reviews

"Lavishly illustrated, filled with superb maps, this coffee-table survey of French history is a quality read....Jones captures in a lively style the historical vicissitudes, complexity, and diversity of France." Religious Studies Review

"Evenhanded, readable, with a finely calculated use of pictorial art." Philadelphia Inquirer

"Lavishly illustrated, with a striking use of photographs for the 20th century, this volume is an important work of synthesis as well as a handsome introduction to France and the French for the general reader....Scholars will also be impressed by Jones's ability to integrate the all-too-often fragmentary results of their specialized researches." Choice

"If only one title on France were to be chosen for a general library collection, it should be this....an involving, educational volume reaching high school ages and up." The Bookwatch

"Explores the diversity of the French heritage and offers insight into the formation of the modern nation in a lively history of France that combines magnificent illustration with exceptional scholarship and includes features on places, people and events." Book Alert

From the Publisher