A neat book, just what it says on the cover, a compelling, narrative story of France's history. I think this author does better work when tackling more specific topics, I really liked his history of the papacy in "Absolute Monarchs". ( )

Began this book just to fill in a a little of the before and after of the Fr. revolution (from my other more detailed reading) but wound up reading all of it- basically because it was such an easy casual read. But... downside of breezing through so much that i (poor brained that i am) will have trouble retaining more than fleeting images of the all the Charles's and Louis's and so forth. Also the author's cavalier tone is admirable in a way, it was also annoying as often as not. is this a history - or a book of attitudes by the author? Well i don't know the author, so i didn't get much out of that. ( )

NIce to have a chronology of 2000 years of French history. But a Frenchmen could hardly have been more chauvinistic. ( )

כשכותבים וקוראים היסטוריה תמיד עולה השאלה, מה עדיף - ללכת לרוחב (תולדות אירופה בזמן החדש( או לעומק )תולדות צרפת( או להתמקד (נפוליאון בסנט הלנה( לכל אחת מן הגישות יש יתרונות וחסרונות ואלו ניכרים בברור גם בספר הזה. מצד אחד לפעמים נראה שאתה במרוץ ממלך למלך כשלכל אחד מוקדשים 3-2 עמודים, מצד שני אתה מקבל תמונה נאמנה שלתולדות צרפת והתפתחותה ומקומה באירופה. איך שלא יהיה, בזכות המחבר, שהוא אנגלי, אציל ומחבר פורה מאוד של ספרי הסטוריה פופולריים, הקריאה מהנה, מבדרת ומעוררת חשק לעוד. ( )

An engaging and highly readable exploration into the major political events in French history, broadly covering 2000 years, but most specifically between 800 and 1945.

The author speaks of his personal experience in France and with the French; the author was of the old school, having been raised in the 1930s and 1940s and inculcated in the legacy of the "great men" school of history.

Toward the end the author admits he would like to have spoken more about culture and daily life, but focused on what he knew and what he had time to discuss. The work is very engaging as a piece regarding the history of the kings and rulers and major events of France and does well at maintaining a good focus on France and not going too far afield in tangents related to other countries.

Toward WWII one gets a picture of de Gaulle and the circumstance in France which is highly informed by the author's personal experiences and those of his father, Duff Cooper, whose frequent appearance is notable. A strict historian might frown on such things, but the author throughout recognizes he is writing the history as he has understood it, and the work is all the better both for the personal judgments rendered within it and the chronicling of what the author is able to know because of his closer connection to the people involved in the narrative.

The choice to end at 1945 is appreciated, not because the history of France since is less important, but because it is hard to adjudicate it until its long term effects become more evident.

Also, the author is a British Francophile. His affection for France is evident, but it is also evident throughout that he is a bit of an outsider. It is highly unlikely a native French person would have written the history as he has done. So there's that.

But, overall, a good introduction to French history.

**--galley received as part of early review program ( )