The Cambridge Illustrated History of France

Combining superb illustration with authoritative text, this is a major political and social history of France from earliest times to the eve of the new millennium. Colin Jones offers not only an expert's account of political, social and cultural developments, but also a fresh and full interpretation of French history. The Cambridge Illustrated History of France places an innovatory emphasis on the importance of issues of regionalism, class, gender and race in the French heritage. Ranging across social, political, geographical and cultural lines - from prehistoric menhirs to the Pompidou Centre, from Louis XIV's Versailles to twentieth-century high-rises, from Marie Antoinette to Marie Claire - the author provides a host of lively and penetrating new insights into the shaping of the modern nation. 'Authoritative, well-written, solidly thought through, this book, which has no equivalent in recent writing about French history, should reach out beyond the British Isles to the English-speaking world in its entirety.' Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie 'An awesome range of topics ... the book is a veritable tour de force.' French Cultural Studies 'Good one-volume histories of France are not all that common, and after this one they might well become less so. This is because it is hard to see how it might be bettered ... this book will be the obvious starting point for years to come for anglophones everywhere who want to know about the history of France.' French StudiesPreface; 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.