Description

By (author) Jones, Colin

Short /annotation:
A global history of the world’s most visited country—from Caesar’s Gallic Wars to current political crisis. The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.

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France has long been feted for its unsurpassed cultural and historical riches. Gothic architecture, Louis XIV opulence, revolutionary spirit, café society . . . what could be more quintessentially French? Rarely do we think of France as a melting pot, and yet historian Colin Jones asserts it’s no less a mélange of foreign ingredients than the United States—and by some measures, more so.The Shortest History of France reveals a nation whose politics and society have always been shaped by global forces. With up-to-date scholarship that avoids the traps of national exceptionalism, Jones reminds us that it was only after the first millennium of French history—after constant subjugation to the Roman Empire and Germanic tribal forces—that a nation-state began to emerge, while absorbing influences from its European neighbors. Later, the Crusades and subsequent overseas colonization paved the way for cultural exchange with Africa, the Caribbean, East Asia, and elsewhere.France has been home to the Enlightenment, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Paris Agreement . . . but also to the Vichy regime, the Algerian War, and persistent racism and civil unrest. By turns serious and spirited, The Shortest History of France is a dynamic, global story for our times.The Shortest History books deliver thousands of years of history in one riveting, fast-paced read.

Table of contents:
Introduction: The Hexagon in Global ContextThe First Millennium, 52BCE–1000CEFrance Emergent, 1000–1500New Worlds, 1500–1720France Goes Global, 1720–1850 Imperial France’s German Problem, 1850–1940Resetting the Nation, 1940–1989Memories and Prospects, 1989–the presentBibliographyAcknowledgments

Review quote:
“Colin Jones is not only one of the greatest living historians of France, but a terrific writer who has distilled a remarkable quantity of learning, insight, and wit into this concise and wonderfully readable volume. There is no better starting point for readers interested in the history of France and its overseas empires.”

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“A perfect little digest—and a great one to read if you’re due to attend a party with history buffs, or even enthusiasts. Jones’s book should appeal to both philistines and experts.”

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“Colin Jones has proven that ‘shortest’ can rhyme with ‘best.’ Anyone curious about France’s long and remarkable history should grab this book. Its style is clear, down-to-earth, and totally absorbing.”

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“Moving at the speed of a TGV, and drawing on his deep knowledge of France and its past, Jones deploys his writing talent to show how the history of ‘the Hexagon’ has always been intimately connected to developments in other parts of Europe and the world.”

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“Vital, incisive, revelatory.”

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“The historian Colin Jones has a gift for examining events afresh.”

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“A marvelous, engaging, and constantly enlightening story.”

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“An ideal introduction to French history for almost any reader . . . the range of Jones’s coverage, delivered with elegance and often wit, is very impressive.”

Biographical note:
Colin Jones is Emeritus Professor of History at Queen Mary University of London and visiting professor at the University of Chicago. He is a fellow of the British Academy, former president of the Royal Historical Society, and officier in the Ordre des Palmes académiques. He is the author and editor of many works on French history, including The C