A History of France

The world-renowned historian John Julius Norwich has delivered the book he has always wanted to write: a single-volume history of FranceJohn Julius Norwich - called a true master of narrative history" by Simon Sebag Montefiore - returns with the book... Read more

The world-renowned historian John Julius Norwich has delivered the book he has always wanted to write: a single-volume history of FranceJohn 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." Less