France
A Short History: From Gaul to de Gaulle
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France
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Narrated by:
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John Julius Norwich
About this listen
A witty approach to 2,000 years of French history from legendary popular historian John Julius Norwich.
I can still feel, as if it were yesterday, the excitement of my first Channel crossing (as a child of nearly seven) in September 1936; the regiment of porters, smelling asphyxiatingly of garlic in their blue-green blousons; the raucous sound all around me of spoken French; the immense fields of Normandy strangely devoid of hedges; then the Gare du Nord at twilight, the policemen with their képis and their little snow-white batons; and my first sight of the Eiffel Tower....
This book is written in the belief that the average English-speaking man or woman has remarkably little knowledge of French history. We may know a bit about Napoleon or Joan of Arc or Louis XIV, but for most of us that's about it. In my own three schools we were taught only about the battles we won: Crécy and Poitiers, Agincourt and Waterloo. The rest was silence. So here is my attempt to fill in the blanks....
John Julius Norwich (at 88) has finally written the book he always wanted to write, the extremely colourful story of the country he loves best. From frowning Roman generals and belligerent Gallic chieftains to Charlemagne (hated by generations of French children taught that he invented schools) through Marie Antoinette and the storming of the Bastille to Vichy, the Resistance and beyond, France is packed with heroes and villains, adventures and battles, romance and revolution. Full of memorable stories and racy anecdotes, this is the perfect introduction to the country that has inspired the rest of the world to live, dress, eat - and love better.
©2018 John Julius Norwich (P)2018 Hodder & Stoughton LimitedWhat listeners say about France
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- PaulF
- 26-09-2018
Exactly what it purports to be
A broad light and entertaining history of France, plenty of side anecdotes and very well read
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Ben
- 04-05-2018
A wonderful stroll through french history
A beautifully narrated overview of French history. Highly recommended for fans of popular history, although not anyone who doesn't like hearing a lot about kings and queens.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Robert
- 31-10-2019
fascinating for anyone with a love of france
listened twice. glad I did as there's so much to take in. easy to enjoy.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 15-10-2020
Mostly about France's rulers, but very well told
This is an old-style history, full of kings and emperors and wars. My knowledge about France was a bit lacking, so I listened to this book to fill that gap, and it was exactly what I was looking for. Gripping, sometimes funny, informative. It is not really a social history, if you want to get a lot of insight about how French culture has developed, or the details of how people used to live, then perhaps look elsewhere. But for what it is, mostly looking at France as a political entity, it was a really good listen.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Andrew
- 11-09-2018
Engaging and informative
The authors deep love and interest in the subject makes this short history engaging. if as I you are looking for a book to give you a decent introduction to France. Look no further.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Liine
- 26-09-2018
easy listening
This book goes very fast. Partly because it seldom dives into too many historical details but mostly because it is well told, with humour and passion. As the man say, he loves France and love letters, or book as this is, are thrillingly intimate to read.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- G. Hamilton
- 16-08-2018
Superb
Interesting narrative with baits and foreshadowing, such as "It was the last decision he would make" which keeps you curious about what is around the corner.
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