The French Mind
400 Years of Romance, Revolution and Renewal
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The French Mind
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Narrated by:
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Richard Attlee
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By:
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Peter Watson
About this listen
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We are endlessly fascinated by the French. We are fascinated by their way of life, their creativity, sophistication and self-assurance, and even their insistence that they are exceptional. But how did France become the country it is today, and what really sets it apart?
Journalist and historian Peter Watson sets out to answer these questions in The French Mind, a dazzling history of France that takes us from the seventeenth century to the present day through the nation’s most influential thinkers. He opens the doors to the Renaissance salons that were a breeding ground for poets, philosophers and scientists, and tells the forgotten stories of the extraordinary succession of women who ran these institutions, fostering a culture of stylish intellectualism unmatched anywhere else in the world.
It’s a story that takes us into Bohemian cafes and cabarets, into chic Parisian high culture via French philosophies of food, fashion and sex, while growing unrest hastens the bloody birth of a republic. From the 1789 revolution to the country’s occupation by Nazi Germany, Watson argues that a unique series of devastating military defeats helped shape the resilient, proud, innovative character of the French.
This is a history of breathtaking ambition, propelled by the characters Watson brings to vivid life: the writers, revolutionaries and painters who loved, inspired and rivalled one another over four hundred years. It documents the shaping of a nation whose global influence, in art, culture and politics, cannot be overstated.
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‘An encyclopaedic celebration of French intellectuals refusing to give up on universal principles, rooted in the Enlightenment and French Revolution, while remaining slim, bringing up well-behaved children and falling in love at every opportunity’ The Times
'An engaging movement through time towards France’s recent reckonings with extremism, exceptionalism and empire’ TLS©2022 Peter Watson (P)2022 Simon & Schuster, UK
What listeners say about The French Mind
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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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- JayD
- 27-08-2022
Informative and enjoyable
Well-constructed, consistent and above all interesting. The author succeeds, I feel, in describing the unique prominence intellect has in French culture and makes a compelling argument for its origin.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Nigel Jarvis
- 15-12-2024
Historical wellsprings of the French psyche
This book achieves what it sets out to do - it introduces the reader to the French mind (or psyche).
It covers centuries of French history from various perspectives, but the result is a deeper and richer understanding of high French culture.
A large portion of the text covers a history of French saloons, which is quite enlightening and relevant, due to the important role that they played in forming the French mind.
The author is clearly very well read in French and English. The narrator is excellent.
I have bought a physical copy for my wife and have recommended it to others. Enjoy!
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