A History of France

Masterfully organized and beautifully written by prolific historian Norwich (Four Princes), this ambitious one-volume history spans the centuries from Roman Gaul to 1945, aiming to "fill in the blanks" of France's past for general readers; i.e., who married or succeeded whom. With a clear focus on political history, Norwich impressively condenses vast time lines into succinct summaries. For example, the first chapter covers 900 years, moving from the Roman conquest of Gaul through the division of Charlemagne's empire. The pace slows considerably once the modern period is reached; sections on the French Revolution and Napoleon Bonaparte are especially well done. Norwich challenges readers to consider whether any single man has had a greater long-term impact on Europe than the emperor and also ponder the motivations of politician Maximilien Robespierre. Especially critical of the Franco-Prussian War, which is movingly described, he concludes with the observation that France has made more contributions to European culture than any other nation.