France: An Adventure History

A Spectator and Prospect Book of the Year Winner of the American Library in Paris Book Award 'An amused, erudite homage to France . . . ambitious and original' - The Times 'Ceaselessly interesting, knowledgeable and evocative' - Spectator 'A fresh way to write history' - Alan Johnson _____ Original, knowledgeable and endlessly entertaining, France: An Adventure History is an unforgettable journey through France from the first century BC to the present day. Drawn from countless new discoveries and thirty years of exploring France on foot, in the library and across 30,000 miles on the author's beloved bike. It begins with Gaulish and Roman times and ends in the age of #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, the Gilets Jaunes and Covid-19. From the plains of Provence to the slums and boulevards of Paris, events and themes of French history may be familiar - Louis XIV, the French Revolution, the French Resistance, the Tour de France - but all are presented in a shining new light by Graham Robb. Frequently hilarious, always surprising, this is a a vivid, living history of one of the world's most fascinating nations. It will make even seasoned Francophiles wonder if they really know that terra incognita which is currently referred to as 'France'. _____ 'Packed full of discoveries' - The Sunday Times 'A gorgeous tapestry of insights, stories and surprises' - Fintan O'Toole 'A rich and vibrant narrative . . . clear-eyed but imaginative storytelling' - Financial Times 'Full of life' - Prospect

Graham Robb was born in Manchester in 1958 and is a former fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. He has published widely on French literature and history. His book The Discovery of France won both the Duff Cooper and Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prizes. For Parisians the City of Paris awarded him the Grande Médaille de la Ville de Paris. He lives on the English-Scottish border.