A Concise History of France (Cambridge Concise Histories)

Quite unbalanced - if anything, it's a history of moder France. The period between the end of the Carolingian Empire and the ascendancy of Louis XIV is painted with a very thick brush indeed as a mere backdrop for what follows; the story only really begins with the 1789 Revolution; at the midpoint of the body text the First World War already begins; on the other hand, the Fifth Republic is dealt with in far too much detailed way. Compare, for instance, the 5 pages given to the Hundred Years' War (1337–1453), 6 pages for the July Monarchy (1830-1848), and 7 pages for the 2012 presidential election. A similar 'concise history of Britain' would treat John Major as more important than Edward I and Oliver Cromwell.

Just what I wanted to get the basics in place for a holiday on France.If I had a criticism its that I found it hard to keep the two strands of narrative,the social development and the politics in tandam as the text moved between them