Customer Reviews

The Arrogance of the French: Why They Can't Stand Us--and Why the Feeling Is Mutual

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I am a French reader who often chooses American and British books in order to get a non-French point of view. Chesnoff's new book "The Arrogance of the French" was sent to me by an American friend. It makes painful reading for any French person, but if I want to be honest, I must admit he has captured the essence of all our faults and prideful behavior - and with wit and humor. Moreover, I found that while it is written with harsh criticisms and even anger at our attitude towards the nation that saved us from destruction, it is not without sympathy for France - and certainly not written in hatred. General De Gaulle used to warn that we French could often be our own worst enemies - and this book points that out all too well. A well done book!

The author of this delightful and informative book, Richard Chesnoff, has lived in and reported on France for decades. He is quite aware of the charms of the country without being blind to its faults and perverseness. This book provides us with explanations that help us understand why France is the way she is and how her relationship with the United States has had more vacillations than a drunk walking through the spinning barrels at Coney Island.

Chesnoff shows us the current internal contradictions of French society. They view themselves as the rightful dispensers of culture to the world while decrying the spread of our culture all the while eating at McDonalds, wearing Jeans, and watching our TV shows and movies. They want to work less and are most concerned at their deteriorating social safety net and have the most uninformed notions about real life in America. They imagine endless grinding poverty amidst the palaces of the rich.

The author reminds us that France was an ardent supporter of the founding of Israel, but has slowly morphed into a staunch ally of the Arab nations. The financial benefits, kickbacks, bribes, and corruption that France receives from nations such as Quadaffi's Libya and Saddam's Iraq go a decent way down the road in explaining their - nearly unilateral - opposition to the United States in extending the War on Terror to Iraq.

Also, the Arab population within France is now around 10% and has a huge birth rate as opposed to the indigenous French population's negative growth rate. Yet, the Arab faces are largely excluded from the media, and religious expression such as Muslim girls wearing the headscarves at school is banned. Nonetheless, anti-Semitism against Jews is tacitly acceptable and all too prevalent.

We are provided an explanation of the French educational system and how its emphasis on Descartes and individual work leads to some absurd expressions of national character. There is a reason that deconstructionism experienced its florescence in France.

The author also provides a chapter on why he continues to live in France, what he delights in even though he admits living in a medieval heap of stones that he has fixed up, much to the consternation of his neighbors who disapprove of anything that smacks of personal initiative. Each chapter also begins with a delightful cartoon illustrating the point of the pages to follow. One of the chapters also provides a list of French owned companies you can boycott if you wish. However, once you read the list, you will realize that it is a tough thing to do.

The appendix provides handy French phrases for dealing with snooty Frenchmen (or Frenchwomen) with a pronunciation guide and an English translation. There is also a helpful index.

This is a very fun and informative read. The prose is a delight. I cannot imagine why you would not want to spend a few hours enjoying its many pleasures. Recommended.

Richard Chesnoff has written a gem of a book. Like a precious jewel or keepsake I will keep this edition by my bedside through many moons. What he achieves with a disarming charm and wit is a complete put down of the French "hauteur". As an Englishman I delighted in this book with the sprinkling of historical overview and anecdotal experiences from living in France and peppered with entertaining dialogue and discourse, Chesnoff has created a picture of the French that is far from flattering and yet at the same time is a gloriously understated putdown. Chesnoff is a great raconteur..Oh Merde! I used a French word! ( be sure not to miss the insult dictionary in the back of the book.. a travellers must!). The book is a delight that even a francophile ( are there any?) would begrudgingly enjoy!

I recommend this book to all those people who are interested in our relationship with Europe and/or France. The author reviews both the history of Franco-US relations from the revolution to today. He places emphasis on the US Civil War, WWI, WWII and the Cold War as tense times in the relationship. He also examines Frances role in the Holocaust and their current feelings for Israel. A discussion of contemporary political leaders and some opinions by the author are sprinkled throughout the book. Understand that the author LIVES in France for 9 months out of the year and his opinion is an educated one. The most eye-opening part of the book is when he get opinions from 20 something French kids about America. Ignorance has never been on display so well. Remember that these French kids are immersed in American culture from movies, books, etc. This is a great summer read on the beach that you can finish in a weekend. It is enjoyable, enraging and entertaining. I agree with the authors conclusion that France is is big trouble, read why in this book.

I have visited France and have studied the history of France both on the undergraduate and graduate level. This book is a very readable explanation of what has been going on for centuries. By learning how the Franch have behaved and are behaving, it is easy to understand why they are so angry at us. They lost their colonial power from Africa to Asia, so they accuse the U.S. of being imperialistic. Drawing upon their own history of treating other nations it apparently never occurs to them that one country could actually want to help another.This book really gets inside the minds and culture of France and the French.

This book is right on the mark - and way ahead of the headlines. Indeed, if anyone needed any evidence to show just how arrogant and self destructive the French really are, then they had only to read the recent news stories describing how the French rejected the new European Union constitution because they really don't want to share with fellow Europeans and because they don't want to give up social benefits they can't afford. Chesnoff's book is a well written, humorous and fun to read book that explains just why the French are so disliked throughout Europe and why they have so often proven disloyal friends of the US. I recommend it to anyone who wants to understand France and Americas's role in the world.

"Arrogance of the French" extends not only to Americans - the French are disdainful of everyone - including each other.As an Italian who has spent considerable time working in France, I can attest to that. This new book by Richard Chesnoff details it all in a clever and very amusing way, but with enough solid facts to make it one of the most informative books on European affairs that I have read in ages. Mr Chesnoff is especially clear on the problems facing France and the French. They can't rest on 200 year old laurels and they can't sweep their problems away by picking on their friends.

Knee-jerk critiques of Chesnoff's sterling new book, "The Arrogance of the French" clearly come from people who haven't bothered to read it! His humorous but serious work lays out, with facts and clear figures, how France has declined, socially, politically and culturally. If you want to see great contemporary art, you go to London or New York. Even their "great" restaurants aren't as great as they used to be. As for their "fabulous" health care, how to explain the deaths of 15,000 people during a recent heat wave that hit other European countries with casualties only in the hundreds?
The often heinous French attitude toward America is nothing more than a reflection of their own weakness, the jealous fit of envy of an aging star. Chesnoff tells it like it is with wit and understanding.

They are truly exasperating and "The Arrogance of the French" explains why and how to deal with them. This is one of the wittiest books I have read in ages - and certainly the best yet on the French and their long standing love/hate relationship with the United States. The history and current situation are both explained astutely but concisely. I particularly enjoyed Chesnoff's list of expressions you can use when that haughty French waiter get's haughty with you! A must read for anyone who ever tried to understand the mysterious and maddening French. Merci M. Chesnoff!

I've distrusted and disliked the French for ages. But I never realized how duplicitous and how ungrateful they were till I read "Arrogance of the French". Chesnoff's new book details just how badly they have behaved towards the U.S. over the past few years - and in the far past as well. It's a serious book that explains the French mentality, but it is written with tongue in cheek and filled with humor, not to mention terrific cartoons! Pass the freedom fries!