This is the one reference work that French teachers, students and librarians need for student assignments on the regions of France. A one-stop, easy-to-use reference guide organized by region, it offers in-depth and comprehensive coverage of the cultural life (including cuisine and recipes), customs, history, politics, and the economy of each region. There is no other reference work like it in either English or French. It makes the 22 regions of France accessible to students and others interested in modern and contemporary France, and helps them to understand the complexities of France today and the role of the various regions in the nation's historical, political, economic, and cultural development. A selection of photographs complements the text. The French often tell us, "Paris is not France!" This guide allows the reader to see the great geographical, cultural, and linguistic variety that exists in France today. Each chapter focuses on a different region and is organized around specific categories: regional geography, history, recent politics, population, economy, culture (including cuisine), architecture and noteworthy sites, and further reading. An introduction offers an historical overview of France from earliest times to the present and a discussion of the regions' role in France today. Appendixes include an historical time line and a list of the rulers of France. An essential purchase for school and public libraries.
FREE Two-Day Shipping for Students. Learn more |
| ||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From Booklist
We can best describe medieval France as a conglomeration of independent states. The Capetians, for instance, rarely exercised any form of central government beyond the boundaries of Paris. Louis XIV, the Sun King, consolidated the power of the monarchy during his epic reign, centralizing the government of the regions at Versailles. These regions, however, never lost their individuality, despite repeated attempts from the Revolution onwards. An inhabitant of Brittany, for example, is always Breton before French. This mind-set has allowed the French as a nation to adapt to the new Europe much better than their neighbors.
Wayne Northcutt, a professor of history at Niagara University and a true Francophile, has compiled in this reference work an extensive guide to the 22 regions that make up modern France. Northcutt culls the information from various statistical, governmental, and journalistic sources within France and is thoroughly up-to-date. The book is arranged in chapters, each detailing a region, and is very well indexed. These chapters are prefaced by a brief guide to the history of France and followed by a chronology of significant events and a listing of the monarchs, emperors, presidents, and other rulers of France, its historical kingdoms, empires, and five republics.
Each chapter on the regions gives a brief overview of its history, complementing that for the nation. A map and a short essay place the region geographically and note the region's departments, its capital, and its climate. Following this are sections on recent politics, population, and the economy of the region. The part on regional culture, which follows, is the longest, detailing the diversity of language that one does not expect in France and trends in the arts and literature. A book on France would not be complete without a look at the cuisine, and this one examines regional varieties, providing a sample recipe.
As a one-step reference guide to France and its regions, The Regions of France, like its companion volume, The Regions of Spain (Greenwood, 1995), is an invaluable addition to most reference collections and a recommended purchase for any Francophile. It is also a detailed snapshot of late 1990s France, showing the user that there is much more to the country than Paris or Peter Mayle's romantic Provence. It is highly recommended for public and academic libraries.
Review
“Many visitors to France receive their initial impressions of that country from their experiences of Paris. Northcutt seeks to inform readers of the wealth, diversity, and energy provided by the 22 formally recognized regions where 80 percent of the population dwell....a detailed, up-to-date, and comprehensive guide. Recommended for academic and public libraries.”–Choice
“As a one-step reference guide to France and its regions, The Regions of France, like its companion volume, The Regions of Spain (Greenwood, 1995), is an invaluable addition to most reference collections and a recommended purchase for any Francophile. It is also a detailed snapshot of late 1990s France, showing the user that there is much more to the country than Paris, Peter Mayle's romantic Provence, or the mystical granite ranks of stones at Carnac. It is highly recommended for public and academic libraries.”–Booklist/Reference Books Bulletin
“Northcutt has produced an invaluable guide to a neglected subject, France's great regional diversity. The book includes politics, the arts, civilization, even cuisine with sample recipes. It will be an indispensable work of reference and general interest for students and teachers of French language, history, and civilization.”–Irwin Wall Professor of History, University of California, Riverside
“[A]n invaluable document for both students and teachers of contemporary French civilization. Examining as it does the history, geography, economy and culture of each of France's twenty-two regions, it presents a comprehensive and in-depth view of France, missing from most textbooks of French history and culture. Well-written and clearly presented, this book helps the reader to better understand French society, in particular, the complexities underlying the emergence of modern French national identity.”–Venita Datta Director of the French Cultural Studies Program Wellesley College
“Regions of France will prove to be an invaluable reference work for students of French civilization at all levels. Coming at a time when regionalization is playing such a crucial role in French political and social life, the book fills an immediate need for a broader understanding of France's geographic, historical, and cultural roots.”–Bernard Petit Vice President, American Association of Teachers of French (AATF)
“A different approach which makes for a superb book. Looking at each region of France with its own historical and geographic composition, with its contribution to civilization and culture, and with its up-to-date socio-economical and political overview constitutes fascinating reading, for the student as well as for the sophisticated and informed traveler. It has all the appeal of a novel.”–Marie-France Hilgar Distinguished Professor of French University of Nevada Las Vegas
“As a one-step reference guide to France and its regions, The Regions of France, like its companion volume, The Regions of Spain (Greenwood, 1995), is an invaluable addition to most reference collections and a recommended purchase for any Francophile. It is also a detailed snapshot of late 1990s France, showing the user that there is much more to the country than Paris, Peter Mayle's romantic Provence, or the mystical granite ranks of stones at Carnac. It is highly recommended for public and academic libraries.”–
“Northcutt has produced an invaluable guide to a neglected subject, France's great regional diversity. The book includes politics, the arts, civilization, even cuisine with sample recipes. It will be an indispensable work of reference and general interest for students and teachers of French language, history, and civilization.”–
“[A]n invaluable document for both students and teachers of contemporary French civilization. Examining as it does the history, geography, economy and culture of each of France's twenty-two regions, it presents a comprehensive and in-depth view of France, missing from most textbooks of French history and culture. Well-written and clearly presented, this book helps the reader to better understand French society, in particular, the complexities underlying the emergence of modern French national identity.”–
“Regions of France will prove to be an invaluable reference work for students of French civilization at all levels. Coming at a time when regionalization is playing such a crucial role in French political and social life, the book fills an immediate need for a broader understanding of France's geographic, historical, and cultural roots.”–
“A different approach which makes for a superb book. Looking at each region of France with its own historical and geographic composition, with its contribution to civilization and culture, and with its up-to-date socio-economical and political overview constitutes fascinating reading, for the student as well as for the sophisticated and informed traveler. It has all the appeal of a novel.”–
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
There are no customer reviews yet.
|
|||
|
Video reviews
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
