A Traveller's History Of France (Traveller's Histories Series) (Paperback)

by Robert Cole (Author), Denis Judd (Editor) "FRANCE, like other European nations, is a phenomenon born out of conscious striving rather than from the natural affinity of its parts..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, Third Republic, National Assembly (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
"France comes alive in the pages of this book.... This is the book for any potential traveller..." -- Small Press

"Undoubtedly the best way to prepare for a trip to France... gives the essential facts in a very readable form." -- The Independent (London)

Product Description
Millions of travellers visit France each year. The glories of the French countryside, the essential harmony of French architecture, the wealth of historical relics, the myriad of cultural opportunities - all make the country a perennial and irresistible attraction.

A Traveller's History of France takes the reader from the first conquests of ancient Gaul through the Renaissance, the turmoil and triumph of the French Revolution, and on through the 20th century of French history all the way to the present.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 238 pages
• Publisher: Interlink Books; 7 Revised edition (January 31, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1566566061
• ISBN-13: 978-1566566063
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #462,413 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Short history of France, January 27, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Traveller's History of France (Traveller's History - 4th ed.) (Paperback)

This is an excellent book for pre-trip reading or to include on your trip if you have space as you'll refer to it frequently. France for the general reader, not the French History expert.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Quick & Dirty, July 14, 2004

By	Randall L. Wilson "Randy Wilson" (San Francisco) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: A Traveller's History of France (Paperback)

When I travel I like to read the historic markers and understand the significance of what I am seeing. If I don't have a clue about the context ("the what dynasty was when?") I tend to feel lost and frustrated. Typically, I don't have the time in the weeks before my trip to digest an eight volume history of a country but would like a high level view of the important people, periods and events in the country's history. "A Traveller's History France" perfectly fit that bill.

Some of the features I liked are a list of all the French kings and their linneage, a timeline with all the relevant events and an alphabetical list of major events and battles. The writing is lucid, succinct as well as funny and opinionated. In this kind of book its important to convey a sense and a feel of entire century in the space of a paragraph and to stay connected to the larger political and social themes imbedded in the historical minutae. Robert Cole does this quite well.

The biggest negative for me is that half the book focuses on the last two hundred years and that is the period of French History I know best. I would have enjoyed more of a discussion of the rise of the monarchy, the British influence in France because of the various invasions and a richer discussion of the religious wars in the 16th and 17th centuries.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Subject Poorly Handled, November 4, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: A traveller's history of France (Paperback)

This is a good example of how NOT to write history. In about 200 pages we have a brief over-view of the whole history of France. Unfortunately, Cole tries to say too much--too many names and dates. In order to get all his names in Cole has little room left to explain anything important about history: wars "break-out" and artists "come to" Paris. Why any of this happens is without explanation.
Even for the traveller with a passing interest in the history of France, this book in inadequate. There is no special attention paid to places of interest to travellers; there is little mention of the great artists and cultural figures of France, and the history included in often written in an uninspired manner that will bore most readers.
If you are going to France and what some history, look elsewhere.