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sheriffrockyraccoon's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Just so anyone reading my review knows my bias: I was raised by a Francophile and have been seriously learning French for well over a decade. That being said, I realized I hadn’t actually learned much about French history outside my world history courses in high school, which is what drew me to this book.
I agree with a lot of the reviews saying Robb’s language is dense- it definitely took some getting used to. Personally, my interest in history does not involve Romans and that’s how this book starts (it’s a chronological collection of stories from different eras of France). Due to that, I was definitely challenged by the material. However, by the time I read the chapter “Time Machines”, I finally understood the purpose of this book and that helped secure its high rating. This only improved with the chapter “The Tree at the Centre of France” which was my personal favorite of the entire book.
I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in French history, it would likely be most enjoyable for those who already have a working knowledge of France’s significant historic events, though. I definitely found myself taking at least an hour on each chapter consulting maps trying to understand French geography that I wasn’t familiar with, as well as researching any names I didn’t know. I didn’t realize there was a chronology until I finished the book, but reading through it I would definitely recommend utilizing it while you read to better understand the stories Robb writes.
Ultimately, this book slowly grew on me as I finished it and I was sad to realize there weren’t any chapters left! I will definitely be picking up Graham Robb’s other works on France as his stories were intriguing and well-written (even if his style does take some getting used to). This is a must-read for anyone interested in France, both historically, culturally, and politically.
I agree with a lot of the reviews saying Robb’s language is dense- it definitely took some getting used to. Personally, my interest in history does not involve Romans and that’s how this book starts (it’s a chronological collection of stories from different eras of France). Due to that, I was definitely challenged by the material. However, by the time I read the chapter “Time Machines”, I finally understood the purpose of this book and that helped secure its high rating. This only improved with the chapter “The Tree at the Centre of France” which was my personal favorite of the entire book.
I’d recommend this book to anyone with an interest in French history, it would likely be most enjoyable for those who already have a working knowledge of France’s significant historic events, though. I definitely found myself taking at least an hour on each chapter consulting maps trying to understand French geography that I wasn’t familiar with, as well as researching any names I didn’t know. I didn’t realize there was a chronology until I finished the book, but reading through it I would definitely recommend utilizing it while you read to better understand the stories Robb writes.
Ultimately, this book slowly grew on me as I finished it and I was sad to realize there weren’t any chapters left! I will definitely be picking up Graham Robb’s other works on France as his stories were intriguing and well-written (even if his style does take some getting used to). This is a must-read for anyone interested in France, both historically, culturally, and politically.
Content Warnings
Minor: War, Classism, Sexual violence, Police brutality, Antisemitism, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Genocide, Religious bigotry, Sexual harassment, Suicide, Hate crime, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Gun violence, Islamophobia, Xenophobia, Animal death, Alcohol, Cannibalism, and Child death
These content warnings are mentioned in passing and not at all graphic, they are typical of certain stories pertaining to French history.ellafornsworth's review against another edition
I tried to persevere through this because I love reading about anything to do with France, French history and French culture. However, I just hated the way this is written. It’s really dense, hard to follow and frankly very dry - which is all quite ironic considering it is pitched as an ‘adventure story.’ I think this is a great concept that unfortunately has been delivered completely unsuccessfully.
mattneely's review against another edition
5.0
I laughed out loud numerous times to befuddled cafe sitters. Takes a certain understanding of French history and historiography.
josephbdoner's review against another edition
4.0
A good read and interesting! Plenty of interesting information on the history and growth of France over time focusing on aspects of French history that are less often addressed such as an in-depth history of the traditions and culture surrounding the tour de France or a history of Napoleon's life after Waterloo and his second exile as told through the memory of his teenage neighbor. My only complaints involve the fact that it retreads some area that Robb covered previously in his other books and that some sections of the book tend to drag if you aren't necessarily interested in the given topic.
chnfrng's review against another edition
It was too difficult to read… I don’t think I have the right prerequisite for this kind of book