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French Culture
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 30/03/2008, 15:38
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sweet 17
Joined on 05/08/2006
charente maritime
Posts 2,129
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Update for anyone who's interested. The books mentioned by 5-element are now out of print. However, can still be got either from Amazon or Alibris websites.
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30/03/2008, 16:00
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LisaJ
Joined on 17/10/2004
Posts 109
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I think The Discovery of France by Graham Robb is a brilliant book; it is hard to summarize but is basically a history of la France profonde, human migration, the impact of change in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the spread of the French language etc.
I am currently reading Arthur Young's Travels in France and Italy. He was an English gentleman farmer who travelled in rural France in the years leading up to the revolution. I have just been reading his comments on how the midday lunch wastes so much time from the working day!
regards
Lisa
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02/04/2008, 23:52
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Jill
Joined on 23/08/2004
Posts 555
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 cooperlola wrote: | | L'Histoire de France pour les Nuls is great! And you can practice your French in nice, bitesized chunks at the same time. |
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I'm reading that too - I like the way it has the little flags like "un evenement important", "une date a retenir", "le saviez-vous" and "une anecdote". This style makes it an easy read and brings things to your attention in an entertaining way. I'm reading it chronologically, but have dipped in to bits I particularly wanted to look up.
But for an easy way to French History, why not pick up a subject that interests you and google it. I did that for the Cathares recently, because we are going Cathare visiting in the summer.
Another thought is that if you are visiting specific regions, the Dorling Kindersley guide books have a history of the region, with a time line. I received a French History Book for Christmas the other year, and it was an Oxford or Cambridge one, but it was grouped into subjects, so just huge chapters lumping everything together with no chronology to it, so I just couldn't be bothered with it.
When visiting places of historic interest in France, there may be interesting history books in English. Whereas in England it may be better to wait and see if you can get English books cheaper on the internet or British bookshops, I don't think that the French are allowed to discount books, so if you see something you like, you may as well buy it.
Jill (99)
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03/04/2008, 15:12
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Cathy
 
Joined on 07/03/2006
Mostly near Bordeaux; Sometimes near Bristol
Posts 1,688
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About one month ago, I decided that I wanted an easy-to-read French history book and went to a large bookshop and browsed through children's books. I bought one for age 9 and above:
Histoire de France - publisher: Gallimard Jeunesse
It is in the style of Dorling Kindersley books, with lots of illutrations and bite-size chunks of text (in French). It has a website connection and so I've been browsing that as well:
http://www.gallimard-jeunesse.fr/encyclopediahistoiredefrance/
Cathy
-----
Your children won't remember you ironing their pyjamas but they will remember you reading them a bedside story.
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03/04/2008, 18:04
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sweet 17
Joined on 05/08/2006
charente maritime
Posts 2,129
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By way of a reporting back exercise, I must say that I have started on the 3 Penguins that 5-element recommended. OH is interested in the Vichy period, so he's reading that and I am on Louis XIV.
The books have the advantage of being lightweight and small so you could take them to bed. I think the 3rd volume ends somewhere earlyish on in the fifth republic so I will look for something more recent later on.
It's not that I want to find out about any specific region, just want an overall view so that (hopefully), I can have a little conversation that is not entirely ignorant on my part when talking to others about French history.
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03/04/2008, 18:27
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5-element
Joined on 28/10/2006
Languedoc
Posts 728
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| sweet 17 wrote: | |
OH is interested in the Vichy period, so he's reading that .
The books have the advantage of being lightweight and small so you could take them to bed. I think the 3rd volume ends somewhere earlyish on in the fifth republic so I will look for something more recent later on.
I just want an overall view so that (hopefully), I can have a little conversation that is not entire ignorant on my part when talking to others about French history.
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There are plenty of books about the Vichy period and the Résistance. In fact, a series of 6 TV programmes has been shown recently on French TV (Arte - channel 5) with a lot of period footage which was fascinating as it had not been shown before. I think the series will be obtainable in DVD, if your OH is interested (although of course it is in French), it should possible to find out more. In fact I think I have got most of it on video cassette.
Sweet 17, it is most impressive that you are reading these 3 (lightweight) books, and you will be able to have more than a little conversation with other knowledgeable people about French history. You will probably end up knowing far more than many French themselves!
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03/04/2008, 18:39
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sweet 17
Joined on 05/08/2006
charente maritime
Posts 2,129
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5-element, thanks for the encouragement. I am very keen to learn more about French history and culture (including language) because, after all, this is what we came to live in France for!
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