The Course of French History
An eminent French historian's version of French history from 987 to the present, this compact account is written in a delightfully entertaining style. It's a panoramic view, from the plague to Joan of Arc to Napoleon to De Gaulle. The monarchs are taken one by one, but in general there is more social and economic than political history. With so much compression, there is occasional loss of intelligibility; Goubert genially acknowledges this with short sections given headings like "Eight Wars And As Many Truces, With Even More Massacres." But those who don't know French history will learn a lot, and those who do will enjoy Goubert's comments. Recommended. Nancy C. Cridland, Indiana Univ. Libs., BloomingtonCopyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.