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Graham Robb "The Discovery Of France" (F.W Howes)
The Discovery of France is about the French cultural geography and how this plays in the history of France. To sum up, at the time of the French Revolution, the French were generally not French. Instead, France was a vast concoction of miscellaneous languages and cultures disconnected by the natural barriers and a diverse landscape; and the population's general goal was to continue to barely get by.
This could have been a fun book and it could have provided a really nice introduction into France and its geography and culture. It does bring some times and places to life, and it will certainly leave you with an appreciation for the geographic variation in France. The linguistic map is wonderful (although the text on linguistics put me to sleep - several times). The significance of the Pays is fascinating.
But, it’s not fun, more of a discursive lecture. And, it’s not a good introduction. The author seems to assume his readers are already pretty familiar with France and its basic geographic layout. The writing often gets bogged down in the details – and I would get lost. For example, the book constantly mentions different regions and locations; but, without a good reference as to where they are located and maps designed for the text, it all just washed over me, forgotten.
Overall I found the book disappointing and a struggle to read. I didn't get much concrete from the book, just a bunch of muddy ideas. A reader familiar with France will probably find this a much nicer book.
The Discovery of France is about the French cultural geography and how this plays in the history of France. To sum up, at the time of the French Revolution, the French were generally not French. Instead, France was a vast concoction of miscellaneous languages and cultures disconnected by the natural barriers and a diverse landscape; and the population's general goal was to continue to barely get by.
This could have been a fun book and it could have provided a really nice introduction into France and its geography and culture. It does bring some times and places to life, and it will certainly leave you with an appreciation for the geographic variation in France. The linguistic map is wonderful (although the text on linguistics put me to sleep - several times). The significance of the Pays is fascinating.
But, it’s not fun, more of a discursive lecture. And, it’s not a good introduction. The author seems to assume his readers are already pretty familiar with France and its basic geographic layout. The writing often gets bogged down in the details – and I would get lost. For example, the book constantly mentions different regions and locations; but, without a good reference as to where they are located and maps designed for the text, it all just washed over me, forgotten.
Overall I found the book disappointing and a struggle to read. I didn't get much concrete from the book, just a bunch of muddy ideas. A reader familiar with France will probably find this a much nicer book.
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