Jean-Pierre Dormois, a former Knox Fellow at Trinity College Cambridge, is currently Professor of Economic History at the University Marc-Bloch in Strasbourg. Among his books are L'économie française face à la concurrence britannique (Paris 1997) and The British Industrial Decline (ed.), (London 1998).

"As a French economic historian, I get now and then requests from colleagues overseas asking for an English language crash course in twentieth century French economic history. So far, I was never able to provide a single reference...This little book by Jean-Pierre Dormois...is therefore most welcome: it fills a gap and provides an excellent starting point for whoever is interested by the achievements of the French economy during the last century." EH.NET, Marc Flandreau, Institut d'Etudes

• 1. The end of French exceptionalism; 2. French economic performance in international perspective; 3. France and the wider world; 4. The changing guises of Colbertism; 5. The institutions of French capitalism; 6. Labour: the French at work; 7. Tilling and grazing: lifeblood or strain?; 8. Industrialisation, de-industrialisation, post-industrialisation; Conclusion.

Jean-Pierre Dormois, a former Knox Fellow at Trinity College Cambridge, is currently Professor of Economic History at the University Marc-Bloch in Strasbourg. Among his books are L'économie française face à la concurrence britannique (Paris 1997) and The British Industrial Decline (ed.), (London 1998).

"As a French economic historian, I get now and then requests from colleagues overseas asking for an English language crash course in twentieth century French economic history. So far, I was never able to provide a single reference...This little book by Jean-Pierre Dormois...is therefore most welcome: it fills a gap and provides an excellent starting point for whoever is interested by the achievements of the French economy during the last century." EH.NET, Marc Flandreau, Institut d'Etudes

• 1. The end of French exceptionalism; 2. French economic performance in international perspective; 3. France and the wider world; 4. The changing guises of Colbertism; 5. The institutions of French capitalism; 6. Labour: the French at work; 7. Tilling and grazing: lifeblood or strain?; 8. Industrialisation, de-industrialisation, post-industrialisation; Conclusion.

Jean-Pierre Dormois, a former Knox Fellow at Trinity College Cambridge, is currently Professor of Economic History at the University Marc-Bloch in Strasbourg. Among his books are L'économie française face à la concurrence britannique (Paris 1997) and The British Industrial Decline (ed.), (London 1998).

"As a French economic historian, I get now and then requests from colleagues overseas asking for an English language crash course in twentieth century French economic history. So far, I was never able to provide a single reference...This little book by Jean-Pierre Dormois...is therefore most welcome: it fills a gap and provides an excellent starting point for whoever is interested by the achievements of the French economy during the last century." EH.NET, Marc Flandreau, Institut d'Etudes

• 1. The end of French exceptionalism; 2. French economic performance in international perspective; 3. France and the wider world; 4. The changing guises of Colbertism; 5. The institutions of French capitalism; 6. Labour: the French at work; 7. Tilling and grazing: lifeblood or strain?; 8. Industrialisation, de-industrialisation, post-industrialisation; Conclusion.