'Authoritative, well-written, solidly thought through, this book, which has no equivalent in recent writing about French history, should reach out beyond the British Isles to the English-speaking world in its entirety.' Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie

• Preface; Foreword E. Le Roy Ladurie; Introduction; 1. France before the Romans; 2. Roman Gaul 55 BC to c. AD 500; 3. From Frankish Gaul to the kingdom of West Francia c. 500 to 987; 4. The Middle Ages 987 to 1328; 5. Valois France: the later Middle Ages and the Renaissance c. 1300 to c. 1600; 6. From Counter-Reformation to Enlightenment c. 1610 to c. 1780; 7. The Revolution and beyond c. 1780 to 1851; 8. From the Second Empire to World War I 1852 to 1914; 9. France in transition: World War I to the Liberation 1914 to 1944; 10. Post-war France: expansion and beyond 1945 to 1981; 11. France after 1981: the Mitterand years; Chronology; Picture acknowledgements; Bibliography; Index.

'Authoritative, well-written, solidly thought through, this book, which has no equivalent in recent writing about French history, should reach out beyond the British Isles to the English-speaking world in its entirety.' Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie

• Preface; Foreword E. Le Roy Ladurie; Introduction; 1. France before the Romans; 2. Roman Gaul 55 BC to c. AD 500; 3. From Frankish Gaul to the kingdom of West Francia c. 500 to 987; 4. The Middle Ages 987 to 1328; 5. Valois France: the later Middle Ages and the Renaissance c. 1300 to c. 1600; 6. From Counter-Reformation to Enlightenment c. 1610 to c. 1780; 7. The Revolution and beyond c. 1780 to 1851; 8. From the Second Empire to World War I 1852 to 1914; 9. France in transition: World War I to the Liberation 1914 to 1944; 10. Post-war France: expansion and beyond 1945 to 1981; 11. France after 1981: the Mitterand years; Chronology; Picture acknowledgements; Bibliography; Index.

'Authoritative, well-written, solidly thought through, this book, which has no equivalent in recent writing about French history, should reach out beyond the British Isles to the English-speaking world in its entirety.' Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie

• Preface; Foreword E. Le Roy Ladurie; Introduction; 1. France before the Romans; 2. Roman Gaul 55 BC to c. AD 500; 3. From Frankish Gaul to the kingdom of West Francia c. 500 to 987; 4. The Middle Ages 987 to 1328; 5. Valois France: the later Middle Ages and the Renaissance c. 1300 to c. 1600; 6. From Counter-Reformation to Enlightenment c. 1610 to c. 1780; 7. The Revolution and beyond c. 1780 to 1851; 8. From the Second Empire to World War I 1852 to 1914; 9. France in transition: World War I to the Liberation 1914 to 1944; 10. Post-war France: expansion and beyond 1945 to 1981; 11. France after 1981: the Mitterand years; Chronology; Picture acknowledgements; Bibliography; Index.