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The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography, from the Revolution to the First World War
by Graham Robb

The Discovery of France: A Historical Geography, from the Revolution to the First World War Cover

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"Graham Robb is an engaging and gifted writer, known for his enjoyable and instructive biographies of Hugo and Rimbaud. Moreover, The Discovery of France is the sort of history that seems almost to have disappeared...written in a light and pleasant style, crammed with colorful and unexpected details, it offers what seem like tantalizing glimpses into a vanished, forgotten past. All the more pity that it is actually a distressingly bad book." David A. Bell, The New Republic (read the entire New Republic review)

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

A narrative of exploration—full of strange landscapes and even stranger inhabitants—that explains the enduring fascination of France.

While Gustave Eiffel was changing the skyline of Paris, large parts of France were still terra incognita. Even in the age of railways and newspapers, France was a land of ancient tribal divisions, prehistoric communication networks, and pre-Christian beliefs. French itself was a minority language.

Graham Robb describes that unknown world in arresting narrative detail. He recounts the epic journeys of mapmakers, scientists, soldiers, administrators, and intrepid tourists, of itinerant workers, pilgrims, and herdsmen with their millions of migratory domestic animals. We learn how France was explored, charted, and colonized, and how the imperial influence of Paris was gradually extended throughout a kingdom of isolated towns and villages.

The Discovery of France explains how the modern nation came to be and how poorly understood that nation still is today. Above all, it shows how much of France—past and present—remains to be discovered. 8 pages of color and 8 pages of black-and-white illustrations.

Review:

"France is often regarded as the center of elegant civilization, so it's surprising to find that as late as 1890, most of the population was far from civilized — outside the confines of sophisticated Paris, as noted biographer Robb explains in his riveting exploration of France's historical geography, great swathes of countryside were terra incognita: dark places inhabited by illiterate tribes professing pre-Christian beliefs and lethally hostile to outsiders. They spoke not French but regional dialects; much of the country had not been accurately mapped; and many in the rural areas lacked surnames. The author himself embarked on a 14,000-mile bicycle tour of the France passed over in tourist guides. The result is a curious, engrossing mix of personal observation, scholarly diligence and historical narrative as Robb discusses the formation of both the French character and the French state. Robb's biographies of Victor Hugo, Rimbaud and Balzac were all selected by the New York Times as among the best books of the year, an accolade that assures a select readership will be eager to pack his newest alongside their Michelin guides. 8 pages of b&w illus, maps." Publishers Weekly (Starred Review) (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.)

Book News Annotation:

Drawing on his extensive bicycle journeys as well as research in the library, Robb, a British scholar of French literature and history, describes the lives of the inhabitants of France, when possible through their own eyes, and the exploration and colonization of their land by foreigners and natives from the late 17th century to the early 20th. He generally follows a chronological track, but finds himself betimes in pre-Roman Gaul or present-day France. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Synopsis:

A narrative of exploration, this historical geography explains how the modern nation of France came to be and how poorly understood that nation still is today. Above all, it shows how much of France--past and present--remains to be discovered. Illustrated.
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About the Author

Graham Robb is the author of award-winning biographies of Balzac, Victor Hugo, and Rimbaud, each one selected by the New York Times as one of the best books of the year. He lives in Oxford, England.
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What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating based on 1 comment:
pahlcbikep, May 2, 2008 (view all comments by pahlcbikep)
A great, now award winning ethnograhic, historical and historic geography of a new nation! Yes, new, for as Prof. Robb writes, 100 years ago there was no accurate map of France! For all social scientists, cartographers, and touring cyclists! Robb writes that the "effect of the bicycle on daily life is...drastically underestimated..." one of its effects was to increase the average height of the French population. Prof. Robb cycle toured/researched for 4 years while riding 14,000 miles. Writes effectively and affectionately about both France's first mapmaker, Jacques Cassini AND the first great bicycle race, Paris-Brest-Paris! Highly reccommended.
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Product Details

ISBN:
9780393059731
Subtitle:
A Historical Geography from the Revolution to the First World War
Author:
Robb, Graham
Publisher:
W. W. Norton & Company
Subject:
Europe - France
Subject:
History
Subject:
Cities and towns
Subject:
Historical geography
Subject:
France
Series Volume:
A Historical Geograp
Publication Date:
October 2007
Binding:
Hardcover
Grade Level:
General/trade
Language:
English
Illustrations:
Y
Pages:
454
Dimensions:
9 x 6 in
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