Synopses & Reviews
Antoine Prost's contributions to French history have enabled us to understand the failure of fascism in France and why the Republic survived the humiliation of occupation and collaboration in the Second World War. He is the pre-eminent historian of civil society in France. For the first time his seminal articles have been translated into English and collected in this single volume. Beginning with his classic account of war memorials, through his pioneering study of the people of a popular quarter of Paris in 1936, and of the troubled history of commemorating the Algerian war, this book expertly takes us through republican representations of war and peace, urban spaces and social identity, and discourse and social conflict in republican France. Amongst this range of topics, Prost considers the notion of social class and deference, the multiple uses of myth, the secularization of religious imagery, the centrality of primary schools in French political culture, and insults as staples of French political rhetoric. Included here are his famous essays 'Verdun' and 'War Memorials of the Great War', which have been hailed as indispensable additions to the study of European cultural history. Also notable is his fascinating investigation of rites de passage in Orléans, which artfully reveals how complex and semiologically rich rites de passage can be.
This book is essential reading for anyone wishing to gain a firm understanding of the history of nineteenth and twentieth century France and of the work of one of the most influential cultural historians of our day.
Review
"Prost's work is a source of inspiration and information for anyone aiming to grasp an understanding of the French Republic. The demonstration of the mulitiplicity of identities throughout the 19th and 20th centuries within French civil society makes this book valuable. The author is clearly aiming to go beyond the beaten track towards a more detailed understanding of French society." --
Studies in Ethnicity and Nationalism
Synopsis
Antoine Prost is the pre-eminent historian of civil society in France. For the first time his seminal articles have been translated into English and collected in this single volume. Beginning with his classic account of war memorials, through to his pioneering study of the Rue de la Goutte d'Or, and finally his work on French Catholic families in the 1930s and 1940s, this book expertly takes us through republican representations of war and peace, urban spaces and social identity, and discourse and social conflict in republican France. Among this range of topics, Prost considers the notion of neighborhood and quartier, the multiple uses of myth, the secularization of religious imagery, the centrality of primary schools in French political culture, and insults as staples of French political rhetoric. Included here are his famous essays "Verdun" and "War Memorials of the Great War, " which have been hailed as indispensable additions to the study of European cultural history.
Synopsis
POD: 5.5 x 8.5 in or 216 x 140 mm (Demy 8vo) Perfect Bound WHITE Republican Identities in War and Peace Bloomsbury Publishing Berg Publishers FTP FTP Prost, Antoine A 37.95 35 19.99 35 Use print book cover 368 January 12, 2002 January 12, 2002 World English 9781859736265podpdf.pdf 9781859736265podcoverpdf.pdf Antoine Prost's contributions to French history have enabled us to understand the failure of fascism in France and why the Republic survived the humiliation of occupation and collaboration in the Second World War. He is the pre-eminent historian of civil society in France. For the first time his seminal articles have been translated into English and collected in this single volume. Beginning with his classic account of war memorials, through his pioneering study of the people of a popular quarter of Paris in 1936, and of the troubled history of commemorating the Algerian war, this book expertly takes us through republican representations of war and peace, urban spaces and social identity, and discourse and social conflict in republican France. Amongst this range of topics, Prost considers the notion of social class and deference, the multiple uses of myth, the secularization of religious imagery, the centrality of primary schools in French political culture, and insults as staples of French political rhetoric. Included here are his famous essays 'Verdun' and 'War Memorials of the Great War', which have been hailed as indispensable additions to the study of European cultural history. Also notable is his fascinating investigation of rites de passage in Orl ans, which artfully reveals how complex and semiologically rich rites de passage can be.This book is essential reading for anyone wishing to gain a firm understanding of the history of nineteenth and twentieth century France and of the work of one of the most influential cultural historians of our day.
About the Author
Antoine Prost is a Professor Emeritus of History, at the University of Paris Panthéon-Sorbonne