"France 1815-2003 ranks among the best introductory textbooks currently available thanks to its comprehensive coverage, cogent synthesis of current scholarship, and easy accessibility....Whatever the case, Martin Evans and Emmanuel Godin have done teachers of French and French history a great service and should be commended for their work."--H-France Review "France 1815-2003 ranks among the best introductory textbooks currently available thanks to its comprehensive coverage, cogent synthesis of current scholarship, and easy accessibility....Whatever the case, Martin Evans and Emmanuel Godin have done teachers of French and French history a great service and should be commended for their work."--H-France Review "France 1815-2003 ranks among the best introductory textbooks currently available thanks to its comprehensive coverage, cogent synthesis of current scholarship, and easy accessibility....Whatever the case, Martin Evans and Emmanuel Godin have done teachers of French and French history a great service and should be commended for their work."--H-France Review "France 1815-2003 ranks among the best introductory textbooks currently available thanks to its comprehensive coverage, cogent synthesis of current scholarship, and easy accessibility....Whatever the case, Martin Evans and Emmanuel Godin have done teachers of French and French history a great service and should be commended for their work."--H-France Review
Written in an accessible style and assuming no prior knowledge, the books in this series address the specific needs of students on language courses. Approaching the study of history from an interest in contemporary politics and society, each book offers a clear historical narrative and sets its region into a world context. Chronological in approach, this title focuses on the main events in French political history, including major socio-economic themes where relevant. Events include the French Revolution, the Bourbon Restoration, the July Monarchy, the Second Republic and the Second Empire, the Third Republic, occupied France, the Fourth Republic, the Gaullist Revolution, after De Gaulle: Pompidou and Giscard and from "La Grande Alterance" to "Normalization". Drawing upon contemporary research, particular emphasis has been given to the role of political memory, the contribution of women and the impact of colonialism and post-colonialism. The book includes timelines of main events at the start of each chapter and glossary-style inserts concentrating on non-official perspectives to show the ways in which history has impacted upon the lives of ordinary people.
A selection of original documents including songs, posters, diaries and eye-witness accounts is also included. The book is supplemented by a specialized web-site that includes links, interviews with key historians and further documents.