June 30, 2010
The Second Empire has traditionally been regarded as a short, repressive regime which was ultimately bound to fail; but now it has come to be seen as one of the key moments in the development of modern France. Dr Smith argues that the impetus given by the Second Empire to all aspects of French life led to an increase in prosperity which affected, albeit unequally, all classes of society. In this welcome Second Edition the author has revised and expanded his text in the light of recent research.
Pt. 2. Descriptive Analysis. 2. Republic And Empire. Louis Napoleon’s coup d’etat – 2 December 1851. The character of the new regime. Opposition movements. Economic developments. The reforms of the 1860s. Crisis and re-founding 1866-70. 3. Foreign Policy 1848-70. The basis of Napoleon III’s policy. The Crimean War. The Italian affair. Mexico. The conflict with Bismarck and the war of 1870. Defeat and downfall. 4. The Provisional Government. The Republican War, September 1870-March 1871. The Republican Peace, March 1871. 5. The Commune of Paris, March-May 1871
Napoleon III: a Life
Bresler, a lawyer, journalist, and author of Lord Goddard: A Biography of Rayner Goddard, Lord Chief Justice of England, opens this book with an attack on members of the “academic Mafia” who write boring books that are little read. Then he declares that here he’s aiming for a broad readership–which he’s likely to get. This marvelous biography brings to life a fascinating, neglected character: Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (nephew of the Napoleon) who ruled France from 1848 to 1870, first as president and then as emperor. At different times in his life, this Napoleon was a buffoon, an idealistic reformer, a promoter of economic growth and cultural vitality, a diplomatic blunderer, and a tragic failure who died a mysterious death. (Using his skills as a lawyer, Bresler marshals fresh evidence to demonstrate, among other things, that Napoleon III’s death was caused by British medical incompetence.) Fascinating, thorough, and authoritative, this book is highly recommended for all academic and public libraries.
This new biography published by Harper Collins is the first on Napoleon III for twenty years, the last being by David Duff (Collins 1978) and Jasper Ridley (1979). Billed as a ‘popular historical biography in the mould of Christopher Hibbert and Antonia Fraser’, the author claims to bring to light new research and gives a lively treatment of Napoleon III’s lives and notably loves. A trained lawyer and former crime correspondent, Fenton Bresler has written biographies of Georges Simenon and Lord Goddard and books on general legal topics, notably Law without a lawyer on Interpol. This book is the fruit of a lifelong passion on Napoleon III. The work is presented on the Harper Collins website: go to http://www.harpercollins.co.uk/imprints/voyager/ and type ‘bresler’ in the search field.
The Collapse of the Third Republic
On June 17, 1940 William L. Shirer stood in the streets of Paris and watched the unending flow of gray German uniforms along its boulevards. In just six lovely weeks in the spring and summer of 1940 a single battle brought down in total military defeat one of the world’s oldest, greatest, and most civilized powers—the second mightiest empire on earth and the possessor of one of the finest military machines ever assembled. How did it happen? After nearly a decade of research in the massive archives left from World War II and after hundreds of conversations with the Third Republic’s leaders, generals, diplomats, and ordinary citizens, Shirer presents the definitive answer in his stunning re-creation of why and how France fell before Hitler’s armies in 1940. His book is also a devastating examination of the confusion, corruption, and cynicism that drained the strength and toughness of a democracy which Thomas Jefferson once called “every man’s second country.” This book complements and completes the dramatic story of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich and continues to rank as one of the most important works of history of our time.
In 1939-1940, the Republic of France faced a united, determined, and technologically sophisticated enemy. It was desperately important for them to match these traits with determination and unity of their own. Instead, French national leaders frittered away their final months before the catastrophe in a round of internal hostility, intrigue, and backbiting leading to the restoration of WWI hero Marshal Pétain as Premier.
The French media had become thoroughly corrupt. Newspapers, in particular, were bought-and-paid-for mouthpieces of power factionalism.
The German blitzkrieg pulverized both the French Army and the French will to fight and resist the invaders. After the Second Armistice at Compiègne, many Frenchmen, especially on the political Right, believed their country had deserved to lose the war. Key right-wing leaders and politicians, led by the aging Philippe Pétain and the corrupt, power-hungry Pierre Laval, stepped in. Proclaiming their devotion to the survival of France within a Hitlerian New Order. Overawing the French parliament, which had fled occupied Paris and was sitting in exile in the resort town of Vichy, they forced their fellow politicians to grant them plenipotentiary powers to control the remainder of unoccupied France for the remainder of the war.
The Third Republic, 1870-1914
Providing a chronological framework of France and the Third Republic, this text concentrates on the threats to the survival of the Third Republic and the reasons why they were overcome. The Paris Commune, the failure of the monarchists, Boulanger, Panama and the Dreyfus case are all discussed. The text is part of the “Access to History” series, which provides a concise and readable introduction to major topics and periods in European and British history. The texts are aimed mainly at higher level students, and study guides are included in each chapter.
Another introductory volume, this easily affordable book focuses on all the key events in French history between 1870 and 1914, including the Franco-Prussian war and the Dreyfus Affair. The text uses a chronological approach, consisting of concise and clear accounts.
The Third Republic in France 1870 - 1940
An essential introduction to the major political problems, debates and conflicts which are central to the history of the Third Republic in France from 1870 to 1940.
The Third Republic in France, 1870-1940 provides an engrossing first-hand account of life in this defining period of French history. This book provides original sources, detailed commentary and helpful chronologies and bibliographies on: the emergence of the regime and the Paris Commune of 1871 Franco-German relations the character of the Third Republic and the nature of French Republicanism and Socialism anti-Semitism and the Dreyfus Affair the role of women and the importance of the national birth-rate the character of the French Right and of French fascism.
Napoleon III and the French Second Empire
In Napoleon III and the French Second Empire, Roger D. Price considers the mid-century crisis which provided Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte with the opportunity to gain elective office as President. The author outlines the objectives of Napoleon III and provides a historiographical review of the ruler and his regime; details of changing historical attitudes to the period; and a survey of Napoleon III’s economic, social and political impact, as well as an outline of the man’s reign and his achievements.
This thoroughly researched book on the Second Empire examines how Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte was able to secure election as President of the Republic and subsequently to launch a coup d’état to establish a Second Empire. It considers the ways in which power was exercised by the new empire and how Napoleon III engaged in a difficult process of transition towards more liberal policies only to experience catastrophic defeat and the destruction of the regime because of war against Prussia.
France 1814 - 1914
Here is an incomparably rich portrait of France in the years when the disparate elements that made up the fragmented kingdom of the ancien regime were forged into the modern nation. The survey begins with an exploration of national obsessions and attitudes. It considers the tendency to revolution and war, the preoccupation with the idea of a New Order and the deep strain of national paranoia that was to be intensified by the dramatic debacle of the Franco-Prussian War. Robert Tombs then investigates the structures of power and in Part Three he turns his attention to social identities, from the individual and family to the nation at large. When every aspect of the period has been put under the microscope, Robert Tombs draws them all into the broad political narrative that brings the book to its rousing conclusion. Bursting with life as well as learning, this is, quite simply, a tour de force.
It is history of the best kind; examining a wide range of topics including, inter alia, class, politics, the economy, and military and diplomatic events. Tombs’s subjects range from Emperors to street urchins. He looks at topics from a number of angles, shedding new light by doing so. The book is peppered with amusing and exact quotations.
France since 1870
This fascinating, authoritative history describes the great political, economic, cultural, and social events that have defined the period, from the convulsive establishment of a French republic to the apotheosis of French national culture in World War I, from the acrimonious failure of the 1930s and the Occupation to France’s resurgence as a central focus of postwar Europe. The book ends with President Mitterand’s retirement, an epochal event that marked the severing of France’s last link with the Vichy government and the Fourth Republic.
Widely praised when it was first published, this new edition has been brought up to the present and thoroughly revised to take into account the latest research. It now includes maps and more coverage of topics such as: racial strife, colonial difficulties, France’s role in post-war European integration (including the EU), and women and gender.
French Ways and Their Meaning
This delightful little volume is a compilation of articles written for American troops bound for France in World War One. While their effect on the average doughboy may be questionable, they give a powerful and invaluable insight into one of the most perceptive minds of the age.
Wharton, in her most engaging and always readable style, discusses First Impressions, and examines issues of Reverence, Taste, Intellectual Honesty, and Continuity, and, in her essay on the New Frenchwoman, reveals perhaps more about herself than her subjects.
Highly recommended as a fine introduction to the author.
During World War I, Edith Wharton, who was living in France and heavily involved in the war effort, wrote a number of essays about the French and their culture, attempting to interpret for Anglo-Saxon minds-particularly Americans- the essence of the French character. These lively, frankly admiring pieces are a loving portrait of the nation that Wharton deeply understood and admired. Her view of the French is a document of its time and its republication is an important addition to Wharton’s literary and cultural legacy.
France on the Brink
This controversial book avoids romantic images of baguettes and berets, and cuts to the quick with criticisms about the state of France today. Most of the book is devoted to a rant about France’s unrealistic ideals, problems in society and, in particular, today’s politics. While you may not agree with everything in this book, it offers an interesting perspective on contemporary France.
‘Fenby brings an inexhaustible curiosity and gift for telling detail to an already fascinating subject. A superb book’ BILL BRYSON ‘A masterly study of a beloved but embattled nation’ ALLAN MASSIE in the DAILY TELEGRAPH ‘ON THE BRINK is a wonderful and moving book.
June 19, 2010
Brought to Light
Agnès Varda (France, 1954). Made on a shoestring budget in a small fishing village, Varda’s first feature helped usher in the French New Wave.
Agnès Varda (France, 1965). Varda’s strikingly colorful, lyrical film examines a love triangle within a circular structure.
Jacques Grange Interiors
His prestigious commissions in New York, Paris, London, Venice, and Marrakech blend Oriental and North African influences with Western styles, from rococo opulence to modern chic. But, remarkably, Grange is not afraid to strip everything away, and to make space itself the main focus of a room. Always balancing virtuoso flourishes with tasteful understatement, Grange’s touch is unique. This is the first book on this leading interior designer who has worked with Yves Saint Laurent, Princess Caroline of Monaco, and Valentino.
The first book on this leading interior designer who has worked with Yves Saint Laurent, Princess Caroline of Monaco, and Valentino.
