Stručné francouzské dějiny – Norwich John Julius (2022)

The book History of France – From the Gauls to de Gaulle was written by a diplomat and author of historical works for whom France became a second homeland. Norwich, as the son of the British ambassador to France, is deeply intertwined with French culture and has a personal, even emotional relationship with its history. His book primarily follows the political history of France. We learn how significant monarchs and rulers from the Frankish kings through Hugh Capet, Philip Augustus, Francis I, Henry IV, Napoleon I, to Napoleon III shaped the fate of their country. Norwich is also interested in their private lives; he pays attention to their wives and mistresses, characteristic traits, strengths, and weaknesses, which he presents with sensitivity and understanding. Other significant figures such as Charles VII's banker Jacques Coeur, Cardinal Richelieu, Robespierre, the sister of King Louis-Philippe, Adelaide, and prominent statesmen and military leaders of the republic, including de Gaulle, are also given space. The author comments on significant battles, revolutions, and the Paris Commune of 1871, demonstrating the specifically destructive mentality of the inhabitants of the French capital. Thanks to this book by a British author, the reader becomes aware of the completely unique relationship between France and England, or rather Britain; there are no...