Showing titles in France

Why are there restaurants? Why would anybody consider eating alongside perfect strangers in a loud and crowded room to be an enjoyable pastime? To find the answer, Rebecca Spang takes us back to France in the eighteenth century, when a restaurant was not a place to eat but a quasi-medicinal bouillon not unlike the bone broths of today.

"We, conquered by William, have liberated the Conqueror’s land." So reads the memorial to the British war dead at Bayeaux, Normandy. Commemorating those who gave their lives to free France in 1944, it also serves to remind us of an earlier conflict. For the English, the Norman conquest remains deeply embedded in the national psyche. As the last contested military invasion to have succeeded in conquering this proud island nation, the date of 1066 is the one every citizen can remember.

That France and Germany were enemies in 1940 was not news to anyone. That Germany was bitter at the terms of its surrender at the end of World War I was hardly a surprise. That another war would follow all too soon was apparent to many. Yet no one could have expected that Germany’s rise to military power under the leadership of Adolf Hitler would have given birth to such an evil regime. The churning resentment that Hitler and many other Germans felt against its enemies, particularly France, was destined to sow the seeds for vengeance.

Les Grands Discours de Guerre de Napoleon Bonaparte (1779-1821), interprétés en français par David Serero.

In 1798, an initial review of France’s naval forces had led Napoleon to conclude his navy could not hope to outfight the power of the Royal Navy, which had been the dominant naval power for centuries, so he was forced to look elsewhere. After months of planning, Napoleon crafted a scheme to attack and conquer Egypt, denying the British easy access to their colonies in India, with the ultimate goal of linking up with the Sultan Tipoo in India itself and defeating the British in the field there. Napoleon sailed with Admiral Brueys and 30,000 troops that June, heading for Egypt.

Cet hiver 1683 semble marquer le crépuscule d'un règne unique. Le roi malade mène une lutte courageuse. Car Louis le Grand ne capitule jamais. L'Europe entière résonne du bruit de ses victoires. Alors que la mort emporte ses conseillers et les membres de sa famille, le roi doit dicter son rythme à la Cour.

Cette collection "L'Histoire de France vivante" nous faire revivre les grandes heures de l'histoire de France. Pour chaque époque, l'illustration sonore est faite avec des musiques de la période concernée. Les grands moments de chaque période sont reconstitués à la façon d'une pièce de théâtre, avec plusieurs comédiens et comédiennes qui interprètent les personnages historiques.

They say that judgment does not exist in Lourdes. Once one sets foot on this hallowed soil, all barriers of race, social status, background, and religious differences cease to exist. One is no more than a humble soul in search of a renewal of one's connection to God. With promises of inner peace and spiritual awakenings, it comes as no surprise that this once unassuming town has now become the second most popular tourist destination in France, but how exactly did they achieve such a designation?

Born in 1927, Nicole Braux's earliest recollections occur in the French city of Nancy, where her father owned and operated a hotel and restaurant. Her charming reflections paint a picture of a romantic culture still wounded by the First World War. Nicole was 12 when her father was recalled into the reserves in 1939. Within months, she watched German troops invade. "We peeked above the window sill and saw them...Our imaginations hadn't exaggerated; they looked as evil, it not more so, than we'd expected!"

The Tour de France is the greatest bike race in the world, but it began as a humble promotional gimmick for a floundering newspaper. More than 100 years later, the Tour still captivates the world and is broadcast to over 180 countries. How did a few men looking for some way to save their struggling business become masters of a giant, successful enterprise? Les Woodland tells the inside story of the Tour de France through the prism of the men who started it, and those who now run it.

When historians are asked to list the most influential people of the last 200 years, a handful of names might vary, but there is no question that the list will include Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821), the most successful French leader since Charlemagne and widely acknowledged one of the greatest generals ever.

Einhard served Charlemagne, king and Holy Roman Emperor, for 23 years. From that experience, combined with his in-depth research, Einhard penned this biography of Charlemagne in the style of Suetonius’ Lives of the Caesars. Because he felt indebted to Charlemagne, Einhard wrote in a partial tone, exalting the man’s achievements and overlooking certain unflattering details about his life. Despite this, historians regard The Life of Charlemagne as an important historical account that, while not far-reaching, is largely reliable.

History is often concentrated into short bursts of change, with long periods of shifting before and waves of alteration afterwards. Nowhere is this more obvious than the thirty year interregnum between the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. In this period, three figures stand tall; Pitt, the elder stateman who saw the need for genuine constitutionalism; Burke, the consummate parliamentarian, speaking for the glory of empire; and Robespierre, the legendary and controversial frontman of the French Revolution.

Em Notre-Dame, Ken Follett reflete sobre o papel que a catedral desempenhou ao longo do tempo e revela a influência que ela exerceu tanto em outras catedrais ao redor do mundo quanto em um de seus mais conhecidos e adorados romances, Os Pilares da Terra. Ele descreve, também, as emoções que sentiu ao saber do incêndio que quase destruiu uma das maiores catedrais do mundo.

It was with horror and sadness that the people of the world opened their social media or switched on their televisions on April 15th, 2019, only to see terrifying pictures of smoke and flames roaring around one of the most iconic outlines in France: That of Notre-Dame de Paris. There is more to Notre-Dame, however than just a tragic fire. Almost nine centuries of history lie behind its weathered towers, and its history is closely interlinked with that of France and its people. Its story has rung out through the ages as one of hope and survival.

"Les Presses Universitaires de France et Frémeaux & Associés proposent cette histoire des Vendéens, analysée et expliquée par Jean-Clément Martin, professeur émérite de l'Université Paris 1, spécialiste de l'histoire de la Révolution française, de la Contre-Révolution et de la guerre de Vendée. D'une escarmouche locale à la guerre civile, "la guerre de Vendée" est devenue le symbole de la contre-révolution. Dans le contexte révolutionnaire, les chouanneries vendéennes attisent les tensions nationales entre Montagnards et Girondins."

Organized by region, with one chapter devoted to Paris, Made in France takes you on a complete tour of the dazzling, artisanal legacy of France, uncovering off-the-beaten-path destinations and one-of-a-kind, hidden workshops, where everything from lingerie to chocolate is turned out completely by hand, piece by piece.

The Marquis de Lafayette may be a name that sounds vaguely familiar. If you've studied even a little American history, you'll recall Lafayette as George Washington's right-hand man during the American Revolution. This remarkable man was just a teenager when he ventured across the seas from France to fight in a conflict that he was in no way obligated to participate in. Yet, here he was, this young man full of idealistic thoughts, ready to help a country set their path on the road to independence. Little did Lafayette know that this would be just the first ride among many he would take.

Les années Freud racontent l'histoire de l'introduction de la psychanalyse en France : la rencontre de Freud et de Charcot, la découverte de l'hystérie, la fondation à Vienne du premier Cercle freudien, l'essor international du mouvement et, en contrepoint, l'aventure des grands pionniers français. Les années Lacan relatent l'évolution de la psychanalyse au sein de la culture française à partir de 1925, et l'émergence de la deuxième implantation du freudisme dans ce pays autour de la personnalité de Jacques Lacan.

The Enlightenment is looked upon fondly, and it serves to reinforce the notion that the present is superior to the past, but things did not change as rapidly or as completely as many believe. In fact, some recent historians have challenged the belief that the Enlightenment was responsible for the French Revolution, which is a vital issue when it comes to Voltaire. After all, Voltaire, as his contemporaries and as most of his modern listeners know him, is widely regarded as the pinnacle of Enlightenment thought.