Book description
A century after the Entente Cordiale ended centuries of war and enmity
between France and Britain, and two hundred years after the coronation
of Britain's deadly enemy, Napoleon Bonaparte, as Emperor, Alistair
Horne contemplates two thousand years of France.
The Entente Cordiale meant different things to the signatories. For
France it meant, quite simply, the certainty at last of an ally who
would counter-balance the dread power of Kaiser Wilhelm II's vast and
menacing Reich on her doorstep. For Britain the Entente signified an end
to centuries of conflict with France, but it also meant inevitable
involvement in a major European war.
The modern rift over the Iraq war has emphasized once again that a slim
channel of water may be all that separates the countries physically, but
in temperament, in attitudes, in life generally -- and, particularly, in
history itself -- the differences remain fundamental, and intense.
What's even more impressive is that despite the weight of the subject
matter, Horne combines an almost sprightly caper through our Gallic
neighbours' history with a serious, informative narrative that covers
the milestones in depth... A useful primer, then, for anyone interested
in French history. OBSERVER This complete history of France takes us
from its humble beginnings as a Roman outpost called Lutetia right up to
the rift with Britain and America over Iraq in 2003. GUARDIAN Educated
Le Rosey, Switzerland and Jesus College, Cambridge. WWII included
attachment in MI5. Foreign correspondent, Daily Telegraph 1952-5.
Founded the Alistair Horne research fellowship in modern history, St
Antony's, Oxford 1969. Prizes include Hawthornden (for The Price of
Glory) and Wolfson (for A Savage War of Peace). He was knighted in 2003
(Queen's birthday honours) for services to Franco-British relations.
