France Politics

Volume Five begins on an optimistic note. The French recognition of the United States on February 6, 1778, along with the promise of military assistance, renewed Washington’s confidence in eventual success. But before that day arrived in 1781, three years of hardship, privation, and suspense would intervene. Throughout this ordeal George Washington’s towering presence was the catalyst that kept everything together.

This is how Emmanuel Carrère, the magnetic journalist, novelist, filmmaker, and chameleon, describes his subject: "Limonov is not a fictional character. There. I know him. He has been a young punk in Ukraine, the idol of the Soviet underground; a bum, then a multimillionaire's butler in Manhattan; a fashionable writer in Paris; a lost soldier in the Balkans; and now, in the fantastic shambles of postcommunism, the elderly but charismatic leader of a party of young desperadoes."

Married for political reasons at the age of fourteen, Marie Antoinette was naive, impetuous, and ill-equipped for the role in which history cast her. From her birth in Vienna in 1755 through her turbulent, unhappy marriage, the bloody turmoil of the French Revolution, her trial for high treason during which she was accused of incest, and her final beheading, Marie Antoinette's life was the tragic tale of disastrous circumstances colliding.

In this vivid history, master storyteller and world-renowned historian Juan Cole tells the story of Napoleon's invasion of Egypt in 1798. Revealing Napoleon's reasons for leading the expedition against Egypt and showcasing the young general's fascinating views of the Orient, Cole delves into the psychology of both the military titan and his entourage.

Raised in a lush suburb of 1920s Paris, Noor Inayat Khan was an introspective musician and writer, dedicated to her family and to her father’s spiritual values of harmony, beauty, and tolerance. She did not seem destined for wartime heroism. Yet, faced with the evils of Nazi violence and the German occupation of France, Noor joined the British Special Operations Executive and trained in espionage, sabotage, and reconnaissance. For crucial months of the war, Noor was the only wireless operator in France sending critical information to London.

Au coeur du véritable Bureau des Légendes. Voici, pour la première fois, une enquête complète sur la Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure (DGSE), théâtre de la fameuse série "Le Bureau des légendes". La DGSE n'a qu'un but : défendre les intérêts de la France. Pour cela, la loi l'autorise à "entraver" clandestinement, à l'étranger, les ennemis de notre pays.

Henry II had all the gifts of the gods. He was charismatic, clever, learned, empathetic, a brilliant tactician, with great physical strength and an astonishing self-belief. Henry was the creator of the Plantagenet dynasty of kings, who ruled through eight generations in command of vast lands in Britain and Europe. Virtually unbeaten in battle, and engaged in a ceaseless round of conquest and diplomacy, Henry forged an empire that matched Charlemagne's.

In 1789 a group of sober-minded, concerned citizens set in motion a series of events which were to end up leading to the deaths of thousands of perfectly innocent persons. How did this reasonable movement of level-headed civic leaders spin out of control? At a glance, the French Revolution appears a bewildering series of political factions sweeping in and out of power, massacre and counter-massacre, terror and guillotine, and one economic crisis following another.

Understand a crucial part of the history of French monarchy with this collection of portraits of some of the most spectacular rulers of France: Louis XI, Louis XII, Louis XIII, Louis XIV, Louis XV, Louis XVI, Louis XVII, Louis XVIII, Louis-Philippe, and Henry IV, also known as the "Good King Henry". The history of the kingdom of France is crucial to understanding the shape of politics in Europe, and this detailed dive into the lives and reigns of these most famous rulers will familiarize you with the human and strategic stakes of this period.

Le monde regorge de tacticiens... et manque de stratèges ! Pourtant, les dirigeants qui réussissent le mieux, quel que soit leur domaine - diplomatie, politique, conseil, entreprise, défense -, sont ceux qui savent élaborer une stratégie, la faire partager à leurs collaborateurs et s'y tenir. Persévérer dans sa vision, s'adapter, agir sous contrainte sans compromettre sa liberté : ce sont autant de défis à relever pour viser le sommet, y compris dans sa propre vie.

Multiple award-winning author Adam Gopnik has written for the New Yorker since 1986. In this work, Gopnik charts America’s transformation from being simply aware of what they eat to being obsessive about it. This fascinating culinary journey will transport listeners from 18th-century France and the origin of America’s popular modern tastes to the kitchens of the White House and beyond.

De Saint-Germain-des-Prés aux chaînes d'info en continu, l'intellectuel français est auréolé d'un pouvoir singulier. Défenseur des opprimés ou décrypteur de l'actualité, militant des causes perdues ou expert au discours ciselé, il occupe, au pays de Descartes, où l'on aime à théoriser, une place à part. Crise financière, attentats islamistes, poussée migratoire, montée des populismes, féminismes, épidémie... L'histoire est de retour, les idées gouvernent de nouveau le monde.

In 1871, the Franco-Prussian War was raging. The workers of Paris, fed up with a government that had begun the hated war, and the exploitation, repression, and abuse of "their" government, took matters into their own hands. They instituted the Paris Commune - of, by, and for the workers. Observing these events through news reports of the time, one of the foremost thinkers of the 19th century, Karl Marx, made three speeches to the International Workmen's Association.

De toute la monarchie, il reste dans la bouche du peuple un nom - Henri IV - et deux chansons - "Charmante Gabrielle" et "Malbrouk s'en va-t-en guerre". Ah ! il est resté un mot aussi : la poule au pot.

David Bell emphasizes the astonishing sense of human possibility that Napoleon represented. Bell emphasizes the importance of the French Revolution in understanding Napoleon's career. The revolution made possible the unprecedented concentration of political authority that Napoleon accrued. Without the political changes brought about by the revolution, Napoleon could not have fought his wars. Without the wars, he could not have seized and held onto power. Though his virtual dictatorship betrayed the ideals of liberty and equality, his life and career were revolutionary.

Two-time president of France, mayor of Paris, and international politician, Jacques Chirac stands with Mikhail Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl, and Margaret Thatcher as one of the most iconic statesmen of the 20th century. In this revealing and informative memoir, Chirac looks back at his 50 years in politics, giving us both an intimate window onto the challenges of leadership and a broad reference for much of our recent history.

In Erotic Exchanges, Nina Kushner reveals the complex world of elite prostitution in 18th-century Paris by focusing on the professional mistresses who dominated it. In this demimonde, these dames entretenues exchanged sex, company, and sometimes even love for being "kept". Most of these women entered the profession unwillingly, either because they were desperate and could find no other means of support or because they were sold by family members to brothels or to particular men.

Détenir une vérité que le monde refuse mais dont la portée pourrait bouleverser l'avenir de l'humanité. Cette certitude a un nom : le syndrome Copernic. Vigo Ravel a trente-six ans et a développé les symptômes de ce mal étrange. Diagnostiqué schizophrène et amnésique, il s'est résigné à accepter sa maladie, notamment grâce à l'aide de son psychiatre et de nombreux médicaments. Mais Vigo souffre-t-il vraiment d'une schizophrénie paranoïde aiguë ou connaît-il simplement la vérité ? Les voix dans sa tête sont-elles des hallucinations dues à ses troubles psychiques ou entend-il les pensées des gens ?

QUAND TOUT LE SYSTÈME EST POURRI. AUTANT JOUER SELON SES PROPRES RÈGLES. Denny Malone est le roi de Manhattan North, le leader charismatique de La Force, une unité d élite qui fait la loi dans les rues de New York et n hésite pas à se salir les mains pour combattre les gangs, les dealers et les trafiquants d armes. Après dix-huit années de service, il est respecté et admiré de tous. Mais le jour où, après une descente, Malone et sa garde rapprochée planquent pour des millions de dollars de drogue, la ligne jaune est franchie.

Aujourd'hui, en France, plus de 60 000 petites filles sont excisées. Chaque année 2 millions de jeunes filles sont excisées. 130 millions de femmes dans le monde ont subi ces mutilations. La tradition voudrait que l'excision augmente la fécondité des femmes, qu'elle garantisse la pureté et la virginité d'une fille ainsi que la fidélité d'une épouse... Dans les faits, cette mutilation barbare met en péril la vie des jeunes filles qui la subissent et les prive à jamais de plaisir, brisant leur vie de femme.