A History of France

John Julius Norwich -- called a &quot;true master of narrative history&quot; by Simon Sebag Montefiore -- returns with the book he has spent his distinguished career wanting to write, <i>A History of France</i>: a portrait of the past two centuries of the country he loves best.<br><br> Beginning with Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul in the first century BC, this study of French history comprises a cast of legendary characters -- Charlemagne, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Joan of Arc and Marie Antionette, to name a few -- as Norwich chronicles France's often violent, always fascinating history. From the French Revolution -- after which neither France, nor the world, would be the same again -- to the storming of the Bastille, from the Vichy regime and the Resistance to the end of the Second World War, <i>A History of France</i> is packed with heroes and villains, battles and rebellion, stories so enthralling that Norwich declared, &quot;I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed writing a book more.&quot; <br><br> With his celebrated stylistic panache and expert command of detail, Norwich writes in an inviting, intimate tone, and with a palpable affection for France. One of our greatest contemporary historians has deftly crafted a comprehensive yet concise portrait of the country's historical sweep.