The Shortest History of France

“Colin Jones is not only one of the greatest living historians of France, but a terrific writer who has distilled a remarkable quantity of learning, insight, and wit into this concise and wonderfully readable volume. There is no better starting point for readers interested in the history of France and its overseas empires.” – David A. Bell, author of Napoleon and Sidney and Ruth Lapidus Professor in the Era of North Atlantic Revolutions, Princeton University“A perfect little digest—and a great one to read if you’re due to attend a party with history buffs, or even enthusiasts. Jones’s book should appeal to both philistines and experts.” – The London Standard“Colin Jones has proven that ‘shortest’ can rhyme with ‘best.’ Anyone curious about France’s long and remarkable history should grab this book. Its style is clear, down-to-earth, and totally absorbing.” – Don and Petie Kladstrup, authors of Wine & War“Moving at the speed of a TGV, and drawing on his deep knowledge of France and its past, Jones deploys his writing talent to show how the history of ‘the Hexagon’ has always been intimately connected to developments in other parts of Europe and the world.” – Jeremy D. Popkin, author of A New World Begins and William T. Bryan Chair of history (emeritus), University of Kentucky“Vital, incisive, revelatory.” – Hilary Mantel on 24 Hours in Revolutionary Paris“The historian Colin Jones has a gift for examining events afresh.” – New Statesman on The Fall of Robespierre“A marvelous, engaging, and constantly enlightening story.” – Literary Review on The Smile Revolution“An ideal introduction to French history for almost any reader … the range of Jones’s coverage, delivered with elegance and often wit, is very impressive.” – Literary Review

Colin Jones is Emeritus Professor of History at Queen Mary University of London and visiting professor at the University of Chicago. He is a fellow of the British Academy, former president of the Royal Historical Society, and officier in the Ordre des Palmes académiques. He is the author and editor of many works on French history, including The Cambridge Illustrated History of France, The Great Nation: France from Louis XV to Napoleon, Paris: Biography of a City (awarded the Enid MacLeod Prize of the Franco-British Society), The Smile Revolution in 18th-Century Paris, Versailles, and The Fall of Robespierre: 24 Hours in Revolutionary Paris.