<p><b>A <i>Spectator</i> and <i>Prospect</i> Book of the Year<br>Winner of the American Library in Paris Book Award<br><br>'Ceaselessly interesting, knowledgeable and evocative' </b>- <i>Spectator</i><br><b>'A fresh way to write history' </b>- Alan Johnson<br><b>'An amused, erudite homage to France . . . ambitious and original' </b>- <i>The Times</i><br><i>_____</i><br><br><b>Original, knowledgeable and endlessly entertaining, <i>France: An Adventure History</i> is an unforgettable journey through France from the first century BC to the present day.</b><br><br>Drawn from countless new discoveries and thirty years of exploring France on foot, in the library and across 30,000 miles on the author&rsquo;s beloved bike, it begins with Gaulish and Roman times and ends in the age of #MeToo, Black Lives Matter, the Gilets Jaunes and Covid-19.<br><br>From the plains of Provence to the slums and boulevards of Paris, events and themes of French history may be familiar &ndash; Louis XIV, the French Revolution, the French Resistance, the Tour de France &ndash; but all are presented in a shining new light by Graham Robb.<br><br>Frequently hilarious, always surprising, this is a a vivid, living history of one of the world&rsquo;s most fascinating nations, it will make even seasoned Francophiles wonder if they really know that <i>terra incognita</i> which is currently referred to as &lsquo;France&rsquo;.<br>_____<br><br><b>&lsquo;Packed full of discoveries&rsquo;</b> - <i>The Sunday Times</i><br><b>'A gorgeous tapestry of insights, stories and surprises' </b>- Fintan O'Toole<br><b>'A rich and vibrant narrative . . . clear-eyed but imaginative storytelling' </b>- <i>Financial Times</i><br><b>'Full of life'</b> - <i>Prospect</i></p>