This well-informed and sympathetic interpretive essay employs an unusual topical arrangement but covers important themes of French history and culture, institutions and processes, and current problems. Highly recommended.

Choice Reviews

Anne Sa'adah has penned a wide-ranging and highly readable textbook. Of particular value is the textbook's historical perspective. Sa'adah shows how the constituent pieces of France's historic identity-Republicanism, Gaullism, colonialialism, and statism-continue to structure political debates and struggles even in today's supposedly 'global,' 'post-national' era.

Jonah Levy, University of California, Berkeley

I was very impressed with Contemporary France because it gives students a grounding in French history since the Revolution that explains the country's ongoing political divisions and attitudes. At the same time, it covers the institutions of the Fifth Republic and shows them at work, trying to resolve contemporary problems. Easy to follow without being patronizingly simple, it is a book that beginners can understand and the better-informed can appreciate.

Paul H. Lewis, Tulane University

This book provides the perfect entry into French politics for undergraduates. Along with being beautifully written, it manages to convey complex ideas and trends in French society and history in a way that is appealing and accessible to undergraduates.

Janet Laible, LeHigh University

Students will find her list of recommended readings, including novels and documents, quite helpful, while professors will appreciate her efforts to place the French experience in a global context.

H-France Review

A remarkably adept analysis built on a wide array of primary sources, including speeches, memoirs, press clippings, and government reports.

W. Brian Newsome, Alfred University