History has always been one of my great passions and French history is no exception. I’ve compiled a short guide to the top new French History book releases in 2012. This year, new French history books cover a wide range of topics and I believe that everyone will be able to find a book that interests them.
Parents have been attempting to pass on wisdom to their children since time began. Many parents made due with simply passing on lessons with firsthand experience in farming, cooking, and managing households. But royal, aristocratic and rich parents had the luxuries of passing on lessons to their children through letters and even manuscripts. This new work from Sharon L. Jansen translates the written lessons of Anne of France (1461 – 1522, daughter of Louis XI) to her daughter Suzanne for the first time in English.
Title: “Anne of France: Lessons for My Daughter”
Author: Sharon L. Jansen
ISBN: 978-1843842934
Publisher: D.S. Brewer
Publication Date: March 15, 2012
Summary: Anne of France was one of the most powerful women during her lifetime. Near the end of the 15th century, she began to compose a series of lessons in writing for her daughter, Suzanne of Bourbon. These new English translated lessons offer the wisdom of experience from Anne’s lifetime, and attempted to teach her daughter how to behave like an ideal princess in a world where women were shunned by politics.
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Charles De Gaulle is one of the most prominent historical French figures of modern history. There has been much published about this legendary man, but for the first time in this new work Sudhir Hazareesingh attempts to explore how De Gaulle’s real life was transformed into the national myth of De Gaulle in France today.
Title: “In the Shadow of the General: Modern France and the Myth of De Gaulle”
Author: Sudhir Hazareesingh
ISBN: 978-0195308884
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication Date: May 3, 2012
Summary: Charles De Gaulle’s famous leadership of French armies while in exile during WW2 made him a legend in his own time. Today, his story has taken on mythic proportions, embellishing his already heroic actions with tall tales and miracles. In this new study of the myth of De Gaulle, the mythiization of his life is explored and placed into the context of modern French history.
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Who doesn’t love a good romp, no pun intended, into the history of royal mistresses? This pair of sisters was brought to France in order to entice the court and the king-which they did. Their liberated lives were the subject of much debate and gossip, and today the study of these two exciting women is no less juicy.
Title: “The Kings’ Mistresses: The Liberated Lives of Marie Mancini, Princess Colonna, and her Sister Hortense, Duchess Mazarin”
Author: Elizabeth C. Goldsmith
ISBN: 978-1586488895
Publisher: PublicAffairs
Publication Date: April 3, 2012
Summary: Marie and Hortense Mancini were born in Rome, but brought to the court of Louis XIV in order to win the affection of the king and secure power for their families. They were married off as political pawns by their uncle, Cardinal Mazarin, but unexpectedly abandoned their husbands and took to exploring France and the whole of Europe. Their scandalous lives make for a vibrant read, even in 2012.
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Fiction may be ripe for thrilling mysteries and impossible crimes, but if you’re looking for an intriguing murder mystery, you need look no further than our own non-fictional reality. This dark but vibrantly compelling look at a Paris cold case from the 1930s will leave you on the edge of your seat.
Title: “Murder in the Metro: Laetitia Toureaux and the Cagoule in 1930s France”
Author: Gayle K. Brunelle and Annette Finely-Croswhite
ISBN: 978-0807145616
Publisher: Louisiana State University Press
Publication Date: May 31, 2012
Summary: On May 16th of 1937, Laetitia Toureaux was found murdered in an empty first class compartment on a Paris train. The case, which was never solved, is re-opened and explored in this fascinating new study which utilizes the re-opened case files and sheds new light on this mysterious and compelling criminal case.
Sources
The information in this article has been acquired from Amazon.com. Publication dates are subject to change.