A singular account of the history of France and its many, different peoples, told from the perspective of a frequent visitor with access to a bike. There are many surprises in store for the casual reader. I shall probably buy this.

Not so much a history, although it certainly is that, more a lecture from the bar-room bore that draws one in on a wave of fascinating facts. Robb weaves a stream of consciousness leading from one subject to another through a series of 'Did you know...?' revelations.

This book is a clear service to all countries in revealing the sham that is the glorious and heroic vision of the French fatherland stretching back into pre-history. Is this the first history of France where Paris hardly rates a mention? ( )

An interesting and often entertaining tour through the byways of French social history, eschewing the boulevards and faubourgs of Paris for the obscure reaches of France profonde. Graham shows how the history of 'the provinces' has been consistently suppressed in favour of the history of Paris, and how much we think we know of France is actually only what we know of Paris. ( )

I have to admit I have not finished the book yet, and I'm not sure I will.

I was looking for reading a book about the... geography of France. Instead, for the first 40 pages, all I read is how French (or soon-to-be) were uncivilized, wild and savage beast-like people who considered people only a few miles away strangers, who didn't care for national unity or authority, were only concerned with having their own little system without any care for the outside.

I am French, and whether this is true or not is not the point, or what bothers me. The point is.. what is Robb Graham's point?? If all he wanted to do was to press upon the readers how illiterate, (and dirty), unpatriotic, and ignorant French people were in the 1700's, he's succeed.

I might pick up the book again, but not likely. ( )

I must admit I was seduced by the wonderful cover photo of Mont-Saint-Michel, and the title which suggests a romantic travel book, where the local peculiarities are grounded in the authors knowledge of local history - something like a H.V.Morton's Traveller in Italy for today (and for France).

What you actually get is a social history of the provincial French peasantry from 1780 to 1880. I now find out that the American edition has a sub-title very like this, but not a sign of it on my copy, or on Amazon-UK. However, it is well written and so not as dull as that sounds, in fact it is good to read, and interesting in a rather vague way - paints pictures rather then pushing a thesis.

The only way it is 'heavy' is the 400 good-size pages, 100 of which are notes & index, etc. It seems rather to have fallen between two purposes; clearly designed to be academic, as shown by the exhaustive referencing; yet aimed at the general reader who might have been better served if the many years of extensive traveling were brought to the fore, to ground the knowledge in the country we find today. And a fiercer editor might help - not that it is long winded, but I feel the same picture of France could have been painted in half the words. Starting with 50 pages on how dismal life was in rural France 100 years ago does not make for the easiest start to the book.

But I am not sorry I persevered, it is a good book, now that I have got used to the sort of book it is. ( )