Alfred Cobban (1901–1968)

I am not knowledgeable enough about French history to weigh in on Cobban's anti-Marxist interpretation of the French Revolution (he offers a state-centric interpretation, where the weakness of the French state unleashed the aristocracy to challenge royal authority, which in turn inspired privileged non-aristocrats to challenge the aristocracy; the French republic, saddled with weak state infrastructure, buckles and French Revolutionary Army officers, now tested in the crucible of the show more Revolutionary wars, stage a coup and install their own in power). He is a great writer and has some really nice turns of phrase. He is a bit ostentatious, and expects his reader to have familiarity with the French language (often deploying French phrases without explaining what they mean) and French 18th century personages. It seems to me that such a reader would not have need of the survey he is writing here. show less

An old but readable summary of French political history (with some diversions into culture) between 1871 and 1962, covering the Third to the Fifth Republics. Very strong on names, not so much on examining the personalities themselves in more than just sketch form. Topically, it is thin on the French contribution to the outbreak of World War One, though French attitudes to the war and the broad sweep of events are adequately portrayed. What I found more interesting was the detail of the fall show more of France in 1940 and the nature and people involved in the Vichy regime; most Anglo-Saxon World War 2 history merely ends with the fall of France and Vichy is just accorded a footnote as A Bad Thing.

The general chaos of French post-war politics is well depicted. A good outline work (with its preceding two volumes) if you aren't specialising in French history. show less

1000 A History of Modern France, by Alfred Cobban (read 7 Mar 1969) This is the 1000th book I have read in full in my life, and was a most enjoyable book. I was surprised to find how much I relished every part of it, even those parts about French history I was very familiar with. The history begins with Louis XIV's death in 1715, and concludes with DeGaulle in power. As is to be expected, the views of the author intrude--he is anti-king, anti-Revolution, anti-Napoleon, anti-Restoration, show more anti-July Monarchy, anti-Napoleon III . . .and, lo and behold, pro-3rd Republic! This book has so interested me in France that I have decided to read more: so I have decided to read more Flaubert. show less

A basic and clear account of the major country in the period of the title. I'd start my investigation of the theme with this first volume of a three volume set.