Bloomsbury France since the 1970s: History, Politics and Memory in an Age of Uncertainty

Product Description France has long been a deeply political country. At least since the French Revolution, the country and its people have felt themselves to be at the forefront of history - a great power with global ambitions. But the Second World War irrevocably changed France's place in the world. Despite Charles de Gaulle's attempts to restore France's 'grandeur' in the 1960s, since 1945 the French have been forced to reconcile themselves to their modest place at the heart of a changing Europe. What impact has this had on political life? How have the French reimagined the revolutionary, republican and reactionary ideologies that have been so crucial to the country's modern history? How has the arrival of hundreds of thousands of postcolonial migrants transformed politics? These are just some of the questions that are addressed in France since the 1970s. Multi-authored by leading scholars from across the globe, it explores how the French have dealt with the pervasive sense of uncertainty that has become a defining feature of European politics since the late 1960s. The book is essential reading for anyone interested in the modern political history of Europe. Review "All of the essays [in this collection] contribute to the recent history of France ... [and] many of them point to the importance of developments not bound by the post-1970s era ... Curious readers will certainly want to follow up this volume." -Booksandideas.net About the Author Emile Chabal is Lecturer in Modern European History in the Faculty of History and Balliol College at University of Oxford, UK.