The Discovery of France by Graham Robb
With an introduction by Colm Toibin.
Ten years ago, I began to explore the country on which I was supposed to be an authority . . .
France is a country famous for its intellectuals, its philosophers and writers, its fashion, food and wine. And yet the notion of 'the French' as one nation is relatively recent and - historically speaking - quite misleading. In order to discover the 'real' past of France, Graham Robb realized it was not only necessary to go back in time, but also to go at a slower pace than modern life generally allows. The Discovery of France, illuminating, engrossing and full of surprises, is the result of Robb's 14,000 mile journey across France on a bicycle.
Winner of both the Duff Cooper and the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje prizes, The Discovery of France is a modern non-fiction classic, a literary exploration of a remarkable nation. From maps and migration to magic, language and landscape, it reveals a France few will recognize.
'An extraordinary journey of discovery' Daily Telegraph
'Robb's concise and fast-paced writing pedals along with never a dull paragraph . . . dazzling' Sunday Times
Paperback | 496 pages
129 x 197 x 35mm | 412g
25 Feb 2016
Pan MacMillan
PICADOR
London, United Kingdom
English
Main Market Ed
1509803483
9781509803484
Condition: Good
A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover, including very minimal scuff marks. There is also a very thin sliver of laminating that's started to peel along the fore edge of the front cover. The majority of pages are undamaged, with very minimal creasing but no tearing. No pencil underlining of text, no highlighting of text, no writing in margins. There is a black smudge visible on the fore edge from the outside, none of which shows on the actual pages, which are all clean. No missing pages.