From Caesar’s conquests to modern crises, this concise history reveals France not as an isolated entity, but a nation shaped by global forces. Exploring its evolution from Roman rule to a modern state, the book highlights the continuous interplay of internal and external influences, showcasing both its celebrated achievements and its darker chapters.

This book is interesting and easy to read. I wish it had spent more time on events prior to 1900 and less on events since then. A lot of the information covered in the last chapters is not so much history but news. That’s the one big complaint I have about this series. The modern-day sections contain too much detail to be part of a short history. If I wanted to read about modern France, I’d choose a book on modern France, not on French history.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

As the title conveys, this was a concise informative "short history of France". The author made thousands of years of history readable and approachable. I really enjoyed how this book also had moments of "did you know" quick facts interspersed throughout.

The “Shortest History” series has a great formula that is consistent from book to book. I liked the non-flowery writing style with its clarity and conversational tone. Considering the time span and magnitude of the subject matter, there is an astonishing depth of information in what is actually a relatively concise book. The maps were great. Colin Jones opted to explain why things happened as opposed to just offering a collection of dates, places, and names. Obviously Jones couldn’t go into a lot of details, but I feel like he covered all the major ones. The book is fast-paced and impossible to put down, yet it doesn’t feel rushed. This is a great book for anyone interested in the history of France. Thank you to Netgalley and The Experiment for the advance reader copy.

I couldn’t get into this book at all. It probably has value for those with a big interest in the topic but for mild interest it doesn’t capture interest

As a reader of primarily US history, I was excited to pick up this book. Based on the title, and my own knowledge of French history, I was hoping that it would be a nice “toe-dip” into the history of France. Ultimately, I was not disappointed, and it was exactly what I was looking for. If you want a bit of a refresh on the topics you may already be familiar with, and an introduction to new topics that may interest you, this book is a great resource. The author provides a little bit of everything, but not a lot of anything, which is by no means a criticism. Considering that this book covers nearly three millennia of French history in roughly 270 pages, the book provides exactly what you should expect from something titled “The Shortest History of France.” Throughout this read, I found myself appreciating the stories I already did know, and jotting down notes of topics and tidbits that I’d like to research further. Jones provides a fast-moving crash course of France, from the Gauls to de Gaulle, and right up to present day. This book will give you enough information to be dangerous, and if you enjoy history, will whet your appetite for areas of further reading. A special thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for allowing me to enjoy this read.

Maybe it was because I went into this knowing a lot about French history, but this wasn't my favorite "Shortest History" book. I felt like certain historical eras were glossed over in a way that made them seem more trivial than they were. Like very very little attention was paid to the monarchy even leading up to the revolution. I found the last few chapters the best as they seemed to have more time to dig into recent events.

Requested this book for my trip to Paris but found the format quite difficult to read. Don't want to struggle with the format while on vacation. Soft DNF for now but will return to it when I get back home since I can tell I'll probably enjoy the content