John Julius Norwich-called a "true master of narrative history" by Simon Sebag Montefiore-returns with the book he has spent his distinguished career wanting to write, A History of France: a portrait of the past two centuries of the country he loves best. Beginning with Julius Caesar's conquest of Gaul in the first century BC, this study of French history comprises a cast of legendary characters-Charlemagne, Louis XIV, Napoleon, Joan of Arc, and Marie Antionette, to name a few-as Norwich chronicles France's often violent, always fascinating history. From the French Revolution-after which neither France, nor the world, would be the same again-to the storming of the Bastille, from the Vichy regime and the Resistance to the end of the Second World War, A History of France is packed with heroes and villains, battles and rebellion, stories so enthralling that Norwich declared, "I can honestly say that I have never enjoyed writing a book more." With his celebrated stylistic panache and expert command of detail, Norwich writes in an inviting, intimate tone, and with a palpable affection for France. One of our greatest contemporary historians has deftly crafted a comprehensive yet concise portrait of the country's historical sweep.