Well now, this is certainly worth a read! Stephen Clarke, long time resident of Paris, takes a humourous look at the love-hate relationship between France and England.
It starts with William The Conqueror (who was Norman, and who hated the French), and goes right up to today, revealing many strange and curious facts along the way.
For instance, did you know that the Guillotine was actually a British invention? Or that one French king and a French Emperor were both buried in English soil? No, neither did I.
He takes an in-depth look at all the times the two countries were at war, and all the times they experienced an all-be-it uneasy peace. Along the way, he pokes gentle fun at the French, but also explains that it wasn't necessarily their fault.
To quote the book jacket: 'In short, the French are quite right to suspect that the last thousand years have been one long British campaign to infuriate them'.
If you like history with a twist, then look no further than Mr. Clarke's impeccably researched, but light-hearted look at ourselves, and our nearest neighbours.
Rating: an excellent 5/5
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