The Discovery of France

'An extraordinary journey of discovery' - Daily Telegraph 'Pedals along with never a dull paragraph . . . dazzling' - The Sunday Times Illuminating, engrossing and full of surprises, The Discovery of France is the tale of Graham Robb's 14,000-mile journey across France on a bicycle to uncover an alternative history. 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 true past of France, Graham Robb realized it was necessary not only to go back in time, but also to go at a slower pace than modern life generally allows. An award-winning modern classic, The Discovery of France is a literary exploration of a remarkable nation. From maps and migration to magic, language and landscape, it reveals a France few will recognize. And all from the perspective of two wheels. Winner of the Duff Cooper and the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje prizes, The Discovery of France is now included in the Picador Collection, a series celebrating fifty years of Picador books and showcasing the very best of modern literature.

Graham Robb was born in Manchester in 1958 and is a former fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. He has published widely on French literature and history. The Discovery of France won both the Duff Cooper and Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje Prizes. For Parisians the City of Paris awarded him the Grande Médaille de la Ville de Paris. He lives on the English-Scottish border.

Section - i: List of Illustrations Section - ii: Maps Section - iii: Itinerary Chapter - 1: The Undiscovered Continent Chapter - 2: the Tribes of France, I Chapter - 3: The Tribes of France, II Chapter - 4: O Òc Sí Bai Ya Win Oui Oyi Awè Jo Ja Oua Chapter - 5: Living in France, I: The Face in the Museum Chapter - 6: Living in France, II: A Simple Life Chapter - 7: Fairies, Virgins, Gods and Priests Chapter - 8: Migrants and Commuters Unit - INTERLUDE: The Sixty Million Others Chapter - 9: Maps Chapter - 10: Empire Chapter - 11: Travelling in France, I: The Avenues of Paris Chapter - 12: Travelling in France, II: The Hare and the Tortoise Chapter - 13: Colonization Chapter - 14: The Wonders of France Chapter - 15: Postcards of the Natives Chapter - 16: Lost Provinces Chapter - 17: Journey to the Centre of France Section - iv: Epilogue: Secrets Section - v: Chronology Section - vi: Notes Section - vii: Works Cited Index - viii: General Index Index - ix: Geographical Index Acknowledgements - x: Acknowledgements