The Discovery of France: Picador Classic

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 realised 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.