Portraits of France

by Robert Daley

Freely mixing travelogue, history and offhand cultural commentary, Daley's serendipitous journey appraises France's soul. Whether he is expressing consternation at Avignon's immense Palace of the Popes, monument to medieval extravagance, or tracking the legend of bike racer Jacques Anquetil, Daley has a knack for the telling detail, the unusual observation. A few of these 19 vignettes delve into little-known events, like the building of French concentration camps in the Pyrenees during WW II. Among the indelible portraits we find those of French soldier- politican-aristocrat Lafayette, Grace Kelly, Scottish novelist Tobias Smollett (inventor of the ``fabulous Riviera'' mystique) and De Gaulle, an obscure brigadier general in 1940 worried mainly about his wife and retarded daughter. Other pieces deal with Lourdes, Bordeaux, a perfume factory in Grasse, Jules Massenet writing operas in Paris and the Sansons family, which operated the guillotine through six generations.

Genres: France, History, Travel, Nonfiction

488 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Robert Daley is the author of seventeen novels and eleven non-fiction books. Born and brought up in New York, he graduated from Fordham University, did his military service in the Air Force and began writing stories, articles and books immediately afterward. He was a New York Times foreign correspondents for six years based in France but covering stories from Russia to Ireland to Tunisia, fifteen or more countries in all. Much later he served as an NYPD deputy commissioner, which explains why many of his books have played out against a police background. His work has been translated into fourteen languages, and six of his books have been filmed. He is married with three daughters. He and his French born wife divide their time between a house in Connecticut and an apartment in Nice. France.

Reviews

[Marilyn Bushman-Carlton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just read this book for the second time, in preparation for another trip to France. It is, again, one of my favorite books. Daley is a wonderful, creative, informative writer, and he knows how to get to the heart of the matter--getting to know and understand the French people--in the round-about way of teaching you facts about history, culture, religion, food-you name it-in a most interesting way. I am in France right now accompanied by both my husband and Daley's book, using the book as a guide on what to see this time here. Today we plan to drive from Paris where we are staying to the Champagne area where we'll see the home of Charles De Gaulle, his grave, a huge wooden cross built in his honor, some Joan of Arc sites, the walled city of Provins, and the sites of Abelard and Heloise. Even the informative Marriott information guy did not know of these sites (and was happy to learn about them!), but, thanks to Daley, we plan on enriching our lives by experiencing these important pieces of French history and life. I highly recommend this book. I paid $15.95 for the book, published in 1991, and today it sells for over $40.00! But I'd buy it again, and for that much. It's that good.

[Carmen · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book describes over 1000 years of French history at an accessible level. He writes well and draws you in. My only problem was that the areas skipped around, so I was constantly refering to my atlas.

[Joe Vess · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this once, many years ago, and thought I'd read it again. It wasn't quite as good as I remembered. Too much America and Americans in a book about France. The author's not great at looking at things from a dispassionate perspective.

[Neva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Half travelogue, have memoir, spans 1000 years of French history. A great writer and a fascinating look at France.

[Dsf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that really brings back the time in which the author lived and worked in post-war France.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written and well researched. A collection of interesting stories of various places and individuals in French history. An easy read and highly recommended for any Francophile.

[Bernie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed the travel writing here with a bit of personal life rolled in. Read this many years ago and found the book so I read again. Many spots written about would not be on a normal tour so quite interesting to read.