Why France?: American Historians Reflect on an Enduring Fascination

Why France?: American Historians Reflect on an Enduring Fascination, edited by Laura Lee Downs and Stephane Gerson, Cornell University Press, Ithaca, 2007.

Why are we so fascinated by France? And why in particular are American historians so focused on France? To answer these questions, the editors asked 16 contemporary American and Canadian historians to write autobiographical essays and this book is the result.

For those (like me) convinced that food is an enormous magnet that pulls us across the pond, it is disappointing to find in their 19 page introduction only one mention of a cook (Julia Child) and one paragraph about food (excepting two mentions of the "French Fries" nonsense.) Inside, there are brief mentions of pot-au-feu, kir royals, fruits de mer, Pierre Poilane, beer, salad nicoise, Waverly Root, red wine, omelettes, bread, cheese, pate and vegetables but these are all in the surround not in the center. No, these essays are by serious scholars of history rather than the culinary arts.

The authors are experts in history from Medieval times through WWII to modern days (the suburbs/cites and head-scarf issues). Most are written in the first person but the lead-off one is in the 3rd - a somewhat jarring beginning.

One revelation to me was how (ironically, except in the reverse manner, they are like de Toqueville), in that outsiders (that is Americans) seized and interpreted French history, especially unpleasant periods such as around the Dreyfus "affair," Vichy and Algeria, unencumbered by the traditional lore and French party line conveyed in schools. The second is how many of these historians were touched by the famous Robert Paxton of Columbia (who wrote one of the essays) which of course could be explained by the editors' circle of contacts/colleagues/friends. It may explain also why so many of the essayists are experts in military history, the "Great War" and Vichy France.

Another revelation, albeit logical, is that several if not most, of the authors have European parents and or spouses. In addition, the Afterward was written by the famed French historian, Robert Chartier, who also knows most of the authors. And a final commonality is how useful the Bibliotheque Nationale has been to some if not all these historians.

I was especially touched by the concluding chapter on Todd Shepard’s life as an exchange student in Douai in 1985, the city where I had my first exposure to France some several decades before. It didn't sound very different.

This volume is not for everyone; I think it will appeal most to those who both love France and history, sociology or political science. But I set it down with some regret: it had been a fun read and a chance to rub shoulders, even through words, with some of America's finest minds.