This text is a concise publication on France, the land, its people and its great contribution to world culture. It contains a chronological account of the most important events which have shaped France and the French society in the course of centuries and a compact overview of the country’s arts and letters. It is a guide to places of interest, historic sites, famous monuments and art treasures and provides essential information for all those interested in France. It is suitable for use as a college manual of French Civilization, a «companion to French studies» and a «travel companion» to sophisticated visitors of France. It is the first history of French civilization in English, an invaluable reference tool for scholars, and a must for libraries.

The Author: Monique Wagner, who holds a French «baccalauréat», a B.A. and an M.A. from Wayne State University, and a Ph.D. from Columbia University, has specialized in French seventeenth-century literature and French Civilization and is currently teaching at Wayne State University. She has also taught at Columbia University, Barnard College and Eastern Michigan University. She has published articles dealing with French literature and culture, and lectures on a wide variety of topics related to France. Her book Molière and the Age of Enlightenment has appeared in the Studies on Voltaire and the Eighteenth Century series. She was decorated with the order of Palmes Académiques, an honor bestowed upon her by the French Government.

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