{"product_id":"9781471128981","title":"The French Mind : 400 Years of Romance, Revolution and Renewal","description":"\u003cp\u003e`Majestic, ambitious' Literary Review ____________________________________�We are endlessly fascinated by�the�French. We are fascinated by their way of life, their creativity and sophistication, and even their insistence that they are exceptional. But how did France become�the�country it is today, and what really sets it apart? Historian Peter Watson sets out to answer�these questions in this dazzling history of France, taking us from�the�seventeenth century to�the�present day through�the�nation's most influential thinkers.�He opens�the�doors to�the�Renaissance salons that brought together poets, philosophers and scientists, and tells�the forgotten stories of�the extraordinary women who ran�these institutions, fostering a culture of stylish intellectualism unmatched anywhere else in�the�world. It's a story that takes us into Bohemian caf�s and cabarets, into chic Parisian high culture via French philosophies of food, fashion and sex, and through two explosive revolutions.   The French Mind�is a history propelled by�the writers, revolutionaries and painters who loved, inspired and rivalled one another over four hundred years. It documents�the�shaping of a nation�whose global influence, in art, culture and politics, cannot be overstated.    __________________________________________ `An encyclopaedic celebration of French intellectuals refusing to give up on universal principles, while remaining slim, bringing up well-behaved children and falling in love at every opportunity' The Times 'An engaging movement through time towards France's recent reckonings with extremism, exceptionalism and empire'�TLS �\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rye Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":55732403175800,"sku":"9781471128981","price":12.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0064\/1368\/0730\/files\/9781471128981.jpg?v=1794285325","url":"https:\/\/ryebooks.co.uk\/products\/9781471128981","provider":"Rye Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}