France in the Making 843-1180

by Jean Dunbabin

Covering the centuries between the disintegration of the Carolingian empire and the rise of the French monarchy, this book traces the long period of gestation that ended with the emergence of the kingdom of France as a recognizable entity, both on the map of Europe and in the minds of its inhabitants.

Genres: History, France, Nonfiction, Medieval

480 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 20, 1985

Reviews

[Jacob Stephan · Rating 4 out of 5]

An effective and lucid overview of French territorial history from the reign of Charles the Bald as king of West Francia to Philip II Augustus's accession to the throne of France in 1180. The broad scope and the content's synthetic nature lend this book more to use a reference work than actual monograph that presents a singular, unique argument about this topic (the author herself references the "textbook format," of the book in the preface). That does not detract from the utility of this book, as it provides a handy overview of many aspects of French social and political life in the three centuries covered. Topics include aristocratic history with a socio-political bent (marriages, alliances, and the like), brief surveys of the histories of major French territories under the control of the French "princes," (Normandy, Aquitaine, Anjou, Burgundy, Toulouse, etc.), economic developments, and source criticism. A staple survey of medieval French political history.