The Shortest History of France: From Roman Gaul to Revolution and Cultural Radiance―A Global Story for Our Times

Shortest History

by Colin Jones

A global history of the world’s most visited country—from Caesar’s Gallic Wars to current political crisis

France has long been feted for its unsurpassed cultural and historical riches. Gothic architecture, Louis XIV opulence, revolutionary spirit, café society . . . what could be more quintessentially French? Rarely do we think of France as a melting pot, and yet historian Colin Jones asserts it’s no less a mélange of foreign ingredients than the United States—and by some measures, more so.

The Shortest History of France reveals a nation whose politics and society have always been shaped by global forces. With up-to-date scholarship that avoids the traps of national exceptionalism, Jones reminds us that it was only after the first millennium of French history—after constant subjugation to the Roman Empire and Germanic tribal forces—that a nation-state began to emerge, while absorbing influences from its European neighbors. Later, the Crusades and subsequent overseas colonization paved the way for cultural exchange with Africa, the Caribbean, East Asia, and elsewhere.

France has been home to the Enlightenment, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Paris Agreement . . . but also to the Vichy regime, the Algerian War, and persistent racism and civil unrest. By turns serious and spirited, The Shortest History of France is a dynamic, global story for our times.

Genres: History, France, Nonfiction, Politics

304 pages, Paperback

Published April 15, 2025

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.

Reviews

[Lewis Woolston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the second book the "Shortest History" series that i have read, the first being their history of Italy.
I'd rate this one not quite as good as the Italy book but still a decent read.
This book takes the reader from the Roman conquest of Gaul to the Macron Presidency in about 250 pages which is a serious achievement in brevity but perhaps a little too much was skipped over.
The chapters about the pre-revolution monarchy and the wars of religion were probably the best and most interesting. Reducing the life of Charles de Gaulle to a few pages seems almost unforgiveable to me.
All in all i'd say good but not great. Probably the sort of book you'd save for a plane or train journey rather than a serious read at home.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is a problem with short books of general history. It is that they are inevitably one-damned-thing-after-another narratives, often sparse on context and thinner still on analysis. Worse still, the 'things' are typically long lists whose characteristic elements are 'and then A attacked B'.

This does not describe everything in this midsized volume. But it describes too much of it.

[Rich Christman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful dive into the story of one of the world’s most fascinating, culturally rich, paradoxical, hypocritical, and beautiful nations in the world. The center of Europe, the first daughter of the Church, and the loudest birthplace of liberal republicanism is a wild place, surely destined to not play second fiddle forever.

[Rob · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a reader of primarily US history, I was excited to pick up this book. Based on the title, and my own knowledge of French history, I was hoping that it would be a nice “toe-dip” into the history of France. Ultimately, I was not disappointed, and it was exactly what I was looking for. If you want a bit of a refresh on the topics you may already be familiar with, and an introduction to new topics that may interest you, this book is a great resource. The author provides a little bit of everything, but not a lot of anything, which is by no means a criticism. Considering that this book covers nearly three millennia of French history in roughly 270 pages, the book provides exactly what you should expect from something titled “The Shortest History of France.” Throughout this read, I found myself appreciating the stories I already did know, and jotting down notes of topics and tidbits that I’d like to research further. Jones provides a fast-moving crash course of France, from the Gauls to de Gaulle, and right up to present day. This book will give you enough information to be dangerous, and if you enjoy history, will whet your appetite for areas of further reading. A special thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for allowing me to enjoy this read.

[Patrick Tullis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my least favorite book I’ve read in the shortest history book series (I’ve read a total of 3 so far). I understand it is hard to fit all that history into 250 pages. However, I thought there was too much focus on “world history” early in the book and not nearly enough information on the different areas of France.

This book is a good overview and does well in the back half of the book. The book is meant as a starting point but I don’t feel like it inspired me to read additional books about French history. This is contrasted by my love for the Shortest History of Japan and Italy books, which inspired me to read additional books on those subjects.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Shortest History series is back with a fantastic review of our cousins from across the channel. Don’t know your croissant from your cuisses de grenouille? Then look no further, some absolute lad has written a billy-basics (aka Louis-basics) guide to the country which invented mimes and self-sabotage. 

Assuming no prior knowledge, the author helpfully utilises his very best plain-speaking English and dozens of diagrams to get his point across. Even the most basic stuff isn’t taken for granted. Instead of saying, for example, “southern France” (which could be anywhere), he’ll say “remember I told you France is a hexagon? Well, this is in the bottom bit” and instantly you’re like, oui oui, bon understand me old mucker.

Seriously, I can’t recommend this book enough. Reading it beside a pool not a million miles from Marseille, I was able to gain enough local knowledge to absolutely terrorise my French-speaking mother-in-law (who’d paid for the AirB&B). Whilst she was looking after my toddler and putting the beers on chill, I was confidently able to man-splain the spread of Capetian style cathedrals in my most condescending (i.e. French) voice. Fantastic. A holiday she’ll never forget.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Compared to the other volumes I've read in the series this was desperately in need of aggressive editing. Not well formatted. For example, there are a lot of shaded sidebar sections where you'd expect to leave the chapter aside for a tangent - except sometimes the chapter continues directly from the tangent instead of where the text left off. I've never seen anyone do that.

I am not a subject matter expert so I can't speak to the content; you may be better off with a less-than-shortest French history book though.

[Hailey Strother · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted a short history of France and this was that exactly!

[Lara · Rating 4 out of 5]

very nice summary of frances history

[David Klingenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is short—maybe a little too short.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this concise but comprehensive history of France, Colin Jones explores the country’s history as a melting pot of multiple languages, cultures, and identities that have evolved over centuries. Looking at the impact of global forces and migration (among other factors) on France’s history, Jones reminds readers that France’s nation-state status is far more recent than popular narratives might indicate. Highlighting the ways in which France’s history intersected with other countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas, this book covers French history from before the Roman conquest through World War II and the twenty-first century and balances all of these historical details and information easily. The inclusion of images and straightforward prose make this easy to read and emphasize the accessibility of history (or how accessible and complex history really is) for readers from all backgrounds, making this a great addition to the Shortest History Series. Interesting, packed with detail, and fascinating, Jones makes history entertaining and digestible in this new release that expert historians and casual history readers alike will enjoy. A fantastic exploration of the evolution of France as a country, cultural influence, and global power, readers will really enjoy this interesting, accessible, and detailed new history book.

Thanks to NetGalley and The Experiment for the advance copy.

[George Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jones gives himself a challenging task: summarize thousands of years of history in under 300 pages. These sorts of books will never please everyone because the author must make difficult choices: how much time should I spend on the Franco-Prussian War? Should each Louis and Charles be mentioned? How do you incorporate a colonial, global France into a text about the country within its hexagonal borders? Ultimately, the reader can only evaluate these works along two criteria: firstly, is it readable? Does it flow seamlessly across the centuries (no easy feat) and keep your attention? And secondly, does it miss any key details? Are there any omissions that render it inaccurate or incomplete?

Considering this book is very well-written and mentions every headline event from 52 BCE to 2025, I consider it excellent. Granted, there are times where I wish Jones had gone into more depth on a certain topic (Charles Maurras, artistic and literary trends after World War II) but this book was never meant to be exhaustive. It gives a nice refresher to people already familiar with the subject and a primer for new students. Plus, he offers a curated Further Reading section at the end for you to dig as deep as you would like. Great read and accessible!

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Caesar’s conquests to modern crises, this concise history reveals France not as an isolated entity, but a nation shaped by global forces. Exploring its evolution from Roman rule to a modern state, the book highlights the continuous interplay of internal and external influences, showcasing both its celebrated achievements and its darker chapters.

This book is interesting and easy to read. I wish it had spent more time on events prior to 1900 and less on events since then. A lot of the information covered in the last chapters is not so much history but news. That’s the one big complaint I have about this series. The modern-day sections contain too much detail to be part of a short history. If I wanted to read about modern France, I’d choose a book on modern France, not on French history.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

The “Shortest History” series has a great formula that is consistent from book to book. I liked the non-flowery writing style with its clarity and conversational tone. Considering the time span and magnitude of the subject matter, there is an astonishing depth of information in what is actually a relatively concise book. The maps were great. Colin Jones opted to explain why things happened as opposed to just offering a collection of dates, places, and names. Obviously Jones couldn’t go into a lot of details, but I feel like he covered all the major ones. The book is fast-paced and impossible to put down, yet it doesn’t feel rushed. This is a great book for anyone interested in the history of France. Thank you to Netgalley and The Experiment for the advance reader copy.

[Allan Aksiim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written but at times simplification bordering on error. For example: France didn't leave NATO in 1966 (p 201), but NATO’s integrated military command. New member states to the EU in Eastern Europe were not only former Soviet states, but former Wasrssav pact members (p 228). The text becomes very Paris-centric quickly but that is more a feature of French history, than a bias by the author. Regardless I would have been interested in developments in the rest of the country.

I have grown fond of the short/shortest history format, mostly due to time constraints and a desire to not get bogged down by all the details. It is still an imperfect format and quality varies by author.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a history nerd; anyone who knows me will agree. I can share history of world wars, American History, compare TX vs CA history. Do I know the history of France? Umm, the highlights. Did you know that France is sometimes referred to as l'Hexagone ("The Hexagon")?

This book was a great way to learn the history of France, beyond the highlights, but also not a few semesters of classes.

Thank you NetGalley and The Experiment. #TheShortestHistoryofFrance #NetGalley

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to The Experiment for sending me a copy.

Despite having visited France a few times, I didn't know a ton about the country's overall history. This book is a good, quick primer. I knew I would be in good hands when the author emphasized in the intro the diversity of the country. France has been influenced by the world, and vice versa, as the book doesn't shy away from discussing France's colonial ambitions.

[Rebecc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Colin Jones is very well versed in French history & he has a charming way with words that I think readers & the French will appreciate. He covers a very long historical period with panache & though one might not agree with everything he says it is an ideal starter book for those that need that & the excellent time line shows just how ripe France is for further reading.

[Christopher Junker · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are largely unfamiliar with the history of France, this seems like a pretty easily digestible introduction. If all you want to do is take the jumble of things that you already know about French history and re-order them so that you can think about it more completely I think this is also a good choice.

[Ryan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick read and a good overview of the history of France. I’d always been confused about the effects of the French Revolution and the end of the Napoleonic empire and this gave me a lot of new knowledge that I will unfortunately lose in 2-3 months.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I predominantly read this in Versailles and Paris. It was a great way to contextualise all I was visiting, whatever the relevant period. It’s very hard to condense the entire history of such a large nation into less than 300 pages, but it’s achieved well here.

[Ashley Robinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helped fill in the gaps I had of general french history. Living in the English speaking world, its easier to form a general idea of history of the UK and US from media so I felt like this caught me up to a similar level for France.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as entertaining as some of the other in the Shortest History series, the author focuses more on modern French history than on the grand sweep of French history over the millennia and doesn't do as good a job as other books in the series at identifying the central theme that shaped the country, a feature that made James Hawse's Shortest Histories of England and Germany such fun.

[Mike McCormack · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m going to sound like such an American when I say: I should’ve read this before going to Paris

[Tw Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice concise history of France. It is a quick read.

[David George · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2

Nice overview

[Sam Portillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un tour ‘whistle stop’ de l’histoire française!