"France: A Short History" is a short book indeed, covering all of France's history in 221 pages. The first half of the book covers pre-Revolutionary France and is rather too fast-paced to me. The second half of the book is treated better as more space is spent on more recent events. A good read for those looking for a starting-point for jumping into more detailed treatments of discrete periods - and a good book for those only looking for a brief introduction to French history. I wish there were a 600+ page book devoted primarily to pre-Revolutionary France, but in its absence, this book will do.
Found it completely by coincedence (airport lounge). However, I am glad I found it. It's exactly what it says on the cover, brief history of post revlotion France.