1000 Years of Annoying the French by Stephen Clarke (PDF)

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User’s Reviews

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐Very thoroughly researched and very entertainingly written. I enjoy all of his work. Thanks for a very interesting and fun read.

⭐The book has been edited for Kindle and it is a joy to read on Kindle or paper. It is a deceptively easy to read book that hides the depth of authors knowledge and makes you want to re-read a chapter in your favorite “real” history book.The book is exactly as advertised: a humorous overview of acrimonious thousand years old relationship between English and French speaking regions all over the globe. It will not help you pass your European History 101 but it may lighten an evening or two. As a side benefit, it may help in dealing with someone who takes his/her academic credentials as a historian a little bit too seriously. It is full of interesting facts and events that “real” historian deem to beneath their statute to cover. Sometimes, when too many of those events group together the book subtly questions if “real” historians are dealing with real events or the history as it should have been had people behaved as they “should”The book covers most pivotal events that shaped the relationships between France and English speaking world. The book comprises short essays covering an episode or a period in the history of two peoples. The language is light, concise, and, as one can judge by the title, would not let French get too full of themselves (every now and then English partisans will be saying, “Ouch!” as well ).As I said it’s a light reading for people who discovered that life really is stranger than fiction –

⭐This is how history (light) should be written! Reminds me of my beloved Thomas Holt (better known as Tom Holt of absurdist comedies like “Who’s Afraid of Beowulf?”), in that he writes hilariously for an audience not entirely unfamiliar with the subject matter. Although no prior knowledge of English or French history is necessary, it helps to know the “received” versions of these historical incidents between the ever-warring neighbors to understand how additional, less publicized details, change the tenor of the “story” entirely. Great fun to see how the same dots can be connected in entirely different ways from the French vs English perspective (the latter of course being the “home” team). I enjoyed it tremendously, especially as light reading IN France, where it gave me some background most tour guides (both human & books) often omit.

⭐A brilliant and hilarious history of the English and the French, and the thousand years from the Battle of Hastings to present day. He confirmed my own attitudes from my experience in France. That is, annoying the French is a lot of fun since it’s so easy to annoy them.As an historian, Mr. Clarke is well-educated and quite good at recounting details of the relationship of the English and the French in the droll humor the English are known for. His history is also quite accurate but more, he tells it a series of laugh out loud anecdotes. I enjoyed this book immensely — partly because of the usually needless foibles of the monarchs and their minions, but mainly because of the wonderful sense of humor about it all that Mr. Clarke provides.This is a very accurate history of the English in France, expertly written by one of England’s great humorists. I highly recommend it to anyone who reads history. and enjoys history, but also enjoys laughing at the French. They really are quite a silly bunch.

⭐This book about the history of relations between Britain and France is really, really amusing. The author has that wry British humor that sneaks up on you. I’m guessing this book will be more amusing to Brit and American readers than to French readers. However, this is not just a humor book. I learned a lot, and had an amusing time learning. The book covers everything from William the Conqueror to the Channel Tunnel, and lots in between. I particularly enjoyed the parts about Napoleon, Mary Queen of Scots, “French” food, the French Revolution, champagne, the less than stellar way many French people conducted themselves during WWII, and the part about Charles De Gaulle. I do realize that this is one author’s take on history, and other historians, particularly French historians might have different opinions. I will definitely read more books by this excellent author. I have downloaded samples of his fiction and non-fiction books. Highly recommend this book.

⭐Being French myself I must say I loved this book which is rewriting the history we are being told in our French schools, in a absolute delightful and tongue-in-cheek way. I was shocked sometimes to realize that absolute French icons like our dearest croissants or baguettes are not that French to begin with and that some of our beloved heroes were really behaving like jerks most of the time. Actually I’m not that surprised as presenting facts to our best advantage is our most persistent French traits. And despite all the joking around and the little nabs to our French egos, the author never pretends to hide that he’s a fervent francophile. I especially like the way he suggest in his introduction that one the main reason why we French and English hate (love) so much each other is because, despite what we might say in public, we find each other irresistibly sexy. This just set the tone for the whole book!

⭐The title speaks for itself. It’s funny, irreverent and tongue-in-cheek without being offensive to our closest neighbours. Even they secretly admit to the occasional giggle though they hate the idea that it was the Brits that invented their trusty guillotine. Read and laugh!

⭐Ever wondered why the most unmissable game in the Six Nations is England v France? Why do the spectators in Rugby clubs up and down England happily cheer on any of the other four teams that is up against the French one, not really caring who wins so long as the French are well and truly stuffed? Who knows, but it’s a very ancient and deep rooted prejudice, and its 1000 year history is entertainingly surveyed and summarised in this delightful book. Ideal chuckle material for non-historians and guaranteed to confirm any Englishman’s view of Cross Channel affairs

⭐A must-read, especially if you are venturing to France this summer. My problem is that I can’t remember the many interesting little stories that we make such good put-downs for our cousins terrible across the Channel……..or should that be la manche ! Enjoy the read with a good croissant and revel in the fact that such a delightful pastry was of course an English invention !! Want to know more………….buy this book !!

⭐The book delivers facts and circusmatnces really well. What it is missing is the usual Clarke’s wit and sense of humour. None come through very much. It is more of an aid for us to irk the French than his own usually superb take on them. Some put downs are missing such as already notorious retort of our man over there at a high French official trying to extol superb leadership of Napoleon over the rosbiffs: ‘As all great leaders Napoleon understood the importance of luck and only selected ‘lucky’ candidates as his marshalls’. ‘And how did it all end old boy?’ – said our man.

⭐I bought my original copy of this in a Swedish airport! I have enjoyed reading this so much I bought a copy for a friend for Christmas. I found it very droll, funny and enlightening. Did you know that it was the English who popularised champagne? They designed the bottle to contain the fizz because they liked the wine! The author has his tongue very much in his cheek with some of his “asides”. It is a book that can be dipped into or read continuously. I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone as it is informative as well as amusing and definitely not boring. I wish history at school had been as interesting! And my friend? He is thoroughly enjoying the read.

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