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Les Relations transatlantiques - The French-American Relationship

French intellectuals talk about anti-Frenchism and anti-Americanism

About.com Rating five out of Five

By Laura K. Lawless, About.com

Conversations françaises

Conversations françaises : Les Relations translatlantiques (The French-American Relationship)

Champs-Élysées Audiomagazine
From the publisher of Champs-Élysées audiomagazine comes a brand-new product called Conversations françaises : Les Relations transatlantiques (The French-American relationship). Read my review of this bilingual audiobook.

What's behind anti-Frenchism in the United States and anti-Americanism in France?

Anyone wondering what the French think of the United States or why the Iraq war contributed to a spate of anti-Frenchism need look no further than this interesting and insightful new product from the publishers of Champs-Élysées audiomagazine. Conversations françaises : Les Relations transatlantiques is a series of interviews with three prominent French intellectuals:
  1. Philippe Roger, director of the French National Center for Scientific Research and an expert on the history of anti-Americanism in France
     
  2. Bernard Cassen, English teacher, co-founder of the University of Vincennes, managing editor of Le Monde diplomatique, and anti-globalization activist
     
  3. Pierre Lellouche, lawyer and center-right politician
As these three men discuss their views on the relationship between France and the United States with French radio journalist Bernard Poirette, listeners will come to understand some of the radically different viewpoints on the historic love/hate relationship between France and the United States.
 

Breaking new ground with the publishers of Champs-Élysées

Conversations françaises : Les Relations transatlantiques is similar in many ways to its publisher's eponymous audiomagazine and separately published audiobook Balade en France. The main components of Conversations are a 70-minute French audio CD and full transcript, but instead of just a list of difficult terms and concepts like those found in the other products, Conversations françaises includes a full translation of the French with extensive notes (in English) on people and events discussed in the interviews. Therefore, this product can be enjoyed by all levels of French speakers - even beginners and non-French speakers who are interested in learning about Franco-American relations can read the translation and notes.
 

The bottom line

If you'd like to gain a better understanding of the past, present, and future of the French-American relationship, check out the Conversations françaises interviews. These vastly different views can help you make up your own mind about anti-Frenchism, anti-Americanism, and the historical French-American relationship.

Purchase Conversations françaises in conjunction with a subscription or resubscription to Champs-Elysées (or the equivalent audiomagazine in Spanish, Italian, or German) to receive a substantial discount. Find out more by visiting the Conversations françaises website.

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