The Story of French is a definitive analysis of French as it is spoken around the world. An in-depth, compelling, and above all affectionate look at the language of love, The Story of French is required reading for all Francophiles.
The History of French
From its Latin beginnings to the organizations that protect and promote it, French has a long and colorful history. Colonialism, trade, war, industry, science, religious persecution, and culture all helped to spread French around the world. The exploration of all aspects of the history of French is divided into four stages: origins, spread, adaptation, and change.
French has influenced and been influenced by English, a reciprocal relationship that helps to explain why French remains such an important language today: as English spreads, it takes French with it.
French has influenced and been influenced by English, a reciprocal relationship that helps to explain why French remains such an important language today: as English spreads, it takes French with it.
The Current State of French
French is spoken officially in 33 countries and is the only language other than English to be taught in every country in the world. There are an estimated 175 million Francophones and 100 million "occasional" speakers of French, plus around 100 million French students. An official language in dozens of international organizations, French remains to this day one of the world's most important and influential languages.
The Story of French
Details about dates and people are sometimes rather dry, but The Story of French recounts them in a much more personal manner - through the extensive research, travels, and discoveries of the authors themselves. This book reads more like a novel than a reference book, yet it is packed with an encyclopedic amount of information. If you love French, you'll love this book.
The Story of French has 483 pages. The otherwise identical UK edition is entitled Plus ça change: The Story of French from Charlemagne to the Cirque du Soleil.
The Story of French has 483 pages. The otherwise identical UK edition is entitled Plus ça change: The Story of French from Charlemagne to the Cirque du Soleil.
The Authors of The Story of French
Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow, authors of the best-selling Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong, are award-winning journalists. They are both Canadian, but Nadeau is a Francophone who speaks English fluently while Barlow is an Anglophone who speaks French fluently.
