In his third book on France, the veteran international correspondent Joseph Harriss cautions that it is probably not the country you expect. He explores persistent myths about that complex nation and analyzes its rapidly evolving situation today. What have 70 years of Socialism done to it? Are French culture and cuisine still the gold standard? He ranges from politics—why the French were so disgusted with President Nicolas Sarkozy—to wrenching socio-economic change, from the outsized sway of women to the influence of "les intellectuels." International affairs, including critical scrutiny of the European Union, UNESCO, and NATO, are also covered. The result is a thought-provoking assessment of France today. «Well worth reading to get a better insight into the France that was, what she may become, and why.»—Publishers Weekly
