A Certain Idea of France
The Life of Charles de Gaulle
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A Certain Idea of France
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Narrated by:
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John Banks
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By:
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Julian Jackson
About this listen
Penguin presents the audiobook edition of A Certain Idea of France by Julian Jackson, read by John Banks.
In six weeks in 1940, France was overrun by German troops and surrendered. One junior French general, refusing to accept defeat, made his way to England. On 18 June he spoke to his compatriots over the BBC, urging them to rally to him in London. At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered into history.
For the rest of the war, de Gaulle frequently bit the hand that fed him. He insisted on being treated as the true embodiment of France, and quarrelled violently with Churchill and Roosevelt. But through sheer force of personality and bloody-mindedness he managed to have France recognised as one of the victorious Allies.
For 10 years after 1958 he was President of France's Fifth Republic, which he created and which endures to this day. His pursuit of 'a certain idea of France' challenged American hegemony, took France out of NATO and twice vetoed British entry into the European Community. His controversial decolonisation of Algeria brought France to the brink of civil war and provoked several assassination attempts.
Julian Jackson's magnificent biography reveals this the life of this titanic figure as never before. No previous biography has depicted his paradoxes so vividly. Much of French politics since his death has been about his legacy, and he remains by far the greatest French leader since Napoleon.
©2019 Julian Jackson (P)2019 Penguin AudioListeners also enjoyed...
What listeners say about A Certain Idea of France
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- 28-06-24
One of the best Bio I ever read .
This is one of the best Bio I ever listen, comparable in depth to Martin Gilbert Churchill.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 11-06-23
Perfect
A remarkable listen. I must commend the narrator on his conveyance of this beautiful story. I look forward to both voice actor and author's next venture
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 01-08-22
not a man in history but a man of history
narrator, format, content and subject all good, a narrative of determinism, contingency and Degaulle
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Sabbie
- 04-12-22
Regurgitation of the Modern Joan of Arc - France.
Excellent reading, especially the portrayal of De Gaulle's baritone voice. I learned so much more about the General
from this rather than the Press portrayal of him. It balanced up the narrative.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Jonathan Widell
- 19-06-21
superb
This is a historical biography of the very highest order. Sometimes the reader's pronunciation of the French words is confusing but perfect is the enemy of good.
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3 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- mr j j craggy
- 27-11-22
Excellent
One of the best audible books I’ve listened to. De Gaulle was clearly a great man. This book does him justice.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Paul Hennigan
- 10-11-24
Stick with it - an incredible life
CDG is a hard man to love but this telling makes you realise the absolute greatness of the man. CDG's priggishness and arrogance may put you off but you realise he was right what he did when you see the entire picture. I shed a tear on reading of his death, that's the journey this book took me on. Vive A Certain Idea of France,.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Simon Brady
- 17-03-22
A detailed account of De Gaulle
This is a very thorough and detailed account of the one man that made the french want to believe in themselves again. Although De Gaulle was an acute sufferer of Fashoda syndrome, symptoms being petulance, ignorance, double standards, extreme grumpiness and very anti British. This is the continuing thread of this book as it obviously ran through De Gaulle like a stick of rock.
Throughout his career from 1940 until his death he changed the main role and purpose of all french presidents thereafter. That number one role, their main purpose of each and all french presidents is to make France look important. A job that gets harder with each year and each new president. Whether it is Leaving nato, blocking the UK’s eu entry in the 60’s or our leaving the eu, or even lately with the tantrums over AUKUS. Even macrons humiliating attempt of trying to place himself at the centre of negotiations with putin and the war in Ukraine, desperate phone conversations and a embarrassment to france.
Unfortunately making France look important cannot be done through economic, military or diplomatic strength. It is solely done through the awkwardness and stubbornness we see today.
One of the reasons I listened to this book is the hope that it would shed some light on how France got a UN big five seat, something I have tried researching for years. Originally the UN was going to have a Big three- USA, Russia and UK. This then changed to a big four with China and then, literally 2 and a half months before it’s establishment france was announced it would be the fifth member. No one knows how this came about or the negotiations involved. Sadly this book also glossed over it.
Still, a fantastic achievement of a book and very well narrated.
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9 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Alžběta
- 25-05-23
Magnificent. A masterpiece.
Wow, this was absolutely breathtaking! "A Certain Idea of France" is a detailed and fascinating account of De Gaulle's life, career, and the thirty years he spent at the helm of French politics and public life. Most importantly, however, the author puts all events of De Gaulle's private and professional life into a broader context of the situation both in and out of France. The book thus succeeds at painting an extraordinarily vivid picture of De Gaulle, undoubtedly one of the most fascinating and complex figures in world history. Yet, despite all the detail and context, the text never gets stodgy or lifeless - Jackson's writing is riveting.
Anyone interested in history will savour every word of this magnificent book. "A Certain Idea of France" is a masterpiece!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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- I. Bell
- 25-12-20
Extraordinary book...needs a narrator who knows French
This is a genuinely monumental book and the definitive biography of de Gaulle in any language, including French. It has indeed been recognised as such even in France, usually scathing of foreigners interpreting their national symbol. But a narrator should have been chosen who spoke French or checked pronunciation: half the proper nouns are terribly mangled. E.g it is Edgard Faure, no accent on the last e (not like the composer), the Duc d’Enghein, hard g not like engine, and so on for hundreds of characters and places. But do buy this great book.
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5 people found this helpful