The Discovery of France Paperback / softback

'An extraordinary journey of discovery' - Daily Telegraph'Pedals along with never a dull paragraph . . . dazzling' - The Sunday TimesTen years ago, I began to explore the country on which I was supposed to be an authority . . . France is a country famous for its intellectuals, its philosophers and writers, its fashion, food and wine. And yet the notion of 'the French' as one nation is relatively recent and - historically speaking - quite misleading.

In order to discover the true past of France, Graham Robb realized it was necessary not only to go back in time, but also to go at a slower pace than modern life generally allows.

The Discovery of France - illuminating, engrossing and full of surprises -is the result of Robb's 14,000-mile journey across France on a bicycle. Winner of both the Duff Cooper and the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje prizes, The Discovery of France is a modern non-fiction classic, a literary exploration of a remarkable nation.

From maps and migration to magic, language and landscape, it reveals a France few will recognize. Part of the Picador Collection, a series celebrating fifty years of Picador books and showcasing the best of modern literature