{"title":"Graham Robb","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"a-descoberta-da-franca","title":"The discovery of France","description":"Famous for its intellectuals, artists, philosophers, and writers, its fashion, its gastronomy, and its wine, France exerts an enduring fascination on the rest of the world. But in this original and revealing account of his historical and geographical journey through the country, Englishman Graham Robb reveals a France that has yet to be discovered, far beyond the cultural effervescence of Paris and the sunny days of the south. Traveling 22,500 kilometers by bicycle through the country he adopted as his own, searching for traces of its countryside, the award-winning biographer of Victor Hugo, Balzac, and Rimbaud encountered a foreign civilization completely different from the clichés we know, one that only disappeared a little over a century ago. Whether writing about the Cagots, descendants of the Saracen invaders who were persecuted until the 20th century, or the prodigious shepherds of Landes, who can walk around 120 kilometers a day, Robb is a competent and engaging guide, taking the reader to a place we rashly think we know. The author explores every region of the country—full of picturesque landscapes and even strange inhabitants—and first introduces us to a France that, in some ways, has changed very little since the Roman occupation. Until the 19th century, the country was less a nation than a collection of tribes inhabiting a vast territory and speaking a multitude of languages. Although this began to change after 1789, there was little uniformity: in some regions—in certain aspects of daily life—the changes were rapid and definitive; in others, almost imperceptible. While Gustave Eiffel was transforming the Paris skyline, much of France remained terra incognita. Even in the age of trains and newspapers, prehistoric communication networks and pre-Christian beliefs still existed. In a delightful narrative, Robb describes in detail this unknown world and the lives of its inhabitants, from the late 17th to the early 20th centuries—whenever possible, from his own perspective. And it recounts the epic journey of scientists, soldiers, administrators, intrepid tourists, and itinerant workers. We learn how France was discovered, mapped, and colonized, and how Paris's imperial influence gradually extended across a realm of isolated cities and towns. One of the main theses of THE DISCOVERY OF FRANCE is that, even in the 21st century, there are still many places that need to be discovered. And not just picturesque rural France, but the overcrowded suburbs of Paris: Aubervilliers, Saint-Ouen, and Saint-Denin, where non-whites are routinely humiliated by the police, a problem that sparked a popular uprising in 2005. Drawing on solid, academic sources and extensive research, as well as his own journey, Robb weaves history and current reality to retrace the country's diversity in this enchanting account, and show that France is more than Paris and a small elite. \"An astute sociological compendium of France's self-image.\" FranceTelegraph “A careful and tolerant book.” The Nation “Robb skilfully examines France’s dark and misunderstood history.” Booklist “Elegant, funny, and brilliant.” Guardian","brand":"Totvsrj-record-dc","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47176257110268,"sku":"9788501084224","price":129.9,"currency_code":"BRL","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0722\/9197\/5420\/files\/1255f9ed6f3ff830e77157fc53941e77_a048ebc8-6784-435e-af12-60119c5d4da1.jpg?v=1778326053"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.record.com.br\/en\/collections\/graham-robb.oembed","provider":"Editora Record","version":"1.0","type":"link"}