Georges Pompidou

The President of Modern France

Georges Pompidou: The President of Modern France

In the shadow of Charles de Gaulle, Georges Pompidou rose from rural obscurity and the discreet boardrooms of Parisian finance to become the man charged with steering France into the modern age. Banker, intellectual, art patron, and reluctant politician, Pompidou’s presidency (1969–1974) was a bridge between the grandeur of Gaullism and the turbulence of the late twentieth century.

Julien Peltier takes readers deep into the paradox of Pompidou — the cultivated former teacher who loved Mallarmé as much as motorways, the pragmatic dealmaker who resisted ideology, the discreet man who faced the twin storms of the 1973 oil crisis and his own failing health with unflinching resolve.

From the glittering salons of the Élysée to the petrol queues of a nation under strain, this intimate portrait blends politics, culture, and personal struggle, capturing the urgency of a presidency cut short in a single, sudden moment.

Rich with atmosphere, sharply drawn scenes, and the tension of a man replacing a legend, Georges Pompidou: The President of Modern France is the definitive account of a leader often overshadowed, but never forgotten.

This is the second volume in the acclaimed Presidents of the Fifth Republic series, following Charles de Gaulle: The Last Giant.

Perfect for readers of presidential biography, modern European history, and political leadership studies.