Showing results by author "Julien Peltier" in All Categories

The untold story of the artist who changed how the world sees adventure. The Man Who Drew the World is the definitive narrative biography of Hergé—the visionary Belgian creator of Tintin, the boy reporter whose global footprint spans art, literature, film, and pop culture. In this vivid, deeply human portrait, author Julien Peltier takes readers behind the clean lines and iconic panels to reveal the man who shaped modern imagination. From a quiet Catholic childhood in Brussels to the explosive debut of Tintin in 1929… From wartime turmoil and accusations that nearly ended his career to...

One boat. One sailor. Zero help. Welcome to the Vendée Globe—the deadliest, most awe-inspiring endurance challenge on Earth that almost no American has heard of. In The Last Horizon, acclaimed storyteller Julien Peltier takes readers inside the world of the solo, nonstop, around-the-world race that pushes human limits further than Everest, spaceflight, or the Ironman ever could. Crossing 24,000 miles of frozen oceans and hurricane latitudes, the Vendée Globe is a battle fought alone—against storms the size of skyscrapers, rogue waves that erase satellite signals, and an isolation so ...

The untold story of the pilot-poet the world fell in love with—told with the suspense of a thriller and the heart of a timeless classic. On July 31, 1944, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry—war hero, pioneering aviator, and author of The Little Prince—took off in a reconnaissance aircraft and vanished forever. No distress call. No witnesses. No answers. For decades, the world has asked the same question: What really happened on his final flight? In The Last Flight of the Little Prince, Julien Peltier delivers the definitive, cinematic biography of one of the most fascinating figures of the ...

In June 1940, Paris did not fall with a roar. It fell with a whisper. German troops marched into the city, and life changed overnight. Cafés stayed open, schools held classes, and the streets looked the same—but behind closed doors, everything had shifted. Conversations lowered. Neighbors watched one another. Silence became survival. The Years of Silence is a gripping, human account of France under the Vichy regime—where collaboration, resistance, fear, and quiet heroism lived side by side. Moving from the fall of Paris to the rise of the Resistance, from the persecution of Jews to the...

Jean-Paul Belmondo was more than a movie star. He was a movement. From the revolutionary streets of the French New Wave to the grand adventure blockbusters that defined European cinema for decades, Belmondo’s career was a masterclass in charisma, courage, and joy. He laughed. He ran. He jumped across rooftops and hung from helicopters. He lived every moment on screen — and off — with fearless delight. This richly told biography traces Belmondo’s remarkable journey from mischievous boxer to world-famous icon. It explores his legendary collaborations with Jean-Luc Godard, his ...

The epic story of how France was born — from tribal chaos to the rise of kings, knights, and cathedrals that reshaped the West. Long before Versailles, Napoleon, and the French Revolution, there was another France — a land of warriors and dreamers, forged in blood and stone. In The Birth of France, discover how a scattered world of barbarian tribes, Viking invaders, and feuding lords became the first true nation of Europe. Meet Clovis, the warrior king who baptized a people; Charlemagne, the emperor who dreamed of uniting the West; Viking raiders who became dukes of Normandy; and the ...

The lethal beauty. The ice-cold gaze. The myth that defined French cinema. Alain Delon was more than an actor—he was a phenomenon. From the golden sunlight of Purple Noon to the shadowed streets of Le Samouraï, he created some of the most unforgettable images in film history. Admired by Visconti, Melville, and Antonioni, feared and adored in equal measure, Delon embodied the contradictions of France itself: elegance and danger, glamour and scandal, silence and provocation. In The Samurai of Cinema, Julien Peltier traces Delon’s extraordinary journey from a troubled childhood to ...

A century of sweat, courage, and obsession — the story of how the Tour de France became the world’s greatest test of endurance. From the dusty roads of 1903 to the high-tech duels of today, The Road to Glory takes readers inside the soul of the Tour de France — where triumph and tragedy ride side by side. Blending cinematic storytelling with documentary realism, this sweeping narrative follows the race’s evolution through war, scandal, and rebirth. You’ll meet the riders who became legends — Garin, Coppi, Anquetil, Merckx, Hinault, Armstrong, Pogačar, and Vingegaard — each ...

Discover the France you never knew — beyond the Eiffel Tower and the Loire châteaux, past the cafés of Paris and the lavender fields of Provence, into the soul of the nation. France: The Tapestry of Regions takes you on an unforgettable journey through history, culture, and identity — from Brittany’s rugged coasts to Corsica’s jagged mountains, from the vineyards of Burgundy to the Alps’ soaring peaks. Historian Julien Peltier weaves together centuries of French history with vivid storytelling, revealing the unique character of each region: the troubadours of Languedoc, the ...

Paris, May 1968: Students on the barricades. Ten million workers on strike. A president in hiding. For a moment, France was on the brink of revolution. What began as a student protest exploded into the largest general strike in Western history. Universities were occupied, factories seized, and the government nearly toppled. For weeks, Paris became a battlefield of ideas and cobblestones, where youth demanded a new world — and the old order fought back. Paris on Fire: May 1968 and the Revolution That Shook the World brings this explosive moment to life for American readers. With the ...

A sweeping history of power, conquest, and memory — and how an empire that no longer exists still shapes one of the world’s most influential nations. For over three centuries, France ruled vast colonies across Africa, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Asia, and the Pacific. From the sugar plantations of Saint-Domingue to the battlefields of Algeria and Indochina, the French Empire reshaped global politics and left behind a legacy as complex as it is contested. In The Long Shadow of Empire, historian Julien Peltier traces the rise and fall of France’s colonial project and shows how its ...

France, 1799. In the shadow of the Revolution, Élise du Lac hides a forbidden ledger beneath the ruins of Versailles—a record of love, betrayal, and a queen’s last confidences. A century later, 1919. Claire Beaumont, a young archivist scarred by the Great War, uncovers the forgotten chapel of Saint-Cloud and the ledger within. As she deciphers its secrets, Claire discovers a bond that spans generations—women who refused to let truth die, and a garden that remembers long after empires fall. From the gilded halls of the Petit Trianon to the rebirth of Paris after war, The Garden ...

Discover the city behind the legend. From its mythic origins along the Seine to the vibrant streets of the 21st century, Paris: Lives, Revolutions, and Resilience is the definitive history of the world’s most iconic city — told through the eyes of the people who lived it. Explore: • The myth, archaeology, and legends of early Paris. • The revolutions and uprisings that reshaped Europe. • The rise and fall of kings, emperors, and political powers. • The everyday lives of Parisians, from the Medieval period to the modern metropolis. • The cultural and intellectual innovations ...

What happens when soldiers turn against their own nation? In the early 1960s, as Algeria fought for independence, a secret French organization waged a brutal campaign of bombings, assassinations, and sabotage. They called themselves the Organisation de l’Armée Secrète (OAS). To their followers, they were patriots. To the world, they were terrorists. The Secret Army: The Rise and Fall of the OAS in Algeria is a gripping, cinematic history of one of the most dangerous underground movements of the 20th century. From the chaos of colonial Algiers to the near-assassination of Charles de ...

From the ashes of World War II to the challenges of Brexit and beyond, this is the sweeping story of how Europe dared to unite. In 1945, Europe lay in ruins—cities bombed, millions displaced, nations broken. Out of the rubble emerged a bold idea: that former enemies could bind their destinies together and build a future of peace, prosperity, and shared power. From Ruins to Union tells the dramatic history of the European project—from Jean Monnet and Robert Schuman’s radical vision, through the creation of the euro and the fall of the Berlin Wall, to the eurozone crisis, refugee ...

Et si comprendre la France, c’était aussi comprendre le monde d’aujourd’hui ? Conçu spécialement pour les apprenants de français langue étrangère (FLE) de niveau intermédiaire à avancé (B1 à C1), ce livre accessible et vivant propose un voyage unique à travers l’histoire de la France moderne – de la Libération en 1945 aux défis du XXIe siècle. Immersion culturelle garantie : Découvrez les grandes étapes politiques, les mouvements sociaux, les bouleversements économiques et les mutations de la société française. Chaque chapitre vous aide à comprendre comment la...

From the streets of Casablanca to the bright lights of Hollywood, Jean Reno has built one of the most unique and enduring careers in modern cinema. Beloved in France for his comedy in Les Visiteurs and revered worldwide for his haunting performance in Léon: The Professional, Reno has mastered the rare art of crossing borders—linguistic, cultural, and cinematic. With his quiet intensity, commanding presence, and unexpected vulnerability, he has become a global icon whose work spans thrillers, comedies, dramas, and international blockbusters like Mission: Impossible and The Da Vinci Code. ...

From the cobblestone streets of Paris to the halls of power in Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte’s genius shaped the modern world. He was more than a conqueror; he was an architect of law, order, and ambition. Napoleon’s Blueprint explores how one man’s vision transformed France, influenced America, and created systems that endure centuries later. Julien Peltier takes readers on a cinematic journey through Napoleon’s rise from Corsican outsider to Emperor, revealing the institutions, education systems, urban planning, and legal frameworks that continue to define modern governance. With...

A dazzling portrait of one town—and a nation—told through 150 years of light, luxury, and survival. On France’s northern coast lies Deauville, a place where history glimmers like sunlight on the sea. Born from the dream of Napoleon III’s half-brother, Charles de Morny, this once-sleepy fishing village became the playground of Europe’s elite, the muse of painters and poets, the refuge of soldiers and lovers, and the red-carpet stage where Hollywood met France. In The Beach That Time Built, historian and storyteller Julien Peltier takes readers on a sweeping, cinematic journey ...

The dazzling story of how France reinvented winter — and built the world’s most iconic ski resorts. From the dramatic peaks of Chamonix to the glamorous terraces of Courchevel, the French Alps have shaped the modern ski experience unlike any other place on Earth. Snow & Splendor reveals the full, sweeping history behind France’s legendary resorts: the pioneers, the rivalries, the Olympic dreams, the jet-set years, and the climate challenges shaping their future. Follow shepherds, soldiers, architects, celebrities, adventurers, and visionary planners as they transform remote mountain ...