French Political Biographies

Dive into the riveting life of Nicolas Sarkozy, one of France’s most dynamic and polarizing leaders. From his early political ambitions to his meteoric rise as President of France, this biography reveals the man behind the headlines: his triumphs, scandals, and the lasting impact he left on French politics. Whether you’re a student of history, a political enthusiast, or curious about modern French leadership, this biography delivers insight, drama, and analysis in one compelling read.

François Hollande: The Reluctant Hero By Julien Peltier He was the “normal president” in extraordinary times. François Hollande rose to power promising calm, compromise, and stability. Instead, he found himself tested by terror attacks, economic stagnation, and a nation divided by doubt. From the flicker of unity in the aftermath of tragedy to the crushing weight of disillusion, Julien Peltier paints a vivid portrait of a leader caught between duty and destiny. With rare intimacy and sharp irony, this biography reveals the man behind the hesitant smile: modest yet ambitious, ironic ...

Brought to you by Penguin. In six weeks in 1940, France was over-run 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...

Emmanuel Macron: Jupiter in the Republic by Julien Peltier Can a president rule like a god — and still remain human? From his meteoric rise in 2017 to his stormy re-election in 2022, Emmanuel Macron has transformed French politics and polarized a nation. Branded “Jupiter” for his lofty style of governing, Macron shattered the traditional party system, survived the fury of the Yellow Vests, confronted a global pandemic, and stood firm against Russia’s war in Ukraine — all while facing relentless criticism at home. In this gripping and unflinching biography, Julien Peltier pulls ...

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 ...

"I thought the nation was coming to an end,’ wrote Khushwant Singh, looking back on the violence of Partition that he was witness to over half a century ago. He believed then that he had seen the worst that India could do to herself. But after the violence in Gujarat in 2002, he had reason to...

In many ways it is fitting that Maximilien Robespierre (1758-1794) is one of the best known figures of the French Revolution. The early years of the Revolution were fueled by Enlightenment ideals, seeking the social overthrow of the caste system that gave the royalty and aristocracy decisive advantages over the lower classes. Few were as vocal in their support of Enlightenment ideals as Robespierre. But the Reign of Terror became the most memorable aspect of the Revolution, and Robespierre's position made him the Reign of Terror's instrumental figure.

Jacques Chirac: The Survivor of the Republic By Julien Peltier He was the eternal candidate, the man who always came close — until he didn’t just win, but stayed. From the rain-soaked steps of the Élysée in 1995 to his defiant stand against the Iraq War, from the shock of 2002’s face-off with the far right to the long twilight of his presidency, Jacques Chirac’s story is one of resilience, reinvention, and quiet charm that outlasted his political power. Julien Peltier’s vivid, non-linear portrait takes the reader inside the private moments and public battles of a man who ...

François Mitterrand: The Sphinx of the Fifth Republic By Julien Peltier He was the longest-serving president in French history — a man of paradoxes, secrets, and unshakable composure. François Mitterrand came to power in 1981 with a Socialist programme that promised transformation. By the end of his fourteen years at the Élysée, he had reshaped France, bound it more tightly to Europe, and left behind a legacy both celebrated and contested. Julien Peltier takes us inside the shifting worlds of Mitterrand’s presidency: the exhilaration of early reforms, the sharp turn to austerity, ...

Karl Marx (1818-1883) - philosopher, historian, sociologist, economist, current affairs journalist, and editor - was one of the most influential and revolutionary thinkers of modern history, but he is rarely thought of as a Jewish thinker, and his Jewish background is either overlooked or misrepresented. Avineri puts Marx's Jewish background in its proper and balanced perspective, and traces Marx's intellectual development in light of the historical, intellectual, and political contexts in which he lived.

Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao, widely known as NTR, was not merely a film star who strayed into politics and captured power in Andhra Pradesh. The actor-politician redefined the political culture in the state and scripted a new political idiom.His rather dramatic entry into politics, the profound...

En 1960, René Lévesque fait le saut en politique avec l’« équipe du tonnerre » de Jean Lesage. Ministre des Ressources naturelles, l’ancien journaliste pilote le projet de nationalisation de l’électricité. Sa conviction profonde que le Québec doit être maître de son destin l’incite à fonder le Mouvement souveraineté-association, puis le Parti québécois.

Jean-Paul Marat (1743-1793) gave the French Revolution a voice. One of the most memorable and notorious revolutionaries, Marat became one of the Revolution's best-known figures through his speeches, writings, and scathing attacks on everyone he perceived as, "[E]nemies of the revolution". No revolutionary was more passionate, determined, and willing to die for the cause.

Après neuf années passées à la tête du Conseil constitutionnel, Jean-Louis Debré renoue avec la liberté de ton qu'on lui connaît. Jamais on n'a autant parlé de cette institution ni mieux compris son utilité que sous sa présidence. Dans ce livre audio, il évoque les dossiers qu'il a eu à traiter, les combats qu'il a menés, les dirigeants politiques qu'il a côtoyés et souvent affrontés.

Una selección que aúna tres textos clásicos sobre socialismo y liberación: El Manifiesto Comunista, de Marx y Engels; Reforma o Revolución, de Rosa Luxemburgo; y El socialismo y el hombre en Cuba, del Che Guevara, inspiradores para las nuevas generaciones que creen en una sociedad más...

The Manipuri writer Binodini's Sahitya Akademi Award-winning historical novel The Princess and the Political Agent tells the love story of her aunt Princess Sanatombi and Lt. Col. Henry P. Maxwell, the British representative in the subjugated Tibeto-Burman kingdom of Manipur. A poignant story of...

Originaire de Champagne, en France, Paul de Chomedey sieur de Maisonneuve s’initie très tôt à l’art militaire. Mais cela ne le satisfait pas : il rêve de voyages et d’aventures. Nommé gouverneur de Ville-Marie, il fonde la bourgade avec une quarantaine de colons prêts à relever le défi. L’homme d’honneur et de parole tentera toute sa vie de surmonter les nombreux obstacles qui se dresseront sur son chemin pour assurer le bien-être et la postérité de Ville-Marie. Aujourd’hui, Paul de Chomedey sieur de Maisonneuve est reconnu comme un cofondateur de Montréal.

C'est l'histoire d'un homme fraîchement retraité qui ne pouvait tout simplement pas rester les bras croisés pendant que les supporters du convoi prenaient le contrôle du Parti conservateur du Canada.

Faites découvrir Napoléon aux enfants grâce à 10 tableaux qui retracent les temps forts de la vie de l'Empereur.

Vous allez découvrir l'Histoire de France, de la Révolution à l'Empire, en suivant Napoléon, ce personnage de légende, devenu Empereur des français à 35 ans. C'est avec enthousiasme que Philippe Dormoy nous raconte la destinée incroyable de Napoléon Bonaparte, en répondant aux questions de Nathan, 9 ans.