The American Enemy: The History of French Anti-Americanism |
Buy The American Enemy: The History of French Anti-Americanism here, one of 749 Maine History books offered for sale at discount prices here in the history books section at R bookshop. There are currently 73021 history books in our history books section, and over 1,000,000 books listed in our book store. We greatly appreciate your patronage at R bookshop and look forward to offering you a large selection of great books at discount prices now and in the future. Thank you for shopping at R Bookshop!
|
You Are Here: Home > History Books > Maine History > Item 141
 |
The American Enemy: The History of French Anti-Americanism
|
by Philippe Roger and Sharon Bowman
Sales Rank: 687954
|
$22.50
At Amazon
on 6-19-2008.
|
|
|
|
Features
Cover Type: Paperback with 536 pages
Published by: University Of Chicago Press; New Ed edition November 1, 2006
Written in: English
ISBN 10 Number: 0226723690
ISBN 13 Number: 978-0226723693
Book Dimensions:
8.8 x 6 x 1.3 inches
Weighs: 1.6 pounds
From Publishers Weekly
The surface flippancy of some references to the "freedom fries" kerfuffle during the debate over the war in Iraq masked the long history of antagonism between the U.S. and France. In this fascinating history, noted French historian and cultural critic Roger wittily documents French anti-Americanism from the Enlightenment through McDonald's invasion of French cuisine. Part of Roger's analytic technique is uncovering unusual but intriguing historical information—e.g., early anti-American sentiments were based on the supposedly scientific argument that the Americas were filled with poisonous substances and sickly animals. While such tidbits are entertaining, the book quickly demonstrates how, during the 20th century, France's anti-American attitudes deepened as the U.S. become a world power, overshadowing the traditional European empires. This shift helped create a cultural container for all anti-American feelings including mistrust of Ford's assembly line, moral abhorrence of a growing world economy controlled by the U.S. and distaste for American customs and personalities. The translation is very readable, and though Roger's source texts are often unknown in this country, his arguments are persuasive. The book falters at times because the author is so quick to take exception to all examples of French anti-Americanism that the reader suspects the author dislikes his own country. In spite of this, the book is an important addition to international cultural and political history. (Apr.)
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
Product Description
Georges-Louis Buffon, an eighteenth-century French scientist, was the first to promote the widespread idea that nature in the New World was deficient; in America, which he had never visited, dogs don't bark, birds don't sing, and—by extension—humans are weaker, less intelligent, and less potent. Thomas Jefferson, infuriated by these claims, brought a seven-foot-tall carcass of a moose from America to the entry hall of his Parisian hotel, but the five-foot-tall Buffon remained unimpressed and refused to change his views on America's inferiority.
Buffon, as Philippe Roger demonstrates here, was just one of the first in a long line of Frenchmen who have built a history of anti-Americanism in that country, a progressive history that is alternately ludicrous and trenchant. The American Enemy is Roger's bestselling and widely acclaimed history of French anti-Americanism, presented here in English translation for the first time.
With elegance and good humor, Roger goes back 200 years to unearth the deep roots of this anti-Americanism and trace its changing nature, from the belittling, as Buffon did, of the "savage American" to France's resigned dependency on America for goods and commerce and finally to the fear of America's global domination in light of France's thwarted imperial ambitions. Roger sees French anti-Americanism as barely acquainted with actual fact; rather, anti-Americanism is a cultural pillar for the French, America an idea that the country and its culture have long defined themselves against.
Sharon Bowman's fine translation of this magisterial work brings French anti-Americanism into the broad light of day, offering fascinating reading for Americans who care about our image abroad and how it came about.
“Mr. Roger almost single-handedly creates a new field of study, tracing the nuances and imagery of anti-Americanism in France over 250 years. He shows that far from being a specific reaction to recent American policies, it has been knit into the very substance of French intellectual and cultural life. . . . His book stuns with its accumulated detail and analysis.”—Edward Rothstein, New York Times
“A brilliant and exhaustive guide to the history of French Ameriphobia.”—Simon Schama, New Yorker
Reader Reviews
This review is from: The American Enemy: The History of French Anti-Americanism (Hardcover)
Roger had an original idea and executed it perfectly: Rather than engaging in the endless debates pro or con about America, he takes a clue from Nietzschean geneology and traces the origins and historical path of the anti-American discourse in France. This is a refreshing change of pace from the recent controversies, replacing polemic with superb historical and cultural study. This great idea is backed up with wit and good writing, making it already an indepensible book on this topic. Roger's courage and originality have certainly paid off: His book was critically well-received in France--no light feat in nation with a tradition of historical analysis--despite its obvious contrarian critique. I recommend this book highly to anyone interested in France, the US, or how prejudices are historically constructed.
Comment | |
(Report this)
Back To Top
|
The American Enemy: The History of French Anti-Americanism
Available from Amazon
Price: $22.50
Updated on 6-19-2008.
|
NOTICE: All prices, availability, and specifications
are subject to verification by their respective retailers.
| We offer The American Enemy: The History of French Anti-Americanism and other related Maine History Books here at Rbookshop.com. To view more books about Maine History please use the previous and next buttons near the top of this page.
|
|
Search for books at
