The Discovery of France

The Discovery of France - illuminating, engrossing and full of surprises -is the result of Graham Robb's 14,000-mile journey across France on a bicycle. Winner of both the Duff Cooper and the Royal Society of Literature Ondaatje prizes, The Discovery of France is a modern non-fiction classic, a literary exploration of a remarkable nation. From maps and migration to magic, language and landscape, it reveals a France few will recognise.

France is a country famous for its intellectuals, its philosophers and writers, its fashion, food and wine. And yet the notion of 'the French' as one nation is relatively recent and - historically speaking - quite misleading. In order to discover the true past of France, Graham Robb realised it was necessary not only to go back in time, but also to go at a slower pace than modern life generally allows.