Overview

This engaging, knowledgeable book traces the American path France has followed since resolving its searing Algerian conflict in 1962. Barnett Singer convincingly demolishes two pervasive clichés about modern France: first, that the country never has been fit to fight wars, including wars on terror; and second, that the French have always been and remain overwhelmingly anti-American. Drawing on a wealth of archival sources, Barnett Singer clearly demonstrates that a serious and organized France fought strongly until its own divisions, international pressures, and the actions of de Gaulle ended the conflict with tragic consequences. The outcome led to an important sea change, clearing the way for France to embrace American culture, especially rock 'n' roll, and more generally, an American-style emphasis on personal happiness. The author argues that today’s France, wounded by the loss of traditions and stability, is increasingly pro-American, clinging to trends from across the Atlantic as to a lifeline.

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9781442221659

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Reviews

Historian Singer offers a provocative ... examination of the changing postwar French national identity, arguing that France stopped being a 'serious' nation when it abandoned its 'noble' colonial enterprise in favor of searching for self-centered American-style 'happiness.' Singer raises interesting questions about how to evaluate the role of de Gaulle, and his focus on the idea of 'happiness,' particularly his insistence on the significance of pop music, brings an important new area of focus to 1960s Americanization. CHOICE Countering the notion that France has been and remains intractably anti-American, Singer instead argues that France began a transformation in the 1950s in which it shifted its focus from colonial concern with Algeria toward American-style celebration of personal happiness and an embrace of American culture and values, even suggesting that this embrace of America has proceeded 'too unabashedly in contemporary France.' He brings a biographical approach to the subject, examining key figures that illustrate the turn of soldiers from sober military values to seeking American-style materialism, the development of French rock and roll, and the contemporary 'full anchoring' of Americanization in France. Book News, Inc. This elegantly well-written monograph ... [adds] new layers and new material to the investigation of France's complicated relationship with the United States during the latter part of the twentieth century, and now, by bringing consideration of the first years of the twenty-first century, to reflect on what case studies (such as, in passing, that of Lance Armstrong) can reveal about France's 'Americanization.' The range of topics that are covered ... provides stimulating food for thought in easily digestible prose. Apart from its great readability and frequent allusion to thought-provoking case studies, a great strength of this volume is its recourse ... to direct testimony from actors of the period ... whose views are combined with clear historical judgment to give intriguing insights. Where analysis is not based on primary research through interviews or archive work, the argument advances through lively, direct, and well-focused consideration of a plethora of topics... An excellent, decent, and plain-speaking study of French culture, society, and politics, which is both intriguingly personal and academically historical, and which should serve to provoke thought amongst students and researchers alike. Highly recommended reading. Modern and Contemporary France The Americanization of France will be of interest to scholars of French, American, and Algerian history, foreign policy, and culture. Barnett Singer's lively, jargon-free prose makes the book accessible to undergraduates and other educated ... readers. Journal of American Culture Drawing on an abundant literature, the archives of Haute-Savoie, and his own contacts...he sketches the fierce struggle against 'FLN thuggery', casting it as harbinger of a nascent Islamic conflict with the West. The interest is in the compelling details of his story and the passion with which he presents the tragic mission of these warriors. Historian Compelling and provocative, The Americanization of France describes the shattering impact of the Algerian war on France and, in its wake, the French pursuit of happiness. Singer provides new and critical assessments of the bitter conflict-which divided France more profoundly than any other in its colonial history-as well as fresh and surprising insights into contemporary France. -- William A. Hoisington Jr., University of Illinois at Chicago In The Americanization of France, Barnett Singer has created an insightful, provocative reinterpretation of the powerfully moving transition of a nation and people. His characterization of de Gaulle is stunning... And his sharply crafted images of French singers and cultural icons will not only remain with readers long after this sparkling account has been returned to the shelf; they will define those celebrities for anyone who picks up this book. -- John W. Langdon, Le Moyne College

Compelling and provocative, The Americanization of France describes the shattering impact of the Algerian war on France and, in its wake, the French pursuit of happiness. Singer provides new and critical assessments of the bitter conflict-which divided France more profoundly than any other in its colonial history-as well as fresh and surprising insights into contemporary France. -- William A. Hoisington, University of Illinois at Chicago In The Americanization of France, Barnett Singer has created an insightful, provocative reinterpretation of the powerfully moving transition of a nation and people. His characterization of de Gaulle is stunning... And his sharply crafted images of French singers and cultural icons will not only remain with readers long after this sparkling account has been returned to the shelf; they will define those celebrities for anyone who picks up this book. -- John W. Langdon, Le Moyne College

Compelling and provocative, The Americanization of France describes the shattering impact of the Algerian war on France and, in its wake, the French pursuit of happiness. Singer provides new and critical assessments of the bitter conflict-which divided France more profoundly than any other in its colonial history-as well as fresh and surprising insights into contemporary France. -- William A. Hoisington Jr., University of Illinois at Chicago In The Americanization of France, Barnett Singer has created an insightful, provocative reinterpretation of the powerfully moving transition of a nation and people. His characterization of de Gaulle is stunning... And his sharply crafted images of French singers and cultural icons will not only remain with readers long after this sparkling account has been returned to the shelf; they will define those celebrities for anyone who picks up this book. -- John W. Langdon, Le Moyne College Countering the notion that France has been and remains intractably anti-American, Singer, instead argues that France began a transformation the 1950s in which it shifted its focus from colonial concern with Algeria towards American-style celebration of personal happiness and an embrace of American culture and values, even suggesting that this embrace of America has proceeded too unabashedly in contemporary France. He brings a biographical approach to the subject, examining key figures that illustrate the turn of soldiers from sober military values to seeking American-style materialism, the development of French rock and roll, and the contemporary full anchoring of Americanization in France. Book News, Inc.

Author Information

Barnett Singer is professor emeritus of history, Brock University.

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