What made Charles de Gaulle such a defining figure of modern France? Award-winning biographer and historian Julian Jackson joins us to explore de Gaulle’s political legacy, his enduring influence on France and transatlantic relations, and the ideas that shaped his vision of the country. 

Jackson’s 2018 biography, A Certain Idea of France, won the American Library in Paris Book Award and was recently adapted by director Antonin Baudry into two biographical films, now playing in French cinemas. 

About the speakers:

Julian Jackson is Emeritus Professor of History at Queen Mary, University of London and one of the foremost British scholars of twentieth-century France. He is the author of A Certain Idea of France: The Life of Charles de Gaulle and, most recently, France on Trial: The Case of Marshal Pétain. His de Gaulle biography served as the basis for director Antonin Baudry’s two-part biopics about de Gaulle currently breaking box office records in French cinemas. The book also won the American Library in Paris Book Award in 2018, while France on Trial was shortlisted for the award in 2023. His book The Fall of France, which won the Wolson History Prize in 2003, has just been published in French by Seuil as La Chute.

Important information: The discussion will be available both online and in person. While the conversation will happen in person (the speakers will appear in the Reading Room), the Library will stream the conversation on Zoom for a live viewing experience. Both in-person and online attendees will be able to pose questions.

Attendance at this event constitutes permission for your photograph or video to be taken at the event and used by the American Library in Paris for marketing, promotional, pedagogical, or other purposes.