American Library in Paris Book Group

French Politics Book Group

Saturdays, 10h30–12h00 (Spaces Open)

France is going through a period of extraordinary ferment, with the centrist-led politics that defined most of the post-WWII period breaking down. The far left and far right are in the ascendant, with troubling implications for the future.

In this nonpartisan, fact-based group, we will read the latest works on French politics, for example, Victor Mallet’s Far-Right France. We will also read for the grand perspective, with books on French history, economy and society. Where fictional works are valuable, we read them. We also read international news reports and study French sources if we wish. Where the authors of the books are available, we will invite them to join us.

Led by David Jolly

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Reading List

  • The Last Neoliberal: Macron and the Origins of France’s Political Crisis, by Bruno Amable & Stefano Palombarini
  • Far-Right France, by Victor Mallet
  • Twilight of the Elites: Prosperity, the Periphery, and the Future of France, by Christophe Guilluy 
  • Now, the People! Revolution in the Twenty-First Century, by Jean-Luc Mélenchon (forthcoming in March)
  • Inside the Mind of Marine Le Pen, by Michel Eltchaninoff
  • What the French Want, by Jordan Bardella
  • One Fractured France: A Journey Through a Divided Nation, by Andrew Hussey
  • Yellow Vests and the Battle for Democracy: Taking to the streets of Paris in the 21st Century, by Ida Susser

     

Meeting Dates

  • 11 April
  • 9 May
  • 13 June
  • 11 July