Top 10 Books: Post-Revolutiony France

1. France since 1870 by Charles Sowerwine

Sowerwine narrates the history of France from 1870 until 1995, an era which saw three republics and numerous invasions. Key themes such as culture, politics, economics and social change are explored, while Sowerwine also examines how both the French Revolution, and the Napoleonic Wars, affected the modern French consciousness.

2. France 1814 - 1914 by Robert Tombs

This book provides a detailed and luxurious examination of a period that is easily overshadowed by the wars which bookend it. Tombs' study combines an analysis of society and opinion with a narrative of events, all explained in a lively style. Perhaps too large for a student's introduction, the book is well worth reading.

3. Napoleon III and the French Second Empire by Roger Price

A purely introductory volume, this book offers a short account of Napoleon III and the Second Empire, presenting the catalysts for change - in both the empire's creation and collapse - as well as Napoleon's achievements and legacy. A survey of the relevant historiography is also included.

4. The Third Republic in France 1870 - 1940 by William Fortesque

This useful book provides helpful chronologies, bibliographies, material and a solid account of the Third Republic in a shorter, but relatively expensive, volume. A good range of topics are covered in the text, including the changing role of women and the emergence of a new form of anti-Semitism.

5. France - The Third Republic 1870 - 1914 by Keith Randell

Another introductory volume, this easily affordable book focuses on all the key events in French history between 1870 and 1914, including the Franco-Prussian war and the Dreyfus Affair. The text uses a chronological approach, consisting of concise and clear accounts.

6. The Collapse of the Third Republic - An Inquiry into the Fall of France in 1940

If picks 4 and 5 are short introductions, then this is a full-scale discussion. At over a thousand pages in length, and with a necessarily large background that effectively pushes the events of 1940 into the volume's second half, this is a deep, detailed and hugely rewarding book. It certainly isn't a military account of the Nazi invasion, or a book for casual reading, but it is full of quality.

7. Napoleon III: a Life by Fenton Bresler

Often unfairly regarded as the 'other' Napoleon, Prince Louis Napoleon was a nephew of Bonaparte and the pair make for a fascinating comparison. Bresler's biography of the Napoleon III is fair and even handed, presenting Louis' failures as well as his successes, and the text incorporates plenty of new research. There are several books on Napoleon III available, but this is the best.

8. Second Empire and Commune: France 1848 - 1871 by W.H.C. Smith

Written specifically as an introduction for students, this slim volume has been revised to take account of new ideas. Students will find, not just the facts and dates, but the changing views of historians and popular opinion, which once portrayed Napoleon III's empire as a doomed, repressive state, but which now recognises it as something far better.

9. French History since Napoleon edited by Martin Alexander

A collection of wide-ranging essays, this book has a little bit for everyone. Studies of each political regime are included alongside thematic discussions such as those on France's empire or the effects of various wars. Although the volume may be too expensive if you just want one particular essay, the wealth of material should be interesting enough to warrant a purchase.

10. The Course of French History by Pierre Goubert

Having divided the second half of French history into two sections for my picks (1500-1789, 1789-1940), I was always going to have difficulty fitting this book in. Goubert's text is a one-volume account of France's history, from the first 'French' monarch in 987 to the Fifth Republic of today. The information given is necessarily brief, but if you want a one-work introduction, this is it.