The Story of French
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- Synopsis
- Imagine a language with rules so complex that few people ever master it and whose speakers spend millions of dollars every year to make sure it gets used in literature, music, and film. Consider the fact that this language is second only to English for the number of countries where it is officially spoken and that its speakers have tripled in the last fifty years. While it frightens users with its nuances, millions still seek the romance and refinement assocaited with it. The language is French and this is its story. In a captivating narrative that spans the ages, from Charlemagne to Cirque du Soleil, Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow unravel the mysteries of a language that has maintained its global influence despite the rise of English. The Story of French is one of spectacular failures and unexpected successes and includes some of history]s and literature's greatest figures--from William the Conquerer to Cardinal Richelieu, Madame Curie to Simone de Beauvoir. Through this colorful history, Nadeau and Barlow illustrate how French acquired its own peculiar culture. They reveal how the culture of the language spread among francophones the world over yet remains curiously centered on Paris. As lively as it is fascinating, The Story of French challenges long-held assumptions about French and explains why it is still the world's other global language.
- Copyright:
- 2006
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Excellent
- Book Size:
- 484 Pages
- ISBN-13:
- 9780312341848
- Publisher:
- St Martin's
- Date of Addition:
- 01/01/23
- Copyrighted By:
- Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- History, Nonfiction, Language Arts
- Submitted By:
- Terry Gorman
- Proofread By:
- Terry Gorman
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.
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- by Jean-Benoît Nadeau
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- in Nonfiction
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