Beginning with the Roman army’s first recorded encounter with the Gauls and ending in the era of Emmanuel Macron, FRANCE takes readers on an endlessly entertaining journey through French history. Robb’s own adventures and discoveries while living, working and traveling in France connect this tour through space and time with on-the-ground experience. There are scenes of wars and revolutions from the plains of Provence to the slums and boulevards of Paris. Robb conveys with wit and precision what it felt like to look over the shoulder of a young Louis XIV as he planned the vast garden of Versailles, and the dangerous thrill of having a ringside seat at the French Revolution.

Graham Robb reveals the ancient secrets of the Celts, demonstrates the lasting influence of Druid science, and recharts the exploration of the world and the spread of Christianity. A pioneering history grounded in a real-life historical treasure hunt, THE DISCOVERY OF MIDDLE EARTH offers nothing less than an entirely new understanding of the birth of modern Europe.