"France today remains in crisis. High unemployment, an archaic economic system, a self-selecting governing class unable to handle serious problems, and a debilitating nostalgia for things past have created a nation less able than ever to fulfill its role as a world leader. The economic crisis and the European Union's ongoing fiscal instability, as well as a parade of scandals at the top, have left it weaker than ever into the second decade of the new century. In this book, Jonathan Fenby lovingly but candidly offers an unvarnished picture of modern France, setting it in the context of its glorious past. He explores the problems and the challenges that it faces, as well as the opportunities that lie ahead. Filled with contemporary and historical anecdotes, France on the Brink depicts the many contradictory aspects of the country that so many people love to hate. This eye-opening look at the world's most complex, seductive, and sometimes infuriating country will give even the most knowledgeable Francophile plenty to think about. "--

"France on the Brink was chosen as a New York Times book of the year and hailed by the Wall Street Journal as "a comprehensive and entertaining diagnosis of what ails French society" when the first edition was published at the turn of the century. Since then, the crisis enveloping France has only worsened, and this second edition, completely revamped to cover the developments of the past fifteen years, offers a fresh assessment of where the nation stands. The country's social evolution is covered comprehensively, with description and analysis of urban and rural life, regional divisions, tensions over immigration and the fading of the symbols that denoted France's greatness"--