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Preface to the First Edition French history, both in the land of wine and pâté and in the United States, has never gone out of fashion. Indeed, the history—containing paintings from the cave paintings at Lascaux to the impressionists to the postmodernists, and with such leaders as Joan of Arc, the sun king Louis XIV, Napoleon, and de Gaulle—remains a growth industry, es- pecially on the Internet. I have presented in these 289 pages a concise, yet comprehensive, history. As my footnotes indicate, I have examined statistical and journalis- tic sources, secondary monographs, and previous overviews of French history. These sources provide a running commentary and record of the wealth of sources for students wishing to go beyond the bounda- ries of this book. I have also produced a continuous narrative so that secondary students, lower-division undergraduates, and the general public may have a clear introduction to this fascinating national his- tory as we enter the twenty-fi rst century. A timeline and an index of notable people in French history facilitate quick access to vital pieces of information. For this computer age, I have also included a set of important sites for French history, both in English and in French, on the Internet and the World Wide Web. Thus students and the public now have a con- venient starting point to explore the new virtual world of French