Books and Encyclopedias about France

Reading books on aspects of France that interest you is a fun and instructive way to prepare for your trip. Try some of the books listed below, or search the UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries Catalog for more.

Paris Streetlamp Encyclopedias at UNC Libraries

Encyclopedias can help you learn basic information about France, as well as more specific topics. When choosing an encyclopedia for your research, think about the breadth of your question. For instance, if you want to know about the geography of France, a generalized encyclopedia such as The New Encyclopaedia Britannica can help. If you have a narrower question, such as how Christmas is celebrated in the Alsace region, a specialized encyclopedia is your best bet. Believe it or not, we own the Encyclopedia of Christmas (Davis Reference GT4985 .E45 2000).

The Encyclopedia of Contemporary French Culture. Ed. Alex Hughes and Keith Reader. New York: Routledge, 1998.
Articles in this encyclopedia cover many aspects of French culture, from 1945 through the present. Some major topics include politics, fashion, food, and philosophy.
Davis Reference and UL Reference DC33.7 .E53 1998

The New Encyclopaedia Britannica. 15th ed. Chicago, IL: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2002.
This classic reference tool contains fairly extensive information on France. It is also available electronically, through UNC's Article Databases, as Britannica Online.
Davis Reference AE5 .E363 2002

Worldmark Encyclopedia of Cultures and Daily Life. Volume 4: Europe . New York, NY: Gale, 1998.
The final volume in this four volume set provides entries on ethnic groups, religions, holidays, family life, food, and, other cultural aspects of daily life in Europe.
UL Reference GN333 .W67 1998

Nonfiction Books at UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries

Davis Library and the Undergraduate Library both own many nonfiction books on France. A few of our favorites are listed below. If you need help finding more books to suit your needs, try using search strategies from the browsing page of this tutorial.

Cambridge Illustrated History of France. Ed. Colin Jones. New York, NY: Cambridge University Press, 1994.
Each chapter in this book gives a concise overview of a period of French history, beginning with a brief discussion of pre-Roman times. A great place to begin historical research on France.
Davis Library and UL DC33 .J66 1994

DeJean, Joan. The Essence of Style: How the French Invented High Fashion, Fine Food, Chic Cafes, Style, Sophistication, and Glamour. New York, NY: Free Press, 2005.
The title says it all. DeJean's book discusses French "style," going all the way back to the reign of Louis XIV, whom she calls an "obsessive spendthrift."
Davis Library and UL DC128 .D454 2005

Holdforth, Lucinda. True Pleasures: A Memoir of Women in Paris. Berkeley, CA: Greystone Books, 2005.
Amazon.com's review says it best: "Meet the dazzling women of Paris: from Colette to Nancy Mitford; Marie Antoinette to Coco Chanel ...Napoleon's Josephine to Edith Wharton. Rule-breakers and style-setters, demimondes and diplomats, these women were utterly diverse, yet all shared one common passion - Paris, the world's headquarters of femininity." Read all about these women and the city they lived in.
Davis Library DC715 .H58 2005

Fiction and Photos

Postcard of couple in coach, circa 1900 Reading fiction can be a rich and entertaining way to learn about new cultures. Try searching the NoveList database for novels that meet your interests.

UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries own several hundred volumes of photography of France. You can find books with pictures of regions that interest you, or images reaching back into the nineteenth century. Go to the UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries Catalog, choose "Subject Headings," and enter "photography--France." You can click on the headings that pop up to get lists of books on those topics.

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France Study Abroad Research Tutorial

Getting to Know France

Books and Encyclopedias about France