The French Overseas Empire

This is the second book I read from this publisher and it was a good choise. I am not very acquainted or very enthusiasthic about French history, but I think this part of the history of la France is attractive to know, especially when compared to other expansionist countries in the same period. You can see the author passion for French History, an American diplomat of long standing, who spent part of his life in some of the countries narrated in this book. These pages helps to understand why was so difficult for the French to have territories overseas, the lack of interest initially, the reticence of French people to go abroad and all the difficulties they had to endure in countries like Vietnam and Algeria. A good book separated in seven chapters, from the 16th century to the demise of this empire in the 20th century -- it also have clear maps.