About the Author

Partners in life and in writing, Canadian journalist-authors JEAN-BENOÎT NADEAU and JULIE BARLOW are award-winning contributors to L'actualité. Their writing has appeared in the Toronto Star, the Ottawa Citizen, Saturday Night, The Christian Science Monitor and the International Herald Tribune, among others. In 2003, Nadeau and Barlow published their critical and popular success, Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong. They live in Montreal.

Reviews

"A well-told, highly accessible history of the French language that leads to a spirited discussion of the prospects for French in an increasingly English-dominated world." --William Grimes, The New York Times "Exceptionally told, a celebration of the lasting influence of la française." --Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review "Excellent...An engaging and well-conceived book. Highly recommended." --Library Journal "Fascinating . . . a fresh approach to both the language and the history. It combines a detailed and learned grasp of the evolution of the language in various parts of the Francophone world with a personal touch." --Mary Ann Caws, Distinguished Professor of French, English, and Comparative Literature, City University of New York "The Story of French hums with the spirit of a novel, the heart of a travel book and the brains of an essay. Jean-Benoît Nadeau and Julie Barlow have seized an ambitious theme and made it fascinating and easy to read. With a deft and energetic touch, the authors offer personality and wisdom in this wonderful tribute to the French language and the people who speak it." --Lawrence Hill, Author of Any Known Blood

This excellent book surveys the development of the French language from its beginnings, explains its expansion and adaptation throughout the world, and closes with four chapters on the language's future. Nadeau and Barlow (coauthors, Sixty Million Frenchmen Can't Be Wrong) acknowledge that their approach is sociolinguistic, although they discuss linguistics in the first four chapters. By 1265, people spoke French in the modern sense; by the late 19th century, the French realized that their language needed to be cultivated and maintained. The French government therefore invented cultural diplomacy by establishing numerous branches of the Alliance Fran?aise worldwide, which opened large schools to teach French. The Francophonie, a French commonwealth made up of 53 countries, was also formed. Today French ranks second as the world's diplomatic language, a testimony to the French government's past efforts. As for the language's future, the world looks to Quebec, which has worked to protect French from outside North American influences. The authors conclude that the survival of French depends on francophones' desire to promote and spread it. An engaging and well-conceived book with broad appeal; highly recommended.-Bob Ivey, Univ. of Memphis Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

"A well-told, highly accessible history of the French language that leads to a spirited discussion of the prospects for French in an increasingly English-dominated world." --William Grimes, The New York Times "Exceptionally told, a celebration of the lasting influence of la francaise." --Kirkus Reviews, STARRED Review "Excellent...An engaging and well-conceived book. Highly recommended." --Library Journal "Fascinating . . . a fresh approach to both the language and the history. It combines a detailed and learned grasp of the evolution of the language in various parts of the Francophone world with a personal touch." --Mary Ann Caws, Distinguished Professor of French, English, and Comparative Literature, City University of New York "The Story of French hums with the spirit of a novel, the heart of a travel book and the brains of an essay. Jean-Benoit Nadeau and Julie Barlow have seized an ambitious theme and made it fascinating and easy to read. With a deft and energetic touch, the authors offer personality and wisdom in this wonderful tribute to the French language and the people who speak it." --Lawrence Hill, Author of Any Known Blood