In this masterful overview of history and the French landscape, Peter McPhee reveals the complex interconnections between nature, agriculture, political events, and climate change. It is a powerful illustration of the pressing need for governments to intervene to protect both the natural landscape and the environment. - Philip Dwyer, Professor, University of Newcastle, Australia Magisterial in scope and insight, An Environmental History of France is a thrilling successor to Fernand Braudel's illustrious Identity of France. The culmination of a long career spent exploring France's history from the ground up, the book presents the country's most dramatic moments of ecological change through Prof. McPhees signature blend of engaging detail and lucid analysis. * Kieko Matteson, Associate Professor, University of Hawai'i, USA * 'This original book enables us to see the landscape of France with new eyes, revealing its hidden history. McPhee shows us how past mingles with present to shape the French countryside.' * Marisa Linton, Professor Emerita in History, Kingston University, UK * Remarkable in its breadth and historical depth, McPhees book explores changes in the French landscape over the past 250 years, while deftly assessing the ways in which landscapes in different parts of the country were invested with contested symbolic meanings by those who inhabited it. With his vast and intimate knowledge of French history and topography, there is no historian who could be a better guide on this fascinating journey to discover how the wetlands, hillsides, vineyards and forests of France came to be what they are today. * Caroline Ford, Professor of History, University of California, USA *
