Where other historians seek out patterns, categories, generalities and change, [Weber] champions accident, detail, continuity and the particular...Despite widely disparate subject matter [of these essays]--ranging from an investigation of the origins of the 'Marseillaise' to an essay on political taxonomy--they form a remarkably coherent whole, united by a consistent set of concerns and a distinctive, highly personal style...Offcuts from a lifetime of happy labor, these essays reveal an artisan at work, carefully crafting products in the quality tradition of articles de Paris. No wonder the French like him.

--Tony Judt (New York Times Book Review )^This book of essays is witness to the range of [Weber's] curiosity and his ability to turn France into a window on the European world and larger historical processes...The essays have an allusive, elusive, thought-provoking quality. The reader comes away thinking, if not agreeing. There are good phrases, keen, often mordant, observations...[An] imaginative, intellectually rewarding book.

--David S. Landes (Times Literary Supplement )^If you're interested in France but haven't read much serious analysis of the country's history and culture, My France should become your France.

--David Shaw (Los Angeles Times Book Review )^A passionate, scholarly collection of essays on French politics, culture, and myths from mid-19th to mid-20th century...My France is pervaded by Weber's enthusiasm: it's like a favorite-moments selection from a long and distinguished career. No doubt Weber is un fou de la France, but his love is deep, not blind.

--Christine Schwartz (Village Voice Literary Supplement )