Norwich has published dozens of books, but A History of France is the book he says he's always wanted to write, and the one he most enjoyed writing: a single-volume historical narrative in the vein of his classic books A History of Venice , and A Short History of Byzantium , both of which continue to net robust sales numbers This is the first single-volume trade history of the country, spanning two centuries: from the first century BC to WWII; other histories of France (such as The Discovery of France by Graham Robb, and Seven Ages of Paris by Alistair Horne) only focus on a limited historical period or geographic region A narrative history of France by a historian of Norwich's caliber is sure to receive outstanding media attention Norwich's first book with Grove Atlantic-- Four Princes: Henry VIII, Francis I, Charles V, Suleiman the Magnificent and the Obsessions that Forged Modern Europe --was lauded for its "humming literary verve" in the New York Times Book Review , and by Tracy Borman in BBC History Magazine as "a genuinely inspired idea for a book, and Norwich executes it with typical aplomb" Much like Grove's successful backlist titles India: A History by John Keay, and Scotland: The Story of a Nation by Magnus Magnusson, A History of France is a comprehensive yet concise portrait of the country's historical sweep.