The Arrogance of the FrenchThe Arrogance of the French
And the feelingÂs mutual. Frustration with the French in Middle America reached an all- time high when we learned of FranceÂs apparent complicity with Saddam HusseinÂs regime. ÂFreedom fries, boycotts of French wine, and mockery of all things French have become part of the current political dialogue.
But as Chesnoff points out, Franco-American rancor is centuries old, and our current disgust with the French dates back to at least the 1980s, when they refused to let the United States use their air space on the way to bomb Libya. ÂAre they our allies or not? we wondered. If Americans didnÂt have such an (unrequited) love affair with French food, fashion, and springtime in Paris, weÂd be asking, ÂWith friends like that... ?Â
Chesnoff offers witty commentaries on the French way of life and why the two countries find each other so exasperating. Are they really just jealous that we replaced them as a global superpower? Have they forgotten AmericaÂs sacrifice for France in World Wars I and II? Do they have a right to be haughty when their cuisine, fashion, art, and universities are losing ground to other centers of culture?
This will be the perfect book for anyone who has ever wondered how a beautiful love affair between two countries could go so wrong.
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- New York : Sentinel, 2005.
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