Review "This is an outstanding and groundbreaking book. It provides a powerful and persuasive account of the transformation of the modern French intellectual landscape, and the emergence of new patterns of republican and liberal thought. The analysis is rich, nuanced, and sophisticated, and Chabal provides us with the essential keys to understanding contemporary French political debates." Sudhir Hazareesingh, University of Oxford"Emile Chabal demonstrates with great perspicacity how, since the end of the 1970s, a newly revived French republicanism came to prominence amidst the ruins of the grand ideologies of the 'Trente Glorieuses'. His analysis is compelling and he successfully steers clear of the tired confrontation between (neo-)liberal apologists and those nostalgic for a lost France of revolutionary passion." Christophe Prochasson, École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales"After Marxism, what next? A Divided Republic is an outstanding integrative study that brightly illuminates both the republican and liberal turns of French political culture since the 1970s, with an impressive combination of political and intellectual history. As a guide to the territory, Emile Chabal is as insightful as he is informed, and has achieved the best available treatment of a complex set of developments." Samuel Moyn, Harvard University, Massachusetts"Chabal's survey of contemporary French political culture is patient and heroically comprehensive ... Students of French political thought will ... remain in [his] debt for this careful and thorough work of reconstruction and analysis." Arthur Goldhammer, The American Prospect"... there is no doubt that overall Chabal succeeds in showing that by studying the political languages of liberalism and republicanism it is possible to gain a clearer picture of what is at stake in contemporary French political debate than is visible through the lens of the traditional left-right divide. Rich in suggestive avenues for future research and sure to provoke lively debate among students and researchers working on contemporary French history, A Divided Republic makes a major contribution to its field." Iain Stewart, European Review of History"... a detailed and well-researched examination of how the French political sphere and political language have changed in the past three decades following the Trente Glorieuses. More than just a political history, Emile Chabal brings together a multitude of sources to address how the French national narrative has changed since the 1980s ... By focusing on the two political languages - neo-republicanism and liberalism - Chabal provides not only a thorough examination of contemporary French politics, but also a much-needed intervention into the role of immigration, colonialism, and minority politics in French national identity. More than well written, A Divided Republic is an important book." Jean Beaman, H-France Review (h-france.net)'... this is a fine study. Emile Chabal's book provides a better analysis of how theoretical discussions have unfolded in recent French political debates than any other of which I am aware. I learned a great deal while reading it, and I believe that anyone interested in recent French politics and/or recent French political theory will find A Divided Republic engaging and enlightening.' K. Steven Vincent, The European Legacy'Emile Chabal's A Divided Republic: Nation, State and Citizenship in Contemporary France makes an important theoretical contribution to our understanding of contemporary French politics. ... Even without its provocative hypothesis, A Divided Republic would be a useful primer on the intellectuals, ideas and political tides of post-1975 France, all the more so given that it is written in an exceptionally clear and accessible manner. When Chabal's important theoretical contribution is added into the equation, A Divided Republic becomes essential reading for scholars and teachers of contemporary French politics and ideology.' Jonah D. Levy, French History'This is a cogently argued and clearly written monograph that meets the highest standards of academic scholarship. It is a book that is demanding and rewarding in equal measure. ... It will appeal particularly to those interested in the history of ideas, but will also prove stimulating for anyone with an informed interest in contemporary French politics, society, and civilization.' Raymond Kuhn, Contemporary French Civilization'...Chabal's book is extremely successful in making 'French politics appear a little less contradictory' ... Chabal is especially great in explaining and contextualizing expressions such as le lien social, la fracture sociale, intégration, communautarisme, and other terms that have spread in recent years and that have a significantly different meaning in the Anglo-Saxon world. His book is a must-read for anyone interested in methodological questions pertaining to intellectual history, but also for anyone trying to make sense of some of the most salient political and intellectual questions haunting France today.' Camille Robcis, French Politics, Culture & Society Read more Book Description An original interpretation of contemporary French political culture that uses current political debates surrounding republicanism and liberalism to build an imaginative new framework for understanding the relationship between nation, state and citizenship. Read more See all Editorial Reviews
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