Book review: France: An illustrated miscellany by Dennis Tillinac

This glossy volume raises Gallic patriotism to epic new heights, waxing lyrical on all things French in the kind of gorgeously poetic, hyperbolic prose that’s rarely matched by non-French writers.

Tillinac takes us on an anecdotal journey to beautiful villages and historic monuments, meeting famous figures of French politics and art along the way, from painters and poets to monarchs and musicians.

The author’s overblown enthusiasm for France almost verges on preposterous – he claims that the Taj Mahal pales in comparison to the Château de Chambord – but this book is enchanting, nevertheless, and beautifully illustrated. One for only the most committed Francophile reader. ★★★

Plon/Flammarion, £22.50

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