Congratulations to our Head of School, Professor Julian Jackson, who last week became the sixth winner of The American Library in Paris Book Award for his biography, A Certain Idea of France: The Life of Charles de Gaulle.
The jury, comprised of David Bellos, Diane Johnson, and Pierre Assouline, credited A Certain Idea of France as a triumph of scholarship and thoughtfulness:
'With this magnificent biography of the strangest and most significant figure to mark French history in the twentieth century, Julian Jackson confirms his already important place in the great Anglo-American tradition of French historiography, alongside Richard Cobb, Theodore Zeldin, and Philip Nord.'
'Jackson’s book is a masterpiece of historical writing that provides an intimate portrait of an unusual man, a profound reflection on the history of France, and a gripping, stylish narrative at the same time. It is hard to imagine any other work being more worthy of the American Library’s annual book award.' Julian accepted the prize at a reception in front of an audience of the Library's most committed supporters at the George C. Marshall Center on Thursday 8 November. A photo gallery of the event is available on the Library's Flickr account.
More information is available on the American Library in Paris website: https://americanlibraryinparis.org/
Photo credit: Krystal Kenney