A book about French history and food, what's not to like? I think this is a great book to just have on your shelf to grab and read a chapter here and there as you please. Each chapter is full of interesting tidbits of historical facts related to France and food. My husband grew up on a dairy farm in the US, so it was interesting reading about Louis Pasteur and pasteurization throughout history and talking to him about it. That might sound like a boring topic, but I enjoyed learning more about it and I think the book did a great job of making history palatable for those of us who aren't always drawn to it! Anyway, a charming look at history and food and it turns out it's great as an audiobook, as well!

A fascinating way to learn about France and Paris in particular, is through it's culinary history.
I really enjoyed the easy, conversational narrative this book has - it was never dry or full. Full of insightful commentary about pertinent events involving food and history. Highly recommended!

Thanks to NetGalley for the free arc of this book. I learned a lot about French history and culinary traditions. The book was interesting to read.

Absolutely delightful! J'adore all things French, food, reading about food, and history and this did not disappoint my little francophile nerd heart at all.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC!

It took me a bit to get to A Bite Sized History of France but that’s ok. Written by a husband and wife team, it was a bit uneven in execution and struggled with some topics. But it was also a fascinating glimpse into the culinary traditions of France.

Starting with the early Romans, Gauls, and Franks, the history of France was told through its changing eating, cooking, and cultivating patterns. Some dishes are very old, some very new, some come from far off places, and some celebrate hyperlocal traditions.

Food and politics are linked strongly in this book. What you eat, how you eat, and your beliefs on food are tied to locale, to who you support, and how you make your money or get your power. This is, of course, true to some degree everywhere but is especially highlighted in this book. Of course, this is only true once the old feudal system is done away with. Before that, it was more of a “rich vs poor” situation.

The latter portions of the book suffer from, I believe, being too close to the subject: World War II and forward are write large and seemingly more from a political point of view than a gastronomic point of view. Part of that seems to stem from a change in authorship, it seems as Stephane is mentioned several times (he being the husband of the author team) where that clearly does not happen in the deeper historical portions.

Nevertheless, I certainly learned a lot about how location (and terroir) made a huge difference to how and what people ate as well as how food tasted. I’m more than a little interested in finding some sea salt and some honey!

This was a sheer delight. A lovely book that offers a fatantsically packaged bite-size history of France. Perfect for any Francophile.

Reading about food is always interesting to me, specialy French food! This book goes way back in time to tell us about the history of French food and culture. This book felt well researched and highly informative. I would recommend reading this book while eating cheese or drinking wine (or both!)

Wine and cheese culture beautifully described with historical facts ❤ You get to know the very beginning of french history and it sounding places .

Thank you the New Press and Netgalley for this ARC.

I was excited to have the opportunity to read this book in the lead up to our first visit to France. I thoroughly enjoyed dipping in and out of the book, learning about their food, history and other entertaining snippets in preparation for our arrival.

I truly love learning about culture through food customs. This is a great book to do that. I was laughing from the beginning and was sad when it was over.

A Bitesize History of France
By Stephane Henaut & Jeni Mitchell
The book A Bitesize History of France has a wealth of information; not only does this book contain the history of France these ladies have included history of other countries, it goes on to discuss the different types of foods that were introduced in to France from other countries. Here we have a quick dip in to the complete history of France; all the way back to pre-Roman era with all the twists and turns and intertwining’s of the different countries that have all had an influence in gastronomy. This is a perfect book for not only the historian; but, also for the culinarian.
These two authors did a lot of research, finding just the right mixture of information to put in A Bitesize History of France. In some ways, the information is more than just a bite-size morsel of information; it is a wealth of information. It tells of the battels fought with the different countries that have ended up mingling their culture with France years later under different leaders. Discussed the origins of some of the Parton Saints we honor today, and why we pay homage to them. Including the religious directions; France took with each of the rulers of each era, and how each a effected the way that France is today.
This is a perfect book for not only the historian; but, also for the culinarian, with the origins of foods that have been introduced in to France. The merging of the different cuisine, combining different aspects and twisting them into to the culinarian feasts known to France. Also, going into the ways of cooking specific kinds of foods, the previous methods of cooking, the refences of the additives for the different regions of France; perfecting their food dishes. Gastronomy is not just about or from one country, it is a melting pot of different cultures, customs, and ways of preparing foods in different ways; including the end results.
I found this book A Bitesize History of France very informative, filled with a touch of humor, a ton of history that included more than just France. I would have to give these authors a 5 out 5-star rating, they did just exactly what they set out to do, and then some. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in knowing the history of not only France; but, also those interested in the origins of the gastronomic makings that France and their foods are famous for; around the world. Foods that some cannot get enough of. Well done.

With this book, we visit France. It's all centered around food and history. It has an interesting idea because the authors show us how strongly tied food and history are, and they do so telling us some anecdotes about the more traditional French foods and their story or their ties with historical events.
We read about the ancient history, before the Roman empire, and about the contemporary era, and we learn a lot of things, about French foods, traditions, culture and history.

I didn’t devour it, but I read a morsel here and there because you have to be cautious with this book or it would make you really, really hungry! And I craved wine a lot while reading. And not just wine, but some good French wine, even if I am Italian and there is a rivalry between Italian and French wines. Our wines are the best, obviously, but theirs are a worthy rival. (I’m just joking… or maybe not!).

Anyway, this book has an original take on the history and if you are at least a little bit interested in French history and/or culture you have to give this book a try because it’s a fun, original and interesting reading!

3.5 stars

I chose this book since I was planning a trip to Paris and was looking to learn a bit more on the cuisine that is infamous for it's flavors from the rustic to the more modern stylings. I loved learning about the history of France through it's culinary styles. I already knew quite a bit about Julia Child and have tried several of her recipes at home. So, reading and learning more about French cuisine was perfect for those inclined towards French food. A mouthwatering read that I would recommend. A Net Galley book.

I discovered this book at NetGalley while preparing to a trip to Paris and it is perfect! I love the "voice," and love learning new things about a country I love. Thank you!

Not only am I a francophile, but I'm also a confirmed foodie and I loved A Bite-Sized History of France by Stephane Henaut and Jeni Mitchell. I thoroughly enjoyed receiving information in bite-sized pieces. I never felt overwhelmed by the amount of information this book offers. I also enjoyed learning about the history/origins of certain foods, and French food traditions/culture. Even if you are not a francophile or foodie you will find something interesting in this entertaining read.

What a fascinating book this was! It's bite-sized in title only - it's actually a thorough, comprehensive, fantastically prepared history of France from the ancients to the current day, told with an eye to how history impacted the French gustatory and libation environment. It's well-written and -researched and thoroughly entertaining, as well as highly informative. It was an excellent find!

The more I read this book the more hungry I got :) While I read "A Bite-Sized History of France" I eat unprecedented amounts of French cheeses: Brie, Camembert and a variety of blue cheeses. The temptation was too great. Also, it was impossible to read this book without a glass of French wine. Fortunately, I wasn’t on a diet, but if you are on a diet or plan one you should stay away from this book!

This is a history of France told from the point of view of a total gourmand especially passionate about French cheeses. It is obvious that it is destined for American audience. There are some parts describing the history of France and of the world that are known well to every pupil at primary school in Europe, but there are also not so very well-known historical events and historical figures described. For example, I haven’t heard before about Claude, who was the first wife of king of France Francis I and a plum was named after her. There are also some interesting anecdotes, which may or may not be true, some of them are really charming stories. I will never look the same at the laughing cow on the label. I learned from this book of the origins of brandy and cognac.

There are interesting facts about times when different foreign products were introduced to French cuisine and their initial reception. For example, chocolate and potatoes at the beginning were a total fail and no one wanted to consume them. Chocolate was too bitter in its original form. Potatoes on the other hand were thought to be poisonous and only suitable for animals’ feed.

The authors visited some famous places in France with delicious local dishes and recommended them to readers. Surely, I would like to visit some of these places and try the local specialties! I think, there could be more photographs in the book. More pictures of place and dishes would make the experience of reading even better.

I am a bit disappointed that there was nothing about dishes with snails and frogs in this book. French cuisine with no mention of frogs and snails? How is that even possible ;) But anyway... I gave this book four stars for this reason and also because I think that the conclusion in this book was redundant. It made it look a little like a PhD thesis. Also the political commentary seemed unnecessary and intrusive. Every reader can reach his own conclusions, when given the historical facts.

I received "A Bite-Sized History of France" from the publisher via NetGalley. I would like to thank the authors and the publisher for providing me with the advance reader copy of the book.

A fascinating way to learn about France and Paris in particular, is through it's culinary history.
I really enjoyed the easy, conversational narrative this book has - it was never dry or full. Full of insightful commentary about pertinent events involving food and history. Highly recommended!

Unfortunately I had to stop reading this one at 8% due to modern-day political comments.

Before stopping, I found it difficult for the book to keep my attention.

This book was good, though not at all what I was expecting. I was thinking it would be chock full of classic French recipes but, instead it compared French history using descriptive foodstuff for drawing in the reader. If you love history then this is the book for you, with an added touch of cuisine to whet the appetite whilst taking you back in the past.