In his distinguished career as a historian of modern France, John
Merriman has published ten books and scores of scholarly articles.
This volume collects some of his most notable and significant
explorations of French history and culture. In a wide-ranging
introduction Merriman reflects on his decades of research and on
his life, lived increasingly in France. At the beginning of his
career he was determined to be not a narrow specialist but a
historian who engaged with all the regions of France. So he set
himself the goal of doing archival research in every single
département of the country. A permanent resident of the small
village of Balazuc in the Ardèche for more than twenty-five years,
he laments what he sees as the over-professionalization of history
at the expense of passion for one's field. Yet Merriman is no
cranky, tweed-bound scholar. Beloved by generations of historians
of France, many of whom he has mentored (both as a graduate advisor
and more informally), Merriman offers reflections on his life in
history that will be of interest to a broad audience of historians.