Reading Material: A Frenchman in England

My thoughtful coworker pointed this new title out to me the other day, and I had to share!

Set in 18th century England, this book is a mini-journey back in time. Francois de la Rochford and his brother, Alexandre, spent a year in England at the insistence of their father. Their father happened to be the grand master of wardrobe for Louis XVI, so they better off than most.

Francois kept a journal of all they saw and did on the island. The journal paints a clear and fascinating picture of life in late 18th century England, of course, from a Frenchman's perspective. Francois' journal has been edited and translated by historian Norman Scarfe. If you are interested in 18th century customs, manners and daily life I suggest you check out A Frenchman's Year in Suffolk: French Impressions of Suffolk Life in 1784.

La Rochefoucauld, François, Norman Scarfe, Alexandre de La Rochefoucauld, and Maximilien de Lazowski. 1988. A Frenchman's year in Suffolk: French impressions of Suffolk life in 1784 : including a preliminary week in London, brief visits to Cambridge, Colchester, Mistley and Harwich and a fortnight's tour of Norfolk. Woodbridge, Suffolk: Boydell Press.  ISBN 9780851155081

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