Description
Aux Armes! Sport and the French, an English perspective
Hardback
Publication date: May 27 2024
What – you may ask is the point of an English perspective on French sport? In David Owen’s own words, “you might just as well seek out a sea otter’s take on kabuki”. Nevertheless, having lived upwards of ten per cent of his life in France, and a lot more than that immersed in French grammar, current affairs and culture, he offers exactly that in this entertaining new book.
Drawing on examples from the past six centuries, the author explores sport’s philosophical standing in France’s cultural DNA; its role in the popularisation of the Republic; the birth of the Olympics, the Tour de France and the football World Cup; French pre-eminence at real tennis and truffle hunting; and – of course – ‘la différence’ between British and French attitudes to sport.
As much a cultural appraisal as a history of Gallic athletic endeavour, Aux Armes! is well-researched, witty and enlightening in equal measure.
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About the author:
David Owen is a former sports editor of the Financial Times, for which he worked for twenty years in the USA, Canada, France and Great Britain. A leading authority on the Olympic movement, he wrote a weekly column for the insidethegames.biz website for many years. His horseracing book, Foinavon: The Story of the Grand National’s Biggest Upset, won the Dr Tony Ryan Book Award. His other books include Thomi Keller: A Life in Sport, Rain Starts Play, A Short History of Cricket at Everdon Hall, and No Snail.
Praise for Aux Armes!
“David Owen is the sports writers’ sports writer. His new book will excite both sports nuts and Francophiles. And if you happen to be both…. Remplissez vos bottines!” Sebastian Faulks
“Allez, David Owen! A brilliant account of a fascinating subject” Tom Holland
“Typical of Owen’s elegant writing and interspersed with humour” Philip Barker, SJA
“An elegant series of vignettes” Michael Beloff, The Spectator
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