At the Edge of the World: The Heroic Century of the French Foreign Legion

by Jean-Vincent Blanchard Narrated by Julian Elfer

Overview

An aura of mystery, romance, and danger surrounds the French Foreign Legion, the all-volunteer corps of the French Army, founded in 1831. Famous for its physically grueling training in harsh climates, the legion fought in French wars from Mexico to Madagascar, Southeast Asia to North Africa.



In At the Edge of the World, historian Jean-Vincent Blanchard follows the legion's rise to fame during the nineteenth century-focusing on its campaigns in Indochina and especially in Africa-when the corps played a central role in expanding and protecting the French Empire. As France struggled to be a power capable of rivaling the British, the figure of the legionnaire came to represent the might and morale that would secure a greater, stronger nation.



Drawing from rare, archival memoirs and testimonies of legionnaires from the period and tracing the fascinating career of Hubert Lyautey, France's first resident-general in Morocco and a hero to many a legionnaire, At the Edge of the World chronicles the Foreign Legion at the height of its renown, when the corps and its archetypically handsome, moody, and marginalized recruits became both the symbols of a triumphant colonialism and the stuff of legend.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

02/13/2017
Blanchard (Éminence: Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France), a professor of French studies at Swarthmore College, investigates the momentous existence of the French Foreign Legion, a curious and romantic organization formed in 1831 that persevered through the 20th century’s interwar years. The book is an entertaining, boisterous history of the French colonial project writ large, in which the Legion, with all its faults and contradictions, played a central role: “France, claiming that its glorious, oftentimes tragic, past, exemplified the universality of its values, would soon entrust itself with a civilizing mission that the troops of the Foreign Legion... would carry out in an adventure of epic scale.” Tracing the career of Gen. Hubert Lyautey, who influenced both the Legion and French military culture more broadly, the story traverses Algeria, Indochina, Madagascar, and Morocco following the troops, whom Blanchard says “could be both superb operators of and troublesome obstacles to French rule.” Most of the Legionnaires, who were renowned for their fearless fighting and their prodigious drinking, hailed from France itself, the disputed territories of Alsace-Lorraine, and Germany—an interesting WWI-era dynamic. Blanchard adroitly captures the almost surreal absurdity of placing such a corps at the spearhead of a global project promising liberté, egalité, et fraternité. (Apr.)

From the Publisher

"The author deftly captures the romance as well as the horror of life in the French Foreign Legion. Blanchard's style, broad knowledge of France, and scholarly research in the legion's archives make this a detailed and fascinating book of French history." - Kirkus Reviews

"An entertaining, boisterous history of the French colonial project writ large, in which the Legion, with all its faults and contradictions, played a central role . . . Blanchard adroitly captures the almost surreal absurdity of placing such a corps at the spearhead of a global project promising liberté, egalité, et fraternité." - Publishers Weekly

"Storytelling and details are not lacking in At the Edge of the World." - The New York Times Book Review

"[Edith Pilaf’s] image of the moody and uncompromising Legionnaire, attracted by the promise of ‘blood, bullets, bayonets and women in an Arab land’ . . . gets closest to the historical and psychological truth, as laid before us in [Jean-Vincent Blanchard’s] gripping, disturbing and controversial account of the Legion’s first century." - The Daily Mail

"Jean-Vincent Blanchard dissects the facts and fiction behind the legendary outfit in this wide-ranging, heavily researched discussion of the history, culture, defining characteristics, and raison d’être of the French Foreign Legion." - Washington Independent Review of Books

"The book succinctly captures the romance and reality of the Legion. It shows how the Legion adapted to its different missions while confronting its challenges. At the Edge of the World shows why the legend of the Legion endures today. I recommend this book for any reader interested in the French Foreign Legion, the history of French colonialism, or counterinsurgency." - Robert J. Rielly, Military Review

"Well written with extensive use of memoirs and archival material, including the stories of high-ranking officers, colonial governors, and common soldiers. The skillful blend of these sources makes it an enjoyable read. This is a worthy retelling of the French Foreign Legion at the height of its fame and renown." - Military Heritage

"Blanchard’s scholarly but entertaining book shows that the mystery and romance associated with the legion had some basis in reality. Blanchard uses the career of Marshal Louis-Hubert Lyautey, who was involved in campaigns with the legion from Algeria to Indochina to Madagascar, to explore the legion’s character, role, and fights." - Lawrence D. Freedman, Foreign Affairs

"Blanchard’s achievement is to bring to light the historical paradox of the legionnaire:...The disenchanted legionnaire is himself a byproduct of the contradictions and failures of European modernization, yet he brazenly risks his life abroad to spread that same project of modernity." - America Magazine online

From the Publisher - AUDIO COMMENTARY

"A detailed and fascinating book of French history." —Kirkus

Kirkus Reviews

2017-02-02
The history and philosophy of the French Foreign Legion.The legion was formed in 1831 as an all-volunteer corps of the French Army with a special right to hire foreign-born recruits; French citizens were not accepted until 1881. Upon acceptance, the legion became their only country, and they were comprised of outcasts, younger scions of noble families, debt-ridden gamblers, and those escaping scandal, jail, or the noose. Upon entering training, one only need provide a name and proof of physical ability. The training was brutal, pushing men to the limits of human endurance. The legion soldiers were essential in the building of France's colonial empire, with conquests across Algeria, Indochina, Madagascar, Morocco, and elsewhere. Blanchard (French Studies/Swarthmore Coll.; Éminence: Cardinal Richelieu and the Rise of France, 2011) eases readers' confusion about foreign cities and geographic regions by following the career of Gen. Louis Hubert Lyautey (1854-1934), who fought in all the major colonies. His use of and reliance on the Foreign Legion illustrate how perfectly they grew into such a significant force. They were the troop of the last stand, never questioning and never hesitating to answer the call; loyalty and solidarity were the most important assets. As the author follows Lyautey through Algerian pacification and some of the most tumultuous episodes in legion history in Indochina, we see France's steady progression of colonialism. Like many colonial powers, the French civilized the natives while maintaining a policy of Code de l'indigénat, denying them equal rights with their conquerors. Men of the legion, Lyautey included, suffered from what was termed le cafard, a deep depression resulting from long terms of solitude in remote areas, often ending in suicide. The author deftly captures the romance as well as the horror of life in the French Foreign Legion. Blanchard's style, broad knowledge of France, and scholarly research in the legion's archives make this a detailed and fascinating book of French history.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171301569
Publisher:	Tantor Audio
Publication date:	06/14/2017
Edition description:	Unabridged

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