How did France become the most stable and dominant footballing nation of the modern era?
From the collapse of the 1960s to the coronations of 1998 and 2018, from Clairefontaine to the global talent market, The French Game tells the untold story of how a nation rebuilt football not as myth, but as system.
Julien Peltier traces the transformation of French football into a modern power: disciplined, export-driven, institutionally ruthless, and quietly dominant. Icons rise and fall - Zidane, Mbapp�, generations of stars - but the structure endures.
Blending history, politics, sociology, and elite sport analysis, this book reveals football as a mirror of the modern French Republic: centralized, contested, globalized, and relentlessly pragmatic.
Not a celebration. Not a scandal book.
A clear-eyed anatomy of excellence - without illusion.
For readers of David Goldblatt, Simon Kuper, and serious narrative nonfiction.
Peltier, Julien: - "
Julien Peltier is a French historian and author based in London, specializing in modern French history and contemporary French society. With over twenty years of professional experience in education and cultural analysis, he brings clarity, depth, and insight to the study of post-war France and its evolving political and social landscape.
His work focuses on France since 1945, examining the cultural transformations, political institutions, ideological debates, and societal shifts that have shaped the country from the aftermath of the Second World War to the present day. Through rigorous yet accessible writing, Julien explores the forces that continue to define modern France - from republican identity and secularism to social change, intellectual movements, and public life.
Combining historical scholarship with cultural awareness, he presents contemporary France within its broader historical framework, helping readers understand not only events, but the long-term structures and ideas behind them.
Julien's publications are designed for intellectually curious readers, students of European history, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of modern French society and politics. His approach emphasizes clarity, context, and critical perspective, making complex developments in post-war France both engaging and meaningful.
Areas of Expertise:
- Modern French history
- Post-war France (since 1945)
- Contemporary French society
- Cultural and political life in modern France
- Social and institutional transformation in the Fifth Republic
Julien Peltier writes for readers who want to understand how modern France became what it is today.
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