Bettie's Books

bookshelves: published-2013, radio-4, politics, france, fradio, nonfiction, biography, autumn-2013

BOTW

BBC BLURB: 'Other nations have scandals. The French have affairs.' And Francois Mitterrand was no exception.

Former BBC foreign correspondent Philip Short has written a compelling biography of the French leader who was famous for his ambiguity.

Henry Goodman reads the fascinating story, starting with the infamous 'Observatory Affair', which nearly finished Mitterrand's political career.

Abridged and produced by Jane Marshall A Jane Marshall production for BBC Radio 4.

1. Henry Goodman reads Philip Short's compelling biography, starting with the infamous Observatory Affair, which nearly finished Mitterrand's political career.

2. Francois Mitterrand was the son of a station master at Angouleme but by the late 1930s, as a student in Paris and with war looming, he had developed a fascination with politics.

3. Mitterrand kept his private life quiet for most of his career, but he had two families. Philip Short, the author of this biography, has spoken both to his wife and his mistress.

4. In 1984, when he was president of the EEC, and despite their political differences, Mitterrand goes out of his way to cultivate 'Dear Mrs Thatcher'.

5. Mitterrand leaves the Elysee Palace for the last time in 1995, after 14 years in power. In the words of his rival Jacques Chirac, he bequeathed to France 'a modern, calm democracy'.

It is hard to keep an objective view when one discovers such a loathing for the personality under the spotlight, yet if reviewers do not observe such scrupulousness, authors will not take the chance of writing about these people and our world will become narrow.

The author does a superb, professional job of informing. Mitterrand was more of a [insert fav insult] than I had imagined.