A gripping history of the French far right in twelve episodes, from the Dreyfus Affair to Marine Le Pen and the National Rally, now poised to seize the leadership of France.

After years of political turmoil, France now faces a critical period that will shape the future of the country.

In The Dark Side of France, Enda O'Doherty brings to life the long history of extreme nationalist, antisemitic and authoritarian politics and ideas in France. The story is told in twelve gripping chapters, exploring twelve pivotal moments in modern French history. The Dreyfus Affair violently divided the country for more than a decade. The First World War saw an outpouring of nationalist passion; the socialist leader Jean Jaurès was assassinated by a right-wing fanatic. In the 1920s and 30s Action Francaise and its charismatic leader, Charles Maurras, combined sophisticated intellectual argument with thuggery on the streets. In the turmoil of the 1930s, far-right riots nearly brought down the elected government, with the Jewish Popular Front leader Léon Blum a particular target. Collaboration with the Nazis during the Second World War is one of the most notorious episodes in French history, and OAS terrorists resisting Algerian independence came within a hair's breadth of assassinating President Charles de Gaulle. The heirs of Vichy and the OAS are alive and well in today's far-right movements.
Compelling and disturbing narrative history, O'Doherty's book shines a light on the dark side of the republic.

Compelling and disturbing narrative history, O'Doherty's book shines a light on the dark side of the republic.