Jacques Chirac

Children's Literature - Mary Bowman-Kruhm

This biography, one of the "Modern World Leaders" series, begins with a 2005 incident in which two young immigrant men were killed and one badly burned when, unnecessarily chased by police, they sought safety in an electric substation. After six days of the resulting riots, French president Jacques Chirac became involved and declared a state of emergency; this response seems representative of his leadership. After becoming president in 1995 with a promise of "fundamental change" (p. 39), the author concludes that "the young wolf" was discovered "to be curiously toothless" (p. 98). Written with a historian's perspective (and at a college reading level according to the Fry readability graph), chapters one through four effectively interweave Chirac's early years with French politics, moving from the first republic in 1792 to de Gaulle's leadership during World War II and subsequent presidency. The final chapters thematically cover events during Chirac's presidency; e.g., "Chirac and the Global War on Terror." The book suggests issues of future importance to France, its role in international politics, and especially its relationship with the United States. The back matter includes a chronology of Chirac's life, a solid bibliography, resources for further reading, and an index. Highly recommended as a supplemental text that provides a brief but inclusive and well-written review of France's political history, with a focus on the years from World War II to the present.