A Taste for Intrigue: The Multiple Lives of François Mitterrand

François Mitterrand, the 21st president of France, whose 14-year term from 1981 to 1995 was among the longest in modern French history, was a study in contradictions. Originally a moderate conservative, he later aligned himself with the noncommunist left. He demonstrated notable leadership skills from an early age, deftly negotiating a complex geopolitical landscape. Capable of bringing together unlikely coalitions to push through social programs, he also frequently engaged in vicious squabbles with adversaries. Ambitious, charismatic, rude, duplicitous, and secretive, his legacy is one that is defined more by expediency and pragmatism than strong principles or conviction. Given his remarkably long and convoluted public career during a period of unparalleled social and economic turmoil, Mitterrand remains a worthy subject of further research. British author and journalist Short (Mao: A Life) has produced a highly detailed but readable summary of this multilayered life. Thoroughly researched and documented, the result tends more toward eventful than insightful.