They Eat Horses, Don't They? The Truth About the French

Join former lawyer/filmmaker Eatwell as she debunks myths about the French in this fun, informative guide. Each chapter presents a myth followed by a thorough, well-researched explanation and ends with a "myth evaluation" of true, false, or somewhere in between. Beginning with food, the author explores the titular tradition about the French predilection for horses, frogs, and snails and concludes that it's "arguably true." Along with fictions about France's cuisine, the book investigates the truth behind about all things French from French sex and marriage to the French on holiday and the country's history and culture. Eatwell, herself a British import to France, concludes with a section on "the best of enemies" by looking at tales concerning the two countries. For example, the accepted wisdom about the British as expert gardeners is determined to be false as she judiciously notes that "the French and English have been champions of gardening at different periods of history." The volume contains delightful illustrations and photographs.