Lavisse — Histoire de France, Cours Élémentaire

1929

This is the book France used to teach itself what kind of country it was.

Ernest Lavisse's schoolbook shaped how generations of French children first learned their own history — myth and fact laid down side by side, cours élémentaire, the elementary course every child took first. Copyrighted in 1929, the preface is signed by Lavisse himself. A previous owner once signed her name across the map of pre-Revolutionary France printed inside.

Cloth boards, schoolbook octavo. Moderate wear at spine head/tail, corners softened.

“Le Lavisse,” we called it in school — the book that tried to forge a nation out of its own myths. Along with the Verne beside it, this is one of only two French-language editions in the whole collection. I'd like to offer both for the taking. Anthony