French Literature Reviews - 2026
A History of Crime in France from the Middle Ages to the Present Day
History, Politics and Society
Murders, rapes, poisonings, infanticides… Crime in all its forms has always held a deep fascination. But what does it reveal about us, and how is its history to be written? These are the compelling questions explored in this book, in which historians examine crime and the figure of the criminal from the Middle Ages to the present day.
From Gilles de Rais to Landru, from female poisoners to Jeanne Weber—the famous "Ogress of the Goutte d’Or"—from the Coquillards gang to the Apaches, and from sexual crimes to armed robberies, every era has been defined by major criminal cases. Yet while these cases leave their mark on society, the authors demonstrate that society itself actively "shapes" crime in the way it receives, portrays, and judges it. Public opinion, the press, physicians, alienists, judges, and legislators all play a role in this history, over time shedding light on our country’s fears, obsessions, and political struggles.
A fascinating journey into the underworld of crime, this volume sketches a popular history of France, seen in reverse.
Introduced by Anne-Claude Ambroise-Rendu.
With Claude Gauvard, Jacques Chiffoleau, Valérie Toureille, Arlette Lebigre (†), Georges Vigarello, Fabienne Giuliani, Laurence Guignard, Annick Tillier (†), Michelle Perrot, Pierre Darmon, Marc Renneville, Jean Lucien Sanchez, Frédéric Chauvaud, Jean-Marc Berlière, Dominique Kalifa (†), Arnaud-Dominique Houte, Véronique Fau-Vincenti and Séverine Liatard
Histories of crime and deviance frequently intersect with social and legal history, examining how communities define transgressions across centuries. Scholars in this field often investigate the evolution of penal practices, the role of institutional authorities, and the ways in which public perception shapes legal systems. By analyzing specific infractions and notorious figures from medieval times to the contemporary era, researchers illuminate broader shifts in cultural attitudes toward morality, order, and justice within French society over the long term. Readers interested in the social history of France, the evolution of criminal justice, and the cultural construction of deviance may find this volume relevant.