Funerals, Politics, and Memory in Modern France 1789-1996

This is a study of the state funerals that were celebrated in France between the French Revolution and the death of Franois Mitterrand. It investigates the funerals of such prominent figures as Voltaire, Napoleon, Gambetta, Hugo, and de Gaulle, which became major public events that helped to mould the national memory. The book is the first comprehensive analysis of French state funerals, and also a major contribution to the study of French political culture.