Patrick Boucheron (born 28 October 1965)[1][2] is a French historian. He previously taught medieval history at the École normale supérieure and the University of Paris. He is a professor of history at the Collège de France. He is the author of 12 books and or the editor of 5 books. His 2017 book, Histoire mondiale de la France (Global History of France), compiled work by 122 historians and became an unexpected bestseller, with more than 110 000 copies sold.[3]
From 2017 to 2020, he hosted Quand l'histoire fait dates, a TV program of 22 episodes which explored different important dates in world history.
Early life
Patrick Boucheron was born in 1965 in Paris.[4][5]
Boucheron was an assistant professor in medieval history at his alma mater, the ENS, from 1994 to 1999.[4] He was associate professor of history at the University of Paris from 1999 to 2012, and full professor from 2012 to 2016.[4] He has been a professor of history at the Collège de France since 2016.[6][5][7]
Boucheron is the author or co-author of 12 books and or the editor or co-editor of 5 books.[4][5] His first book, Le pouvoir de bâtir : urbanisme et politique édilitaire à Milan (XIVe-XVe siècles), was his PhD thesis.[10] Out of the many books he edited, Le mot qui tue. Une histoire des violences intellectuelles de l'Antiquité à nos jours, is about the use of words to wound others.[11] His inaugural address before the Collège de France, Ce que peut l’histoire, was published as a book in 2016.[12]
In 2017, Boucheron edited Histoire mondiale de la France (Global History of France), co-written by 122 historians.[13] The book presents an account of French history from an international perspective; for example, it includes the 1973 Chilean coup d'état as part of French history.[13] The book's release coincided with the 2017 French presidential election, although it is not explicitly political. Histoire mondiale de la France became a best-seller, and was positively reviewed by left-leaning outlets such as Le Monde and Libération, while being attacked by right-leaning outlets and conservative intellectuals.[14][13] It was dismissed by Éric Zemmour, who described it as "historically correct".[13]François-Xavier Bellamy criticised the book for not defining France within its borders and sovereign prerogative.[13]Alain Finkielkraut criticized it for not to mentioning French literature.[13][15]
Boucheron, Patrick, ed. (2019). France in the World. A New Global History. New York: Other Press. ISBN9781590519417.[17]
Boucheron, Patrick (2020). Machiavelli. The Man Who Taught the People What They Have to Fear. New York: Other Press. ISBN9781590519523.
Works
Boucheron, Patrick (1998). Le pouvoir de bâtir : urbanisme et politique édilitaire à Milan (XIVe-XVe siècles). Rome: Ecole française de Rome. ISBN9782728305247. OCLC470439360.
Boucheron, Patrick; Chiffoleau, Jacques, eds. (2004). Les palais dans la ville : espaces urbains et lieux de la puissance publique dans la Méditerranée médiévale. Lyon: Presses universitaires de Lyon. ISBN9782729707477. OCLC419499802.
Boucheron, Patrick (2004). Les villes d'Italie : vers 1150-vers 1340. Paris: Belin. ISBN9782701139753. OCLC56681985.
Boucheron, Patrick (2010). Faire profession d'historien. Paris: Publications de la Sorbonne. ISBN9782859446550. OCLC671465753.
Boucheron, Patrick; Offenstadt, Nicolas, eds. (2011). L'espace public au Moyen Âge : débats autour de Jürgen Habermas. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. ISBN9782130573579.
Boucheron, Patrick; Menjot, Denis (2011). Pinol, Jean-Luc (ed.). La ville médiévale. Paris: Éditions du Seuil. ISBN9782757825471. OCLC930805151.
Boucheron, Patrick (2012). L'entretemps : conversations sur l'histoire. Lagrasse: Verdier. ISBN9782864326724. OCLC796230072.
Boucheron, Patrick; Venayre, Sylvain (2012). L'histoire au conditionnel : textes et documents à l'usage de l'étudiant. Paris: Mille et une nuits. ISBN9782755506914. OCLC852117722.
Azoulay, Vincent; Boucheron, Patrick, eds. (2013). Le mot qui tue : une histoire des violences intellectuelles de l'Antiquité à nos jours. Seyssel: Editions Champ Vallon. ISBN9782876735040. OCLC966061315.
Boucheron, Patrick (2013). Conjurer la peur : Sienne, 1338 : essai sur la force politique des images. Paris: Editions du Seuil. ISBN9782021134995.
Boucheron, Patrick; Delalande, Nicolas (2013). Pour une histoire-monde. Paris: Presses Universitaires de France. ISBN9782130620655. OCLC842467414.
Boucheron, Patrick (2014). De l'éloquence architecturale : Milan, Mantoue, Urbino (1450 - 1520). Paris: Éditions B2. ISBN9782365090377. OCLC904458008.