France Today was first published in 1971 and quickly established itself as a valuable and important volume of essays providing a stimulating, clearly written introduction to contemporary France.

This sixth edition (originally published in 1987, now with a new preface) looks at French social and political systems, covering topics such as immigration and trade unions. There are also chapters on the press, broadcasting, foreign policy, education, and the Church in France. The contributors, all with extensive teaching experience in their areas, skilfully combine historical perspectives and affairs of the time to produce a well-balanced volume of essays.