I have mixed feelings about this book.
The real problem is that it doesn’t really deliver what it promises. It is more of a historical reference of events, people and things that are relevant to French culture, but there is no real discussion or even mention of how these are relevant to French culture or even how they influenced the culture.
However, as a historical reference, I do find it interesting. I like the dual-language text mostly for proper noun references. I feel some of the text is a bit awkward. There is a lot of interesting information included in the book.
I also like the general organization, but it seriously lacks in that it doesn’t have an index. There is a lot of information that could really use cross-referencing. It also lacks any sources which seems a major oversight.