On the French Intifada

The positive is that Hussey does a good job of linking contemporary France to its colonial experience. This is crucial for any study of today’s France, given how transnational the country has become.

However, the negatives far outweigh the positives. For example, he dismisses the film by saying about Corneuve and Sarcelles, “these districts were portrayed in the 1995 film La Haine, in which a black, an Arab, and a Jew, all from the banlieues, form an alliance against society. I found the film unconvincing, because I suspect that a Jew could never be friends with blacks and Arabs in this way” (22). WHAT? Of course Jews can be friends with Arabs and blacks in the banlieues, why wouldn’t they be able to? Yes, antisemitism is rising in France and it is a serious problem, but you can’t just dismiss this film because it seems improbable. This (not even low key) racism can be found throughout the course of the book.

Second, Hussey’s notes are sparse and he does not exactly engage with the historical literature. When he does, it is simply to say, “well this author agrees with me, so I must be on the right track,” while dismissing dozens (if not hundreds) of other historians. Most of the sources that he does consult are biographies and introductory works rather than more specialized accounts.

Take what Hussey has to say with a grain of salt. It’s far better to read something else.