Georges Bordonove (25 May 1920, Enghien-les-Bains, Seine-et-Oise – 16 March 2007, Antony, Hauts-de-Seine) was a French biographer and novelist.

Biography

Bordonove was a prolific writer of both books on history for a general readership and historical novels. His biographies, such as those of the kings of France, are characterised by short, dense chapters packed with detail including a potentially bewildering array of names and the citation of recorded conversations, sometimes in Old French with translations, but showing an evident sympathy for the subject, a desire to make a complete picture of his life and thought, and some sly humour.[1][2] However, his 1980s series Les Rois qui ont fait la France (The Kings who Made France) has been called "more hagiographic than strictly historical".[3] In his obituary in Le Monde, Philippe-Jean Catinchi wrote: "Despite his vision rarely conforming to the state of historical research, the public approved" and noted that he also contributed to a historical survey of everyday life.[4]

He was a member of the sustaining committee of the royalist Association Unité capétienne (Capetian Unity Society) and of the jury awarding its Hugues-Capet Prize.

He is buried in the cemetery of Le Château-d'Oléron on the island of Oléron.

Honours

  • Officier (Officer) of the Légion d'honneur
  • Award from the Académie française for novel Les Quatre Cavaliers and historical study Les Marins de l'An II
  • Prix Goncourt for history for Le Naufrage de 'La Méduse'
  • Grand prix des libraires (Booksellers' award)

References

  1. ↑ Lamia El-Saad, "Georges Bordonove, le marathonien des rois", L'Orient Littéraire 87, September 2013 (in French)
  2. ↑ Gauthier Eliane, Review, Les Lances de Jérusalem", L'Express, 30 June 1994 (in French): "On apprécie ... la rigueur apportée aux moindres détails et à l'évocation d'un langage d'époque dont l'auteur a su rendre la saveur." - "[The author has] brought an appreciable rigour to the slightest details and to the evocation of the speech of the time, whose flavour he has been able to bring out."
  3. ↑ Jean-Paul Brighelli, "Identité nationale: la France est une bibliothèque", Marianne, 24 November 2009, note (in French): "plus hagiographique que strictement historique".
  4. ↑ Le Monde, 20 March 2007: "Malgré une vision rarement conforme à l'état de la recherche historique, le public est au rendez-vous ... On signalera encore ses contributions à une autre collection grand public, d'une rigueur scientifique aléatoire au fil des décennies, La Vie quotidienne."
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