• With the same panache displayed in his acclaimed history of Florida, in glittering prose Timothy Allman celebrates the long history of, and daily life in, his part of France Profound, radiating out from his 800-year-old House to the village of Lauzerte, to the department of Tarn-et-Garonne in southwestern France. France Profound, or Deep France, denotes the existence of 'deep' and profoundly 'French' aspects in the culture of French provincial towns.
• In France Profound is a celebration of France that uniquely focuses on a lesser-known, idiosyncratic region that often escapes the pages of tourist guidebooks. It's perfect for fans of Peter Mayle's A Year in Provence (approx. +200,000 copies sold), Adam Gopnik's Paris to the Moon (approx. +150,000 copies sold), and David Lebovitz's L'Appart (22,000 copies sold).
• We are publishing this gem of escapism in August, which is a time of rest and retreat for French people and Americans alike, and we hope to translate that spirit of les vacances into sales.
• Allman's previous book Finding Florida was longlisted for the National Book Award and named a Kirkus Best Nonfiction Book of the Year. It has sold just under 25,000 in all formats and continues to backlist, with 918 paperback copies sold last year.
• Allman's House is almost as old as Lauzerte itself, founded at the start of the 13th century, formally chartered in 1241. It has witnessed the region's tumultuous history, which in many ways is the history of France itself, from the extraordinary legacy of Eleanor of Aquitaine to the various Crusades of the Middle Ages to World War II.
• Allman weaves memorable stories of his daily life in Lauzerte into the region's long saga, introducing local characters as colorful as those who strode the world's stage. He does battle with aggressive pigeons on his roof and with everlasting British snobbishness towards the French.
• Allman has lived a rich and exciting life around the world. He was a member of the Peace Corps in Nepal before becoming a journalist and foreign correspondent for Vanity Fair. He is credited with uncovering the CIA's "secret war" in Laos (a phrase he coined himself). Snippets from these adventures also appear throughout In France Profound.
• In France Profound features two maps.
