This series spares no details it its caustic survey of five centuries of French colonialism.

If France is now one of the world's leading nations, that's because it once took part in one of humankind's most benevolent endeavors: colonialism. You might not know the whole story of how, generations ago, supermarkets came to carry lemons and bananas all year long. The history of France's colonies, as told by General de Gaulle, from the Americas to Africa, Asia, and Oceania, with stops along the way at decolonization and sub-Saharan Françafrique, not to mention immigrants. Five whole volumes of what actually happened. Sooner or later, everyone'll find out!