Where life imitates art: France’s literary love affair with Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin – the performer, playwright and lascivious lover, better known as Molière – celebrates his 400th birthday this year
Jacques-Yves Cousteau - undersea explorer, filmmaker and so much more The French naval officer helped millions of people see into the deep through his inventions and productions but he also worked on projects to build three underwater villages in Sudan
Joséphine Bonaparte, Napoleon’s wife, was nothing if not a survivor Her life was far from ordinary: she lost her first husband to the guillotine, built up legendary debts and wild animals roamed freely about her extensive gardens
magazine Claude Monet: French impressionist who went to war for his art In 1861, Monet was drafted into the army and sent to Algeria. His rich father refused to buy him out unless he agreed to give up painting, but he refused
Violette Szabo: British spy who fought Nazis to avenge French husband She fearlessly worked as a special agent during World War Two, and is remembered today as a war hero in both the UK and France
From poverty to glory: Life of legendary French singer Edith Piaf With little education and no music tuition, she became an international star and the sound of a post-war generation
André Malraux: a French cultural phenomenon André Malraux did not pass his bac, yet went on to become one of the most important cultural figures in French history, writes Samantha David
