Gaffney analyzes how de Gaulle came to power in 1958: The drama surrounding the Fourth Republic's collapse, and the focus upon an exceptional individual meant that de Gaulle was able to confer a particular style of leadership on the Fifth Republic. The five Presidents who came after him have each capitalized on their own political 'persona.'

JOHN GAFFNEY Professor of Politics at Aston University, Birmingham, UK.

1958: The Gaullist Settlement and French Politics 1958-1968: The Consolidation and Evolution of the Fifth Republic 1968 and its Aftermath 1969-1974: Gaullism Without de Gaulle 1974-1981: The Giscard Years 1981-1988: From the République Sociale to the République Française 1988-2002: The Long Decade of Vindictiveness, Miscalculations, Defeat, Farce, Good Luck, Good Government, and Catastrophe The Presidential Election of 2007 Conclusion