From the foppish courtiers of the eighteenth century to the brave soldiers of the Revolution, from robust colonizers in Indochina and Algeria it the tough guys of the criminal underworld, masculinities in France have historically been varied and complex. Closely tied to representations of national health and power, perceptions of French manhood remain intimately bound up with the changing status of the hexagon in modern history. French Masculinities makes a valuable contribution to gender studies by presenting, for the first time, a comprehensive and critical overview of ideas of how virilite has been imagined in France from the eighteenth century to the present. Incorporating insights of cultural and social historians as well as specialists in film and literature, this collection approaches masculinities in a complex and interdisciplinary manner that will appeal to a wide range of readers.