When the History Fair Reminds Us That Memory Is an Act of Resistance

The 15th History Fair celebrated the excellence of French historical research on Wednesday, November 26, 2025. In the prestigious setting of the Cercle National des Armées, authors, publishers, and history enthusiasts gathered for a lively, warm ceremony marked by emotion.
The evening featured four major awards, several notable finalists, and a heartfelt tribute to one of the discipline’s great figures, Alain Decaux.

In a country where current events constantly replace the previous news cycle, the History Fair offers a welcome pause. By celebrating works dedicated to Cyrano, Napoleon, Napoleon III, or Charles Pasqua, the 2025 edition reminds us of a truth often overlooked: revisiting France’s great figures is not an exercise in nostalgia, but a tool to understand the present.
This year’s awards shared a common theme: rehabilitation.

Cyrano the writer, Napoleon the statesman, Napoleon III the misunderstood, Pasqua the unyielding political strategist… Each, in their own way, left behind an ambiguous legacy, sometimes caricatured, sometimes forgotten. The awarded works strive to nuance, contextualize, and question, doing exactly what history should always do.

In a context where debates, controversies, and partisan narratives dominate public discourse, the Fair reminds us that a country can only move forward with a solid, lucid, and accountable memory.
It also emphasizes that historical transmission is an act of resistance, a shield against forgetting and oversimplification.

The emotional moment dedicated to Alain Decaux, a prominent figure in historical popularization, gave the evening an almost symbolic dimension: that of a passing of the torch. In an era of rapid screens and fleeting information, celebrating a historian who took the time to tell, explain, and transmit history asserts that depth still matters.
His son, present at the event, paid tribute to a man who helped bring history closer to the public, reminding everyone of the importance of passing knowledge on.

The History Fair 2025 therefore did more than reward books.
It subtly but firmly reminded us that history is not a fixed inheritance; it is a perspective, and that perspective shapes how we view France today and tomorrow.

Four Awards for Four Perspectives on History’s Great Figures

• Gérard de Cortanze — Prix du Guesclin
  Awarded for Savinien de Cyrano, sieur de Bergerac (Albin Michel), Gérard de Cortanze revives the flamboyant life of the real Cyrano, far beyond the theatrical myth.

• Charles-Eloi Vial — Prince Joachim Murat Empire Prize
  With Les lieux de Napoléon (Perrin), Charles-Eloi Vial offers a captivating exploration of the real-life settings of imperial power—a scholarly journey into the spaces that shaped history.

• Joachim Murat & Olivier Pastré — Gonzague Saint-Bris Biography Trophy
  The duo received the award for Napoléon III l’incompris, a work that revisits the complex and often misunderstood legacy of France’s last sovereign.

• Pierre Manenti — 8th Arrondissement City Hall Prize
  With Charles Pasqua (Passés Composés), Pierre Manenti presents a dense and incisive political portrait of one of the Fifth Republic’s most influential figures.

An Evening Marked by Dialogue, Passion, and Memory

In front of a distinguished audience from the cultural and historical world, members of the jury—including Jean-Christophe Buisson, Franck Ferrand, Clémentine Portier-Kaltenbach, Jean Tulard, and Emmanuel de Waresquiel—praised the vitality of works that continue to illuminate the past to better understand the present.

The prizes were presented by Philippe du Guesclin, Prince Joachim Murat, Édouard Saint-Bris, and Jeanne d’Hauteserre, mayor of the 8th arrondissement. The ceremony was elegant, punctuated by exchanges and privileged encounters between authors and readers.

Notable Finalists and a Significant Tribute

The finalists of the 2025 edition were also applauded:

• Geneviève Chauvel – Mission en terres barbaresques (Artège)

• Gauthier Devars du Mayne – 1627, the Siege of La Rochelle (Erick Bonnier)

• Dounia Tengour – Catherine of Aragon and Joanna the Mad, the Catholic Sisters (Perrin)

• Charles-Eloi Vial – Talleyrand, the Power of Balance (Perrin/BNF)

• Jacques de Villiers – The Bastard of Roussillon (Fayard)

The organizers also paid tribute to the 2024 award winners—Philippe Charlier, Vincent Haegele, Stéphanie des Horts, and David Gaillardon—highlighting the continuity and prestige of the History Fair.

A rich and committed lineup, already paving the way for the 2026 edition.

©2025 – IMPACT EUROPEAN

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