Jacques Choffel

Jacques Choffel, born December 14, 1915, in Paris, where he died January 8, 1996, is a French writer specializing in the history of Brittany and Normandy.

Biography
It was at the age of 52 that, in parallel with his professional life, Jacques Choffel published his first book. Having graduated from HEC Paris, nothing apparently prepared him to take an interest in the history of Brittany, Normandy, Aquitaine and Anjou. The credit goes to the eclectic mind of Jacques Choffel who defines himself with humor: "I am half Socrates, half César Birotteau".

He is therefore passionate about:


 * the one who was said to be "Pleasant to the ladies", Francis II, last Duke of Brittany;
 * the Counts of Anjou, who were called Plantagenets. William the Conqueror, Eleanor of Aquitaine and this family who were both Dukes of Normandy and Kings of England, Dukes of Aquitaine and Counts of Poitou. They reigned from Scotland to the Pyrenees;
 * the son of Philippe Auguste and father of Saint Louis, the only French monarch to have flown the fleur-de-lis banners over the Tower of London: Louis VIII of France known as The Lion;
 * the History of Poetry through Charles of Orléans;
 * the third Duke of Normandy, Richard I whose bravery earned him the nickname Fearless;
 * the Crusades through one of the most famous knights: son of Anjou and Aquitaine, heir to the conqueror, Richard the Lionheart;
 * "the most valiant, but also the most clumsy" of Duke William's sons: Robert II of Normandy;
 * but also forgotten Norman women: Duchess Gunnor who was called the Morning Lily, Helvise of Évreux or Sibylla of Conversano, Rosemonde or Mahaut. The tribute of his son Laurent Choffel, written for the posthumous publication of his last book Richard sans Peur, duc de Normandie (932–996):

"'Pok-Pok, With this last work, you remain more alive than ever in my heart. With your way of telling, the History of France becomes a captivating story full of unexpected twists and turns.

A thousand years later you have been able to find in your old grimoires, written in Latin or old French, the details of the events but above all the characters and motivations of each one.

Thanks to you, it is a revelation.

I am able to love or hate these characters that you depict so well.

After Richard Sans-Peur, we will all have the irresistible desire to read or reread all your books.

Laurent'"

His granddaughter, Sandrine Jonchère-Choffel, is also the author of several novels.

Books

 * Le Duc Charles Ier d'Orléans : Chronique d'un prince des fleurs de lys, Paris, Nouvelles Éditions Debresse, 1968, 326 p. (ISBN 978-2-85157-592-0)
 * La Guerre de succession de Bretagne, Paris, Éditions Fernand Lanore, 1975, 192 p. (ISBN 978-7-6300-0356-4)
 * Le Dernier Duc de Bretagne : François II, Paris, Éditions Fernand Lanore, 1977, 280 p. (ISBN 978-7-6300-0357-1)
 * La Bretagne sous l'orage Plantagenêt, Paris, Éditions Fernand Lanore, 1979, 248 p. (ISBN 978-7-6300-0355-7)
 * Robert de Normandie : Le duc aux courtes bottes, Paris, Éditions Fernand Lanore, 1981, 239 p. (ISBN 978-7-6300-0354-0)
 * Louis VIII le Lion : Roi de France méconnu Roi d'Angleterre ignoré, Paris, Éditions Fernand Lanore, 1983, 224 p. (ISBN 978-7-6300-0506-3)
 * Richard Cœur de Lion : ...et l'Angleterre cessa d'être normande, Paris, Éditions Fernand Lanore, 1985, 261 p. (ISBN 978-2-85157-005-5)
 * Mais où sont les Normandes d'antan, Paris, Éditions Fernand Lanore, 1988, 219 p. (ISBN 978-2-85157-046-8)
 * Richard Sans Peur : Duc de Normandie 932-996, Paris, Éditions Fernand Lanore, 1999, 221 p. (ISBN 978-2-85157-177-9)

Awards

 * 1980 - Laureate of the Académie Française, prix René Petiet for La Bretagne sous l'orage Plantagenêt.