Beginning with a look back on France's 19th Century rural history, Louis Malassis traces the social, economic, and environmental origins of farm life today. His focus is on the Northwest and on the use of farm machinery; the switch from horses to tractors; harvesting; dairying; gender roles in farming. He also examines the social and environmental impact of the trend toward fewer but larger farms. Based on his experience, Louis Malassis goes on to depict a life in the countryside, and how it slowly improved through technical progress. A combination of sociology, history and memories, The French Farmer from the XIXth Century to Today is an engaging, very readable study of the French landscapes, its people, its traditional craftsmanship, as well as the tale of a struggle for emancipation.