5 books and comics that offer a new look at politics

1 Géostratégix – the completeby Pascal Boniface and Tommy

“A good drawing is better than a long speech”, assures Pascal Boniface from the first sentence of Géostratégix. After having written more than 70 works on geopolitics and deciphering international news on his YouTube channel and his podcast Understanding the worldthe author decided to tackle a new format: the comic strip. Supported by the designer Tommy, equally passionate about this theme, he offers us the keys to understanding our world and its workings. Their goal? Popularize these mechanisms to people who “feel scared[e]s to delve into the mysteries of a mysterious and inaccessible geopolitics.

This integral brings together the two parts (Géostratégix 1 and 2), which are themselves divided into different chapters. The first, which extends from 1945 to the present day, has three parts entitled “A bipolar world”, “Towards a new peaceful world order? » and “The West no longer dominates the world”. The second focuses on the major issues of the contemporary world, and addresses three major themes: “The international scene”, “Regional areas” and “Geopolitical challenges”. With fine lines and monochrome drawings, the work condenses decades of history into 317 pages.

We understand (finally) the creation of nuclear weapons, the Cuban crisis, the birth of Europe, the conflicts in the Middle East, the implosion of the USSR, the emergence of new powers, the (real ) definition of globalization, the role of the UN, the G7 and the G20, or new challenges such as migration, artificial intelligence, and sport. A real accelerated history lesson, Géostratégix is a real gold mine. Rich, accessible and fascinating, it is the perfect gift for those who wish to better understand the contemporary world and its issues.

2 Changing sides, 14 about-faces in the 20th centuryunder the direction of Étienne Augris

Change sidespublished by Editions Novices, offers a new look at the history and politics of the 20th century. His bias? Study through 14 fascinating portraits the changes in the camps of men and women who experienced the greatest events of the last century. Among them, readers will be able to discover the extraordinary destiny of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, a former far-right activist who finally chose the ranks of the Resistance in 1944, or that of General de Bollardière, a veteran of the Indochina War who in the 1950s would become an apostle of non-violence.

Spies, soldiers, politicians… Change sides sets out to describe these unprecedented trajectories punctuated by the major events of the 20th century which shook up the whole of French society. From the two world wars, to the Algerian question through the Cold War, the book directed by a collective of authors under the direction of the historian, Étienne Augris, goes back in time, and allows us to question the history, while questioning the notions of loyalty, belief and commitment.

3 History of political and current affairs cartoons 1830-2015, From caricature to Charlie Hebdoby Yves Frémion

“Caricature is not art, it’s anarchy. » It is with this sentence from Alexandre Vialatte that the History of political and current affairs drawing by Yves Frémion. In a very beautiful volume, the French politician and writer has, in fact, chosen to return to the history of press cartoons. An art that is practiced from the angle of insolence or complacency; an art so effective that it illuminates history with an acerbic pen.

Organized chronologically, History of political and current affairs drawing thus returns to the first information cartoons published in newspapers at the time when freedom of the press was established while going back in time to the Chained Duck and the caricature which has become the emblem of Charlie Hebdo.

Accompanied by texts, and portraits of artists (more or less known), as well as examples of funny, often committed drawings, and sometimes violent or even in bad taste, History of political and current affairs drawing takes no bias, except to tell the world of yesterday and today from a new angle. Thanks to this often caricatured and committed vision, the book is a volume bathed in red and black which mirrors our current society with that of past centuries in order to make us think about our present. A fascinating sum which should immerse readers in a unique way in the history of the press.

4 In the shadows by Philippe Pelaez and Cédrick Le Bihan

After the novel, written jointly by Édouard Philippe alongside Gilles Boyer, In the shadows benefited from a series adaptation in 2024, as well as a comic strip. This last thought by Philippe Pelaez and Cédrick Le Bihan offers a new look, more playful and accessible, on the political fiction imagined in 2012 by the former Prime Minister, and the MEP.

Through realistic and dynamic graphics, In the shadows BD version (JC Lattès), takes up the original story following the limitless investment of a political advisor, who after his boss’s victory in the primaries, decides to commit body and soul to the presidential campaign. However, suspicions of fraud during the primary will reshuffle the cards, but above all push the advisor to question the honesty of his candidate, as well as his activist commitment.

Faithful to the universe created by Édouard Philippe and Gilles Boyer, In the shadows offers captivating political entertainment in which manipulation and betrayal will be the order of the day. However, comics also cultivate this surprising element of fiction, and dare to take a side step thanks to deadpan humor. By offering a new vision, the comic strip nevertheless retains all the dramatic rhythm and intensity of the original work. The ideal gift for those who want to immerse themselves in a political drama inspired by gripping real events, while understanding the mysteries of power.

5 The red and black years – France in the shadows by Pierre Boisserie, Didier Convard and Stéphane Douay

The comic strip France in the shadows narrates in the form of intersecting destinies the tribulations of different actors of the Second World War during the reconstruction of France. Collaborators and resistance fighters then meet in a comic strip which deals with the politics of the time as well as history.

While this year marked the symbolic 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, a key date in the Second World War, and fictions inspired by real events are multiplying in the world of entertainment (Blitz, A life, The Most Precious of Commodities…) in order to tell the story and consequences of the conflict, the comic strip France in the shadows allows us to understand the years which followed one of the most significant wars of the 20th century.

Through a semi-realistic line, and between fictional characters as well as real politicians, this work adapted from the novel by Gérard Delteil, can seem dense. However, thanks to a captivating rhythm mixing the different issues of the time with the dark history of the former collaborationists of the State, France in the shadows offers a story about the Trente Glorieuses, or how the different political forces of 1939-1945 had to work on the construction of France between power games and networks of influence in order to construct a comic strip with the air of a political thriller.