The Mad History of France: Uncovering Forgotten Anecdotes from Brittany’s Bryan Christien

A 22-year-old social media creator from Brittany has published his first book on French history, combining viral online reach with traditional publishing to reach new audiences.

Bryan Christien, known online as @bhistoirefr, released La Folle Histoire de France through Larousse editions in 2026. The book presents lesser-known and often surprising anecdotes from French history, drawn from years of research shared across his social media platforms.

Christien began creating history content during the 2020 lockdown at age 18, inspired by childhood visits to castles with his parents and a passionate middle school history teacher. His account now has over 100,000 followers who engage with his mix of educational storytelling and unusual historical facts.

His research process relies heavily on cross-referencing historical texts, particularly for obscure stories that require digging through multiple sources. He developed the book’s content from a growing list of verified anecdotes originally tested on his social media channels.

Among the stories featured in the book is the so-called “Pastry War” of the 19th century, in which a French pastry chef in Mexico sought compensation after his shop was looted—an incident that escalated into a brief foreign conflict. Christien cites this as one of the most surprising findings from his research.

The book’s release marks a transition from digital creator to published author for Christien, who continues to produce content for his audience while expanding into long-form historical writing. His work reflects a broader trend of online educators using verified research to bring niche historical topics to mainstream readers.