Here's some further information about French bread, and the sources I used, in creating Imaginary Frenchman podcast #6.
The primary source was A Bite-Sized History of France by Stephane Henault and Jeni Mitchell. I also recommend Bread of Three Rivers: the Story of a French Loaf by Sarah Mansfield Taber.
You might be interested in these stories from the New York Times: "A French Dining Staple Loses Its Place at the Table," about the declining consumption of bread in France, and "French Baguettes from a Vending Machine? What a Tragedy!"
The recipe I tried is from the blog BAKING A MOMENT.
The music selections on the podcast are "Jazz in Paris" and "Accordion," both available through free use.
The photography at the head of this post is by Jules of The Stone Soup and available through a Creative Commons license.