Fernand Braudel (1902 1985) was a French historian and a leader of the Annales School. Braudel has been considered one of the greatest of the modern historians who have emphasized the role of large-scale socioeconomic factors in the making and writing of history. Sian Reynolds was born in Cardiff and taught at both Sussex University and Edinburgh University before serving as Chair of French at Stirling University from 1999-2004. She has translated numerous books from the French, both fiction and nonfiction, including works by crime writer Fred Vargas.