The reason Americans think the French are unfriendly is that most of them have only been to Paris. That is a big city, and cities tend to be less friendly. It's just like someone only visiting NYC and thinking Americans are rude.

The other thing, IMHO, is that Europeans tend to be more reserved than Americans. Once you understand this... the French (aside from Parisians) are no more unfriendly than anyone else. They also have a wonderful sense of humor.

Re. the claim they are not good in a fight - given how many young men France lost in WWI, is it any wonder they had a hard time in WWII??

I really enjoyed France when I visited, but I tried to be respectful of the culture instead of expecting them to adjust to me. Culturally and historically, there is so much to love about France. Some of my best memories are when we avoided the tourist areas and just enjoyed ourselves the way the locals did. Once I got away from the touristy places, I also found the French to be much more friendly...