NEW YORK --
Time Warner Book Group is the fifth-largest US book publisher, with a stable of writers that includes Nelson DeMille and James Patterson. Its major imprints include Warner Books and Little, Brown.
Following the purchase, Largardere's book publishing unit will become the third-largest worldwide.
The companies said the purchase was part of Lagardere's strategy of building a portfolio of book publishing in French, English, and Spanish.
Lagardere also owns Hachette Filipacchi, publisher of magazines including Elle, Premiere, and Car & Driver.
Time Warner, the world's biggest media company, has been trimming its diverse portfolio in recent years, including the sale of its music company, Warner Music Group.
It is also facing pressure from activist shareholder Carl Icahn to restructure the company in hopes of boosting its share price.
Among its other holdings are HBO, CNN, Warner Bros., and Time magazine.
Time Warner's book division has done well in recent years, with big sellers including late-night comedian Jon Stewart's ''America (The Book)" and Elizabeth Kostova's ''The Historian."
Chief executive Dick Parsons said the group had record profits in 2005, but needs the ''scale and other advantages that come from being part of a larger, more global book publisher."
Parsons said the deal underscored the company's commitment to managing ''closely related, industry-leading businesses to maximize shareholder returns."
Icahn is expected to present more details today on his effort to get changes made at Time Warner when he will present the findings of a study by the investment bank Lazard Ltd.
Following the sale of its book unit, Time Warner will retain a large stable of magazines under its Time Inc. umbrella, including Time, Sports Illustrated, People, and InStyle.
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