I am planning to take a trip to france just wondering will american cell phones work in France or will I have to get a cell phone over there?

I am looking for a book, e-book, online resource or some kind of resource material that has information on how cell phones work and each individual component (generically of course), down to what each piece on the motherboard is and does. Where can I find something anything like this?
I’ve been to How Stuff Works, so don’t mention that one. I don’t want some summaries of the system and their connections to towers. I want a detailed list and diagram of components, how they are assembled and what they do. I want details and technical information.

I don’t understand the difference between certain features on a cell phone. I know some pda cell phones work on a Windows mobile platform, and others work on the palm OS platform. What do Blackberrys operate on?