Julian Jackson A Certain Idea of France : The Life of Charles de Gaulle Paperback

Winner of the Duff Cooper Prize for History, the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography, the American Library in Paris Award, the FrancoBritish Society Literary Prize and the Grand Prix de la Biographie Politique du TouquetA SUNDAY TIMES, THE TIMES, DAILY TELEGRAPH, NEW STATESMAN, SPECTATOR, FINANCIAL TIMES, TLS BOOK OF THE YEARMasterly ... awesome reading ... an outstanding biography Max Hastings, Sunday TimesIn six weeks in the early summer of 1940, France was overrun by German troops and quickly surrendered. The French government of Marshal Ptain sued for peace and signed an armistice. One littleknown junior French general, refusing to accept defeat, made his way to England. On 18 June he spoke to his compatriots over the BBC, urging them to rally to him in London. Whatever happens, the flame of French resistance must not be extinguished and will not be extinguished. At that moment, Charles de Gaulle entered into history. For the rest of the war, de Gaulle frequently bit the hand that fed him. He insisted on being treated as the true embodiment of France, and quarrelled violently with Churchill and Roosevelt. He was prickly, stubborn, aloof and selfcontained. But through sheer force of personality and bloodymindedness he managed to have France recognised as one of the victorious Allies, occupying its own zone in defeated Germany. For ten years after 1958 he was President of Frances Fifth Republic, which he created and which endures to this day. His pursuit of... | Julian Jackson A Certain Idea of France : The Life of Charles de Gaulle Paperback