Description: "A dramatic social history of the liberation of Paris in 1944, one of the most inspiring and momentous events of the twentieth century. When the Germans marched into the City of Light in 1940--and the lamps went out--the millions who loved Paris mourned. Liberation, four years later, triggered an explosion of joy and relief. It was the party of the century and everybody who was anybody was there. General Charles de Gaulle seized the moment to create an instant legend that would take its place alongside the great moments in French history. After years of oppression and humiliation, Parisians had risen to reclaim their city and drive out the forces of darkness--or so the story went. This fresh new account of the liberaton, packed with revelation, tells the story of those heady days of suspense, danger, exhilaration--and vengeance--through the eyes of a range of participants, reflecting all sides of the conflict American, French, and Germans; resisters and collaborators..."--
Brief description: Patrick Bishop is the author of Operation Jubilee as well as several bestselling histories of the Royal Air Force during the World War II, including Fighter Boys and Bomber Boys. He spent twenty-five years as a foreign correspondent covering major conflicts around the world. Patrick lives in England.
Review Quotes: "Historian Bishop contends in this splendid chronicle that the 1940 Nazi occupation and 1944 Allied liberation of Paris carried heavy symbolic weight. He uses the City of Light's 'mythic' status as the backbone for a fine-grained narrative of life before and during the war, showing how a sense of exceptionalism permeated the thinking of Nazi occupiers, fascist sympathizers, and resistance fighters alike. This is a revelation."--Publisher's Weekly (Starred)