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Petain

Petain

by Lord Charles Williams (Author)

  • Used

    Paperback 2005

    $3.27
Synopsis

Charles Williams' major biography of Philippe Petain (1856-1951) tells of a peasant who became a Marshal of France and the Head of the Vichy State. A slow climb up the army ranks was leading inexorably to retirement when war broke out. He defended Verdun in 1916 and settled the mutinies in 1917. In May 1940, he realised that France had been defeated and requested an armistice. As head of unoccupied France, he jockeyed between Nazis, Allies and Vichy politicians until, in 1945, he returned to France to be tried for treason. His death sentence was commuted by General de Gaulle to life imprisonment. In recounting Petain's long life, Lord Williams, one of our most notable political biographers, has successfully illustrated the character of an extraordinary man.

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More Information

Format: Paperback
 Pages: 576
 Edition: New edition
 Publisher: Little, Brown
Published: 03 Nov 2005
ISBN 10: 0316732338
ISBN 13: 9780316732338

Media Reviews
'If the biographer of de Gaulle is to tackle Petain he must be prepared to stand intellectually on his head, a feat demanding much mental agility as well as capacity to combine detachment with a fine understanding of human nature. Charles Williams has accepted the challenge and met it triumphantly' - THE SPECTATOR 'A magnificent biography' - LITERARY REVIEW 'A masterly book, a triumph of balance, sustained scholarship and readability' - INDEPENDENT
Author Bio
Charles Williams, Lord Williams of Elvel CBE, is a former banker and Labour party politician: He became a life peer in1985 and was elected Deputy Leader of the Opposition in 1989. He is now one of Britain's most distinguished biographers.