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The City of
Light Under German Occupation, 1940-1944
Ronald Rosbottom
Read by Malcolm Hillgartner
Hatchette Audio
August 5, 2014 / ASIN: B00LOOUPJW
Non fiction / World War II / French History /Audiobook - Unabridged
/ 14 hrs 1 min.
Reviewed
by Nicole Merritt
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Rosbottom lays
out a chronological study of the German occupation of Paris
during WWII. The author, a college professor, has managed
to take a part of history that has been told and retold and
make it new and interesting. It is a rich and inviting story
of the dual side of the war in one book. And, there are always
two sides to every story. This one being no different, you
will either leave this book loving the French or hating them.
And for good reason. The author concludes his book by stating
just that: "If reading this book has made you more curious
about Paris and its violent midcentury history, and if you
can admire her almost unreal self-confidence, them I am pleased.
If, on the other hand, the information in these pages has
made you more suspicious of her charms, more critical of her
adaptation to the 'plague, ' then that, too, would please
me. For either way, or both ways, you would have thickened
your knowledge so that the next time you confront Paris, either
in person or imaginatively, you will have more respect for
her resiliency as well as for the hope that she still offers
those seeking to escape the depravations of ignorance and
cultural violence."
The French were just as involved, if not more
so, in their own country’s Jewish war crimes as the
Germans.
I really enjoyed this audio book. It was very
enlightening. If you like WWII history, this is a must read. |
