The General: Charles de Gaulle and the France He Saved

by Jonathan Fenby

Overview

• Provides insight into the life and personality of the great French general
  
• Highlights the relationship between Charles de Gaulle and the France he fought so hard to save 
• Balances the general’s private and public lives 

Few modern leaders anywhere in the world fought as fiercely for their nation as Charles de Gaulle. When he was just in his twenties, he fought for France in the depths of the trenches and at the battle of Verdun. In the 1930s, he fought alone to better equip France to resist the reign of Hitler. He interacted with England and Winston Churchill to save his beloved France. Afterwards, he saved France from defeat and destruction by fantastic shows of leadership, political prowess, bravery, and bluff. He prevented civil war and left behind a heritage that benefitted all leaders who came after him. 

While it might be easy to write him off as someone who was always staid and consistent, “Le General” was complicated. He had deep personal feelings and consistent mood swings. He cared deeply for his family and often sought reassurance from the people around him. This biography highlights both the general that de Gaulle presented to the world and his more private side. It tells the story of a complicated man in a way that grips the reader.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620878057
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	07/01/2013
Pages:	736
Sales rank:	659,628
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 1.70(d)

About the Author

Jonathan Fenby reported from France for a variety of newspapers, including the Economist, Christian Science Monitor, Times of London, Guardian, and London Observer. Married to a Frenchwoman, he was, to his surprise, made a Chevalier of the Légion d'Honneur and the Ordre du Mérite in 1990. He is also the author of acclaimed biographies of Chiang Kai-shek and Charles de Gaulle—called a "page-turner" by the New York Times Book Review, which wrote: "Fenby knows how to turn breadth and depth into enthrallment.”—among other works. He lives in England.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements xi

Introduction 1

Part 1 Reaching for the Heights

1 Edge of the Abyss 13

2 'I, General de Gaulle' 30

Part 2 The Making of a Rebel

3 'Un petit Lillois a Paris' 41

4 War 57

5 'Generation of catastrophes' 75

6 The Constant Rebel 92

7 Debacle 120

Part 3 One Man's Combat

8 'France has not lost the war' 131

9 Family Time 159

10 Allies at Odds 166

11 At the Summit 187

12 Resistance and Collaboration 204

13 Blitzkrieg 219

14 Going Home 236

15 Liberation 244

Part 4 From Victory to Defeat

16 Witches' Brew 261

17 Foreign Affairs 276

18 Pétain and Laval 291

19 'Nest of intrigues' 299

20 'That will teach them' 313

21 'Guide for the nation' 323

22 Triumphs and Tragedies 333

Part 5 The Road Back

23 Biding His Time 359

24 'I will see' 373

25 Saving the Ship 380

26 First in France 403

Part 6 Republican Monarch

27 The Sovereign, His Court and His People 417

28 Algeria 432

29 Raising the Game 454

30 The Crucible 463

31 Full House 493

32 Facing France 507

33 Tilting at Windmills 541

Part 7 Shadows and Night

34 'Great things always end badly' 563

35 The Ides of May 572

36 Counter-punch 596

37 Final Act 612

Source Notes 637

Bibliography 665

Glossary of Significant People 675

Glossary of Abbreviations 680

Index 681