WW2 Books Written in French
Charles Sten
about World War II? I'm most interested in history and biography, but would
welcome recommendations for relevant works of fiction.
Here is what I've found so far on Amazon.com in France:
1. Paris brule-t-il ? (Is Paris Burning?) by Dominique Lapierre and Larry
Collins.
2. Larousse de la Seconde Guerre Mondiale (Larousse of the Second Word
War) by Claude Quetel et al.
3. Le Soldat Oublie (The Forgotten Soldier) by Guy Sajer. This moving
memoir is fiction IMNSHO, but I look forward to reading it in the original
French.
4. Guide des plages du debarquement (Guide to the Invasion Beaches) by
Eddy Florentin, 2004.
Chuck Sten
San Diego, California
--
Louis Capdeboscq
Charles Sten wrote:
> Would you please suggest a book, written originally in the French language,
> about World War II?
Here are some books which have been translated into English but were
originally written in French and are more or less classics. No
particular order.
Pierre Clostermann: "Le Grand Cirque: recit d'un pilote francais dans la
RAF"
Jules Roy: "La Vallee Heureuse", technically a novel but drawing from
the author's experience in RAF Bomber Command.
Marc Bloch: "L'Etrange Defaite"
De Gaulle: "Memoires de Guerre"
There are lots of books in French which don't exist in English about the
1940 campaign. Example of good ones:
Cremieux-Brilhac: "Les Francais de l'An 40" (2 vol)
Roger Bruge: "Faites Sauter la Ligne Maginot" (3 vol), and "Les combats
de Juin 1940" (5 vol)
de Wailly: "De Gaulle sous le casque", or "Abbeville, la victoire evaporee"
Other books in French, not translated as far as I know, on general WWII
topics:
Philippe Masson: "1939-1945, une guerre totale"
and many about the occupation, resistance, etc.
So there are lots of books in French, try amazon.fr if you want to go
through Amazon. For French online shops, try www.fnac.com,
www.alapage.com or www.store4war.com.
LC
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Eystein Roll Aarseth
> Would you please suggest a book, written originally in the French language,
> about World War II? I'm most interested in history and biography, but would
> welcome recommendations for relevant works of fiction.
I recommend Pierre Clostermann's "Le Grand Cirque : souvenirs d'un
pilote de chasse francais dans la R.A.F".
Amazon.fr lists lots of it, both used and new. Just search after
"Le Grand Cirque".
It's a book I would recommend to anyone who wants to read about the
life of a fighter pilot in RAF during the war, not just frenchmen.
The english translation is named "The Big Show".
The norwegian translation I have includes some footnotes when the
translator (a RNoAF LtColonel) needs to correct Clostermann's facts, and
the norwegian choice of title is *horrible*, IMNSHO - "Eagles of the Air"
("Luftens Ørner")??? Argh... But overall, it's an excellent book
about Clostermann's four years of service as a fighter pilot in RAF
flying Spitfires and Tempests, and since the first edition came in 1948,
it was written while the memories were still "fresh".
EAa
--
"Very interesting, Whittle my dear boy, but it will never work."
-- Sir Frank Whittle's supervisor at Manchester University when
Whittle presented his original design of a jet engine.
--
Colin McGarry
"Charles Sten" <st...@san.rr.com> a écrit dans le message de news:
cc27ni$sct$1...@gnus01.u.washington.edu...
A very interesting book if you are in Normandy . But I'm not sure if it's
usefull at a distance.
By the editor HEIMDAL
There's a good series by Georges Bernage
OMAHA BEACH
UTAH BEACH
SWORD GOLD AND JUNO BEACHES
By Genevieve Duboscq
A very good book about her childhood near St Mčre Eglise. She fellin love
with a GI at the age of twelve. Her story has a dramatic and sad ending.
In french it's called "Goodbye Genevieve"
In english 'My Longest night"
Another by Eddy Florentin
"Slalingrad en Normandie"
The account of the Mortain Counter attack followed by the debacle of the
german army. "Stalingrad" is by comparison with the route of the german army
in stalingrad.
By Raymod Ruffin
"Les lucioles de la nuit"
about the resitance.
and
"La resistance contre le gestapo"
and
"La resistance le jour J"
Fiction
"La Bicyclette bleu" by Regine Deforge a trilogy
followed by "101 rue st martin"
and another that the name escapes me.
cpmac
Barry
<st...@san.rr.com> wrote:
>Would you please suggest a book, written originally in the French language,
>about World War II? I'm most interested in history and biography, but would
>welcome recommendations for relevant works of fiction.
>
_Le Grand Cirque_ by Pierre Clostermann was a classic, and, of course,
The Big Show, a wonderful read in English.
Barry
Camroc Press, LLC
www.camrocpress.com
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