But for his early death, many Frenchmen believe Leclerc would have been their greatest figure to emerge from World War II. De Gaulle himself admitted to his son-in-law that he gave up smoking when Leclerc died, in order to retain his health in case France needed him, because Leclerc was no longer there. From the fall of France until 1943, Leclerc dovetailed his operations with the British effort in North Africa, establishing himself as a dynamic combat leader in the battles against Rommel. But once the conflict shifted to European soil he became even more prominent as the commander of the 2nd French Armored Division (the famous 2e DB). For the next two years he was under the operational control of either Patton's Third Army, as in the Normandy breakout, Hodges' First Army, at the Westwall, or Patch's Seventh Army in the south. His career not only includes the liberation of Paris, for which he is most famous, but the retaking of Strasbourg and the reduction of the Colmar Pocket. Helping to spearhead the advance into Germany itself, Leclerc’s armor comprised a rock upon which American units could rely, and its waving the tricolor during the Allied counter-invasion went far toward retrieving French prestige in the war. By the German surrender in May 1945, Leclerc is one of very few Frenchmen of whom it can be said that he never stopped fighting to regain France's freedom, from the debacle of 1940 right through to the end. After VE-Day Leclerc was dispatched to reassert French authority in Indo-China, an uphill task given the atrophy suffered by the French colonial government due to its isolation from its homeland and local Japanese superiority. While being partly successful in the south and Cambodia, Leclerc soon discovered that the Viet Minh were harder to dislodge in the North, and that Ho Chi Minh was more than a match for frequently changing postwar French governments. Recognizing that France had neither the means nor the will to recover control, Leclerc advised his government to "negotiate at all costs." This didn't happen, leading to Dien Bien Phu eight years later and thence to US involvement. Surprisingly, Leclerc has never yet been the subject of a thorough biography in English. Nevertheless many Americans and Englishmen will inevitably have noticed the plethora of monuments to Leclerc in any moderately sized French town. With a fast-paced narrative covering combat at all levels of command and a foreword by Martin Windrow, author of The Last Valley: Dien Bien Phu and the French Defeat in Vietnam, Free France's Lion will make fascinating reading for any serious student of the full scope of World War II.

A lion explores the city of Paris.

“A fine biography of Leclerc, who played almost as important a part as de Gaulle himself in restoring French pride in the Second World War” (Antony Beevor, international bestselling author of D-Day). From the fall of France until 1943, Philippe Leclerc dovetailed his operations with the British effort in North Africa, establishing himself as a dynamic combat leader in the battles against Rommel. But once the conflict shifted to European soil, he became even more prominent as the commander of the 2nd French Armored Division—the famous 2e DB). For the next two years, he was under the operational control of either Patton’s Third Army, as in the Normandy breakout, Hodges’ First Army, at the Westwall, or Patch’s Seventh Army in the south. His career not only includes the liberation of Paris, for which he is most famous, but the retaking of Strasbourg and the reduction of the Colmar Pocket. Helping to spearhead the advance into Germany itself, Leclerc’s armor comprised a rock upon which American units could rely, and its waving the tricolor during the Allied counter-invasion went far toward retrieving French prestige in the war. Leclerc is one of very few Frenchmen of whom it can be said that he never stopped fighting to regain France’s freedom, from the debacle of 1940 right through to the end. The “first full-scale biography in English of the ‘liberator of Paris,’” Free France’s Lion will make fascinating reading for any serious student of the full scope of World War II (Publishers Weekly).

How does a very small girl hide a very large lion? It's not easy, but Iris has to do her best, because mums and dads can be funny about having a lion in the house. Luckily, there are lots of good places to hide a lion - behind the shower curtain, in your bed, and even up a tree. A funny, heart-warming story about a very special friendship.

Keep wildlife in the wild! Support the Born Free charity and join Virginia McKenna and her team behind the scenes of a real life leopard rescue. Every year Born Free helps hundreds of animals around the world. This is the true story of one of their incredible rescues . . . Meet brave Leda, a dedicated mother leopard, and her shy twin daughters, Rhea and Roxanni. These are the Limassol leopards, a family who grew up behind bars in a cramped city zoo in Cyprus, far from their natural homeland. This is the inspiring true story of their rescue, a journey that led these remarkable creatures from hardship to hope, and to the eventual sanctuary of Born Free's South African wildlife reserve. Filled throughout with full-colour photographs and fascinating facts about how leopards live in the wild, this is an ideal book for young animal lovers.

Russell Hoban’s moving, unflinching tale of a boy who finds bravery during illness is reimagined in graphic-novel format with art by Alexis Deacon. Asleep in his hospital bed, Jim dreams of a great lion with white teeth and amber eyes. This lion is Jim’s finder. According to Nurse Bami, everyone has a finder, a creature who comes looking for us when we are lost. But when the time comes for Jim’s operation, will his lion be able to find him and bring him safely home? Dramatically reimagined as a graphic novel by award-winning illustrator Alexis Deacon, with the inclusion of powerful dream sequences, Russell Hoban’s tale of a boy’s search for strength and courage will resonate with any child dealing with adversity.

Lions are incredible creatures! Did you know that they are the only big cat to live in groups? Or that their roar can be heard for miles? Discover ten reasons why lions are incredible and five ways you can show they love them in this gorgeous picture book. A must for any young animal enthusiast and a fantastic introduction to environmental issues.