This electronic version has been made available under a Creative Commons (BY-NC-ND) open access license. It is widely assumed that the French in the British Isles during the Second World War were fully fledged supporters of General de Gaulle, and that, across the channel at least, the French were a ‘nation of resisters’. This study reveals that most exiles were on British soil by chance rather than by design, and that many were not sure whether to stay. Overlooked by historians, who have concentrated on the ‘Free French’ of de Gaulle, these were the ‘Forgotten French’: refugees swept off the beaches of Dunkirk; servicemen held in camps after the Franco-German armistice; Vichy consular officials left to cater for their compatriots; and a sizeable colonist community based mainly in London. Drawing on little-known archival sources, this study examines the hopes and fears of those communities who were bitterly divided among themselves, some being attracted to Pétain as much as to de Gaulle.

“Secrets, tragedy, hidden pasts and family secrets all set in glorious Provence—I loved this.” —Santa Montefiore, bestselling author of The French Gardener Clarisse Cambon is devastated when the family vineyard’s annual harvest is ruined by an accident—and furious at her daughter-in-law, Jane, who she’s sure is responsible. Jane’s longtime feud with her mother-in-law is rooted in a secret they both keep from Luc—Jane’s husband and Clarisse’s son. When tragedy strikes, Jane takes over management of the vineyard and, beset by doubts and questions, begins to look into Luc’s past to understand what he may have kept hidden from her—and what Clarisse may know . . . An atmospheric tale of forbidden fruit, family secrets, and enduring through heartbreak from the author of An Act of Love and the beloved Olive Farm series, The Forgotten Summer will “whisk you straight to the South of France” (Marie Claire). “A lovely book . . . plenty of page-turning drama but also mouthwatering descriptions of Paris and Provence.” —Daily Mail

The illustrated edition of the classic German WWII autobiography

As our first allies, the French shared the victory at Yorktown.

A detailed history of France’s development of tanks and the combat the tanks served in during World War I, by an armored warfare expert. The French tank corps was an essential part of the French army from 1917 onwards, yet its history has been strangely neglected in English accounts of the Western Front. Using information derived from the French military archives at Vincennes—much of which has never been published in English before—author Tim Gale describes the design and development of the tanks, the political and organizational issues that arose between the French military and civilian bureaucracy, and the record of these pioneering fighting vehicles in combat. All the major engagements in which French tanks participated are depicted in graphic detail, often quoting directly from recollections left by individual tank commanders of their experience in battle, and each operation is assessed in terms of its impact on French tactics in general and on tank tactics in particular. The Nivelle offensive and the battles of Malmaison, the Matz, Soissons, and Champagne are featured in the narrative, and the actions of the French tanks serving with the U.S. army are covered, too. Much of the material in Tim Gale’s study will be entirely new to non-French speakers. The story will be fascinating reading for anyone who is interested in the Great War, the French army, military innovation and the history of armored warfare. Praise for French Tanks of the Great War “Gale’s book . . . is very easy to dip into.” —Military Modelling “It is a wealth of information and I would definitely recommend it.” —Forgotten Weapons