Synopses & Reviews
No leader of modern times was more uniquely national than Charles de Gaulle. In his twenties, he fought for France in the trenches and at the epic battle of Verdun. In the 1930s, he waged a lonely battle to enable France better to resist Hitler’s Germany. Thereafter, he twice rescued the nation from defeat and decline by extraordinary displays of leadership, political acumen, daring, and bluff, heading off civil war and leaving a heritage adopted by his successors of right and left. Le Général, as he became known from 1940 on, appeared as if carved from a single monumental block but was, in fact, extremely complex, a man with deep personal feelings and recurrent mood swings, devoted to his family and often seeking reassurance from those around him.
This is a “monumental,” “thorough,” and “enjoyable” biography (Financial Times) of one of the great leaders of the twentieth century and of the country with which he so identified himself. Written with terrific verve and narrative skill, and yet rigorous and detailed, the first major work on de Gaulle in fifteen years “tracks the great man’s career with journalistic industry” (Wall Street Journal), bringing alive as never before the private man as well as the public leader.
Synopsis
“A 707-page page turner… Fenby has blended the best of both crafts – the historian’s gravitas, the journalist’s feel for dram – into a magnificent book … a story that is learned, incisive and gripping.” – The New York Times
Synopsis
- 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.
About the Author
Jonathan Fenby is a former editor of the Observer and the South China Morning Post, and is a former bureau chief in France for the Economist and Reuters. He is the author of ten books, including the acclaimed biography Chiang Kai-Shek: China’s Generalissimo and the Nation He Lost and The Sinking of the Lancastria, which tells the story of the greatest disaster in British naval history. He was made a commander of the British Empire and a knight of the French Order of Merit for services to journalism. He lives in London.