Paris at war, 1939-1944 /

While several excellent books have appeared recently on Paris under German occupation, Drake's new work is outstanding for vibrant readability and the incorporation of eyewitness accounts from diaries, memoirs, and letters, many of which previously had not been translated into English. Beginning with the "Phoney War" that started in September 1939, Drake (formerly, Paris VIII Univ.) describes the confusion that occurred at all levels before and during the May 1940 German invasion. Officials broadcast contradictory information daily, and hundreds of thousands of frightened Parisians--ultimately, three million--poured into the streets clutching their suitcases, birdcages, small children, and struggling pets. France capitulated in June, within six weeks of the German invasion. Many Parisians, anxious for peace at any cost, turned their attention to acquiring food and fuel, skirting the attention of German occupiers who, surprisingly, usually behaved with punctiliously correct manners in order to demonstrate their good will. Gradually, the semblance of "business as usual" and coexistence of the Germans and the French dissolved into a more sinister relationship. Drake demonstrates that most Parisians engaged neither in collaboration nor overt resistance, but attempted to survive while waiting for the nightmare to end. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. --Ellen J. Jenkins, Arkansas Tech University

The plight of ordinary Parisians during World War II. With access to the diaries of everyday citizens who lived through the Nazi occupation of Paris, Drake assembles a valuable picture of "personal history, remembered conversations, the minutiae of routine, fragments of memory." Everyone knew the war was coming; it was just a matter of when. By early September 1939, France had civil defense bolstered, men mobilized, and art treasures moved to safety. After the invasion of Poland, France and England declared war on Germany and thus began the "funny sort of war." The Polish intrusion was a reason to declare war, but the Allies sat back and waited for Hitler to attack them, thereby giving him plenty of time to complete the destruction of Poland. It was not until May 1940 that Hitler, after pushing the British and French to Dunkirk, broke through the Ardennes and caught the French completely by surprise. By June 22, the French had capitulated, and Germany proceeded to dismember her. France was divided into two zones: the occupied zone under German control and the "free zone" led by World War I hero Philippe Ptain and the widely loathed Pierre Laval. Presenting the story chronologically, Drake creates an easily comprehensible, even exciting, narrative. The author vividly portrays the desperation of searching for food, fuel, and clothing, along with the dangers of arrest and false accusations. During the "phony war," almost 500,000 people left Paristhose with money, a place to go, and the means to get thereonly to return to rationing and severe restrictions. The passive resistance, the roundups, the collaborationists, and the young communists are all part of the lore of wartime Paris, and Drake does a solid job exploring how it all affected "Parisians of all ages." Students of French and World War II history will enjoy and learn from this well-written book. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.