Charles Williams' major biography of Philippe Petain (1856-1951) tells of a peasant who became a Marshal of France and the Head of the Vichy State. A slow climb up the army ranks was leading inexorably to retirement when war broke out. He defended Verdun in 1916 and settled the mutinies in 1917. In May 1940, he realised that France had been defeated and requested an armistice. As head of unoccupied France, he jockeyed between Nazis, Allies and Vichy politicians until, in 1945, he returned to France to be tried for treason. His death sentence was commuted by General de Gaulle to life imprisonment. In recounting Petain's long life, Lord Williams, one of our most notable political biographers, has successfully illustrated the character of an extraordinary man.
- ISBN10 0316861278
- ISBN13 9780316861274
- Publish Date 20 May 2006 (first published 1 October 2005)
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 29 March 2010
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Little, Brown & Company
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 576
- Language English