DeGaulle The Rebel 1890-1944 [Paperback]

Savior of his nation in war; bold man of letters; patriot; a statesman who achieved reality for his political vision by the overwhelming force of his will: the personality that emerges in Jean Lacoutures magnificent biography of Charles de Gaulle seems larger than life, a presence of mythic proportions. The story begins with de Gaulles childhood in Lille and follows him through his heroic experiences in World War I and his swift rise to prominence in the French army, to that great moment of triumph, the liberation of Paris in August 1944. Perceptions of the private de Gaullethe schoolboy, the fatherare woven into this politically astute account of a career grounded in controversy.In this magnificent biography . . . Jean Lacouture marches majestically through de Gaulles first 54 years. . . . A feast, robust, subtle, joyful, complex, a celebration to be savored.