The best French Resistance books

Women in an armored division! General Leclerc had never heard of it. But if he wanted the brand-new Dodge ambulances, he would have to take the women drivers, too. Florence Conrad, who began organizing the Rochambeau Group in New York City in 1943, was adamant. Thus the women trained in North Africa, landed at Utah Beach, and joined the brutal campaign to liberate France from the Nazi occupier. Nicknamed the Rochambelles, the women soon earned the respect and admiration of their male comrades – even those who believed war was no place for a woman. They picked up wounded soldiers under fire, pulled men out of burning tanks, even talked their way out of German custody. The Rochambelles’ courage, audacity, and determination broke through barriers and set a template for women to serve.

Women in an armored division! General Leclerc had never heard of it. But if he wanted the brand-new Dodge ambulances, he would have to take the women drivers, too. Florence Conrad, who began organizing the Rochambeau Group in New York City in 1943, was adamant. Thus the women trained in North Africa, landed at Utah Beach, and joined the brutal campaign to liberate France from the Nazi occupier. Nicknamed the Rochambelles, the women soon earned the respect and admiration of their male comrades – even those who believed war was no place for a woman. They picked up wounded soldiers under fire, pulled men out of burning tanks, even talked their way out of German custody. The Rochambelles’ courage, audacity, and determination broke through barriers and set a template for women to serve.

This book examines the relationships between popular culture and collective memory to offer a key to understanding France’s national identity and psyche. Themes discussed include the making of the myth of an honorable country united against a common enemy, comedies satirizing this mythology and fictional works debunking it, the invisibility and resurfacing of women in films and novels, as well as contemporary depictions of the Resistance on television. Case studies include sometimes forgotten or lesser-known works such as Aragon’s wartime poetry, early films such as Mr. Orchid or Casablanca-inspired Fortunat, iconic films and novels such as The Silence of the Sea or Lacombe Lucien, but also contemporary fictional works such as In Our Strange Gardens and A Self-Made Hero, and the popular TV series A French Village. 

This book examines the relationships between popular culture and collective memory to offer a key to understanding France’s national identity and psyche. Themes discussed include the making of the myth of an honorable country united against a common enemy, comedies satirizing this mythology and fictional works debunking it, the invisibility and resurfacing of women in films and novels, as well as contemporary depictions of the Resistance on television. Case studies include sometimes forgotten or lesser-known works such as Aragon’s wartime poetry, early films such as Mr. Orchid or Casablanca-inspired Fortunat, iconic films and novels such as The Silence of the Sea or Lacombe Lucien, but also contemporary fictional works such as In Our Strange Gardens and A Self-Made Hero, and the popular TV series A French Village. 

It was no secret that the chances of surviving a full twenty-five mission tour as a B-17 bombardier were minimal, and on February 8, 1944, Dean Tate’s luck ran out when his Flying Fortress was shot down in flames over northern France. But that wasn’t the end―Tate was one of four men from his aircraft who not only survived but were saved by the French resistance from capture. Tate spent thirty-seven days being sheltered in enemy-occupied France, passed from person to person until he was finally brought back to England by the escape line later known as Shelburn. What makes this book special is that Tate not only kept in touch with his helpers long after the war ended, but also wrote a personal and highly detailed account of his experiences, and it is that account, together with several years of research, that Tate’s daughter has used to such great effect in producing this highly readable true story. ―Keith Janes, author of They Came from Burgundy and Express Delivery

Ancient Greek mania presents a fascinating array of diverse conditions. Any deviation from ordinary state of consciousness, voluntary or involuntary, intense or mild, could be labelled mania. Diverse altered states of consciousness were commonly known: initiates underwent alteration of consciousness during mystery rites; sacred officials and inquirers experienced them in oracular centres; possession by various deities was recognized; finally, some sages and philosophers practiced manipulation of consciousness.

Greece was unique in its attitude to these phenomena. From the perspective of individual and public freedom, the importance of mania in the Greek society reflects its openness and acceptance of the human proclivity to experience alterations of consciousness, which were interpreted as god-sent. These mental states were treated with cautious respect; they could be harnessed to a certain extent, but never suppressed or pushed to the cultural and social periphery, in contrast to the majority of other complex societies, ancient and modern.

This book examines the relationships between popular culture and collective memory to offer a key to understanding France’s national identity and psyche. Themes discussed include the making of the myth of an honorable country united against a common enemy, comedies satirizing this mythology and fictional works debunking it, the invisibility and resurfacing of women in films and novels, as well as contemporary depictions of the Resistance on television. Case studies include sometimes forgotten or lesser-known works such as Aragon’s wartime poetry, early films such as Mr. Orchid or Casablanca-inspired Fortunat, iconic films and novels such as The Silence of the Sea or Lacombe Lucien, but also contemporary fictional works such as In Our Strange Gardens and A Self-Made Hero, and the popular TV series A French Village. 

This book examines the relationships between popular culture and collective memory to offer a key to understanding France’s national identity and psyche. Themes discussed include the making of the myth of an honorable country united against a common enemy, comedies satirizing this mythology and fictional works debunking it, the invisibility and resurfacing of women in films and novels, as well as contemporary depictions of the Resistance on television. Case studies include sometimes forgotten or lesser-known works such as Aragon’s wartime poetry, early films such as Mr. Orchid or Casablanca-inspired Fortunat, iconic films and novels such as The Silence of the Sea or Lacombe Lucien, but also contemporary fictional works such as In Our Strange Gardens and A Self-Made Hero, and the popular TV series A French Village. 

This book examines the relationships between popular culture and collective memory to offer a key to understanding France’s national identity and psyche. Themes discussed include the making of the myth of an honorable country united against a common enemy, comedies satirizing this mythology and fictional works debunking it, the invisibility and resurfacing of women in films and novels, as well as contemporary depictions of the Resistance on television. Case studies include sometimes forgotten or lesser-known works such as Aragon’s wartime poetry, early films such as Mr. Orchid or Casablanca-inspired Fortunat, iconic films and novels such as The Silence of the Sea or Lacombe Lucien, but also contemporary fictional works such as In Our Strange Gardens and A Self-Made Hero, and the popular TV series A French Village. 

Until recently, propaganda was a top-down, elite-only system of communication control used largely by state actors. I argue that social media has democratized today’s propaganda, allowing nearly anyone to launch a fairly sophisticated, computationally enhanced influence campaign. I show how social media, with its anonymity and capacity for automation, allows a wide variety of groups to build the illusion of popularity through computational tools and human-driven efforts. They use these technologies and strategies to create a bandwagon effect by bringing the content into parallel discussions with other legitimate users, or to mold discontent for political purposes.

I present an extensive view of the evolution of computational propaganda, offer a glimpse into the future, and suggest pragmatic responses for policymakers, academics, technologists, and others.