Defying Vichy

Resistance in the Heart of South-West France

By: Robert Pike

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Paperback | 4 January 2023

At a Glance

Paperback
402 Pages

Edition Type
New edition

Dimensions(cm)
12.9 x 19.8 x 3.7

Paperback

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A timely reappraisal of the actions and motivations of the French Resistance in Vichy France. Vichy France under Marshal Petain was an authoritarian regime that sought to perpetuate a powerful place for France in the world alongside Germany. It echoed the right-wing ideals of other fascist states and was a perfect instrument for Hitler, who drew more and more power and resources from a beaten France whose people suffered. Resistance was an unknown until a small number sought to make a stand in whatever way they could. Each would play their part in destabilising the Vichy state, all the while rejecting the Nazi occupation of their eternal France. The Dordogne was one of many hotbeds of early refusal and its dramatic stories are here told against the backdrop of the rise and fall of Vichy France. These stories, like so many others of often ordinary people - men and women, young and old - tell of a period of betrayal, refusal and heroism. AUTHOR: Robert Pike is a graduate of the University of Exeter in History and French. His fascination with the German occupation of France and the Vichy period led to him tracking down former Resistance members and trawling official archives and secondary histories in order to understand the Resistance from the ground up. His quest to tell the stories of the few that acted, and the many others whose actions still remain shrouded in mystery, begins with Defying Vichy. 40 b/w illustrations

Industry Reviews

'Pacey and engaging ... a fascinating contribution to the field.' -- Robert Gildea
'A meticulously researched and valuable contribution to the history of the German occupation.' -- Caroline Moorehead
"A vivid and evocative account ... Robert Pike is to be applauded for bringing these stories to a wider readership." -- Hanna Diamond
'A moving account of the darkest and brightest period in French history.' -- Matthew Cobb
'Pulsating with action and detailed stories.' -- Rod Kedward
Excellent ... A detailed, well-written and eminently readable book that will be of interest to any student or scholar of Vichy and the Occupation years. -- David Lees * MODERN & CONTEMPORARY FRANCE *

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