While the French longed for Liberation, they also feared its destructive and divisive potential. Given diminutive conventional French forces, de Gaulle counted on popular resistance to symbolize the participation of the French people in their own liberation. However, the fear that a “national insurrection” would cause great slaughter, and benefit the communists, caused planners to define down the concept. The STO crisis and emergence of the maquis phenomenon seemed to offer political opportunities to various players. However, the réduits maquisards played at best a marginal role in the Liberation, while their destruction offered another “black legend” of betrayal by the Gaullists and the Allies, one promoted by the PCF. The liberation of Paris served as one of the Second World War’s iconic moments, both as a milestone in the rollback of Nazi power and as a consecration of France’s republican resurrection. De Gaulle’s GPRF moved rapidly to assume the levers of national power, forcing a resistance that had consecrated, democratized, and legitimized him to step back into the ranks. De Gaulle’s acclamation removed any lingering reservations, even in Washington, that he was the legitimate leader of France. The levée was finished, the emergency over, and former FFI would henceforth fight the Germans “amalgamated” as soldiers in the regular army, not serve the political ambitions of resistance leaders and communists facilitated by the interface services.

The chapter looks at Clementine Churchill’s often neglected position as her husband’s closest advisor and greatest influence. It begins by recounting the attributes she brought to the role, including championing the role of women in wartime and offering personal ‘protection’ to Winston at times of great stress, such as the eve of the D-Day landings. Her role as a British ‘First Lady’ is explored; attending key wartime conferences, editing and rehearsing Churchill’s speeches, and managing high-level international diplomacy with de Gaulle, Roosevelt and Stalin. However, her most important role was in managing Winston, monitoring her husband’s behaviour and restraining him when the need arose. It was a role that absorbed almost all of her energy and time, leaving her little of either for herself or her family.

“Liberators and Friends,” recounts the dramatic events of D-Day – the airborne transit from England to Normandy, the jump, and the shock of landing in a place that was not on the maps of the paratroopers. The flooded areas, the marais, further compounded the problems the paratroopers encountered. The commanding officer, Major Charles Johnston, overruled subordinates, like Captain David Brummitt, and decided to stay and defend Graignes. That the paratroopers found themselves able to wage their own private war can only be explained by the astonishing commitment of the people of Graignes. Led by Mayor Alphonse Voydie and café owner Germaine Boursier, the village organized itself to support and feed the paratroopers.

The Introduction provides a synopsis of the book. It presents major themes and a chapter outline, and it reviews the limited historiography on Graignes. What has been written about Graignes has been largely limited to amateur historians who focus on weapons and combat. The introduction highlights that this study is based on multi-national research and that it points to the roles of non-elites in making foreign and military policy. In particular, the women of Graignes played major roles in aiding US paratroopers.

War service completed Kindleberger’s intellectual formation, establishing him as fundamentally an intelligence analyst. First in London as Chief of the Enemy Objectives Unit, then on the Continent as advisor to General Bradley, and then after the war at the State Department working first under William Clayton on the reconstruction of Germany and then under George Marshall on the reconstruction of Europe, Kindleberger’s government service career provides a staffer’s eye view of the dramatic events of war and reconstruction.