Max Gallo was a French writer, historian and politician.
The son of Italian immigrants, Max Gallo's early career was in journalism. At the time he was a Communist (until 1956). In 1974, he joined the Socialist Party. On April 26, 2007, the French Academy recorded his candidacy for its Seat 24, formerly held by the late Jean-François Revel. He was elected to the French Academy on 31 May 2007.
Sans doute le meilleur de la série sur la seconde guerre mondiale. Gardons sa trame à la fois documentée, intimiste et solidement inscrite dans une vision globale, Max Gallo réussit à refaire vivre le souffle de la victoire qui transcende les dernieres batailles. Celle de de Gaulle contre des alliés indispensables mais sans égards pour la France, de la resistance martyrisée mais victorieuse. Le livre s attarde aussi sur les derniers instants grotesques ou tragiques de la collaboration, et puis loin vers l Est sur la terrible revanche des soldats russes sur les années d atrocités allemandes.
I liked it very much. It was well written, and though it gave a lot of space to the French experience, it covered ground from a lot of perspectives. Mr. Gallo's five volumes on the war are quite an achievement and I salute him for it.