Soldiers Of The Night: The Story Of The French Resistance

by David Schoenbrun

Through his extensive firsthand knowledge and his raconteur's gift for anecdote, David Schoenbrun makes us participants in history. Against the backdrop of events and errors that brought the fall of France in 1940, we watch the birth of the major Resistance movements and see them grow from fledgling disseminators of propaganda into a major armed force. We follow the intelligence war between Resistance spies and the Gestapo; the intricate double game played by Vichy collaborists; the lonely Charles DeGaulle, trying to carve the nucleus of a Free French force out of a conservative officer corps.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, France, World War II, Research, Historical

512 pages, Hardcover

First published June 18, 1980

Reviews

[Andrew Rothstein]

In my town, there is a little French bakery. French owners and all. Once in a while, they invite French speakers in the area to gather over coffee and pastries to practice their French. Since I speak French, but get few opportunities to practice, I like to take advantage of the occasion. On one of those sessions in the cafe, a French woman from a generation before mine, and I, got to talking. She was from Alsace. I asked her if she had memories from the War.

She launched into a number of recollections, which I found fascinating. Then she recommended this book. She said it was the most accurate presentation of the French resistance there was.

I concur and give her grande Merci. Although written about 30 years ago, the book doesn't suffer from age. The research and telling of the story is complete, with the perspective from both a military and political point of view. The intrigue among the various resistance groups, including the Gaulists and the Communists, was particularizing interesting. How Charles de Gaulle schemed to control his base was well worth learning.

Very good read.

[Nancy Huntting]

This is an excellent book about a tremendously important subject. The author is an American journalist who during the war worked under Eisenhower's command in N. Africa and took part in the liberation of many French cities--receiving the Croix de Guerre & Legion of Honor. His understanding of and respect for the diversity of people who made up the resistance is, I believe, rare and valuable. He was CBS Paris bureau chief for 17 years and also wrote The Three Lives of Charles de Gaulle.

[J]

Sin duda alguna, este libro es mi favorito sobre la segunda guerra mundial. No refleja todos los grandes hechos de la guerra, sino que se enfoca en un pequeño grupo de resistencia en Francia antes, durante y después de la invasión. Las situaciones tomadas de la experiencia de los sobrevivientes en conjunto con la imaginación del escritor vuelven los pasajes narrativos bastante plausibles.

Lo recomiendo ampliamente.

[Mabel]

This is a great book. I've always been fascinated by the role played by the Resistance in WWII and this is a good place to start. Very informative. Cleared up things I'd never really understood. These were amazingly brave and clever people from all walks of life.

[Allyson]

This was an amazing read, one of the many books I have been submerged in recently about WWII, French resistance, and German activity in the occupied country. I appreciated it more fully thanks to the several of the aforementioned read books, but his writing style was clear and forward moving while maintaining a tension wholly appropriate to the subject matter.
I highly recommend it although my paperback version has sadly suffered physically with glue cracking, a broken spine, and yellowed pages. The many photos are wonderful and give flavor to the storylines.

[Sam Newman]

De Gaulle has managed to awaken in me whatever it is that Trump felt during his meeting with Zelenskyy. I had no idea he was such an egomaniac, willing to put personal goals above the success of the military that was rescuing his country. Everything was about his image and his own ideas, including his interactions with the Resistance. Much respect to them, operating on their own while seeing their former leader become a puppet, probably doubting whether they would ever be saved.

[Russell Turner]

This is the first substantive piece that I have read regarding the WWII resistance in France. There are many figures in the resistance the reader needs to follow. Saying that, it is well written and quite detailed.
There are many brave and noble members of the resistance; at the same time there are also petty and egotistical members, sometime manifested in the same individual.

[Frank Fragguzi]

An excellent account of the French underground during WWII. The author provides extensive detail and sources to describe the very complex organizational system known as the Resistance. In fact -it was a mix of separate groups who often fought with each other (politically) - but all bravely withstood incredible danger, torture, and death to defend France from 1940 through 1945. DeGaulle does not come out well in this account - but the author treats him more fairly than I think he deserved.

[Annette]

Good evening and good reading! What happened to the typist "Noor" who was supposed to be MBE great grand niece according to Stevenson.