Bishop pulls no punches in emphasizing that the story of Pariss liberation from the Germans by its brave citizens was a myth, invented for political purposes by Gen.Charles de Gaulle . . . This is a thrilling account of a notable episode of the last phase of World War II, told with authority as well as a wealth of unpublished anecdotes. -- Max Hastings Paris 44 tells the story of the occupation and the liberation, but it does not read like military history . . . The book resembles some epic thriller, with vividly evoked characters all somewhere on the spectrum between collaboration and resistance, shame and glory . . . Paris 44 is a wonderful book: droll, moving, with a cinematic eye and not a boring line in it -- Andrew Martin * Observer * An evocative account of the citys liberation . . . Bishop is such a skilful writer, with a sense of nuance and an eye for memorable anecdotes, that even readers familiar with the story will enjoy his book enormously . . . history, like life, is complicated, and Bishops admirable book treats it with the respect and care it deserves -- Dominic Sandbrook, host of The Rest Is History * Sunday Times * Patrick Bishop follows a tradition of British and American historians interrogating aspects of wartime history that the French themselves prefer to avoid. His beady-eyed Paris '44 takes a panoramic view of crumbling Nazi administration, approaching armies, foreign correspondents, Resistance fighters, opportunist Gaullists and various collaborators, sharply depicting the faultlines of rivalry among the liberators -- Roy Foster * TLS Books of the Year * How close Paris came to being laid waste and many of its citizens being massacred in an almighty bloodbath is vividly and thrillingly recounted by British war historian and Paris resident Patrick Bishop. We re-live the tension of those terror-filled days -- Tony Rennell * Daily Mail * Fascinating . . . gripping . . . Bishop tells the story of the liberation by reporting, as if he were there, how a rich cast of characters lived through its key moments -- Nicholas Farrell * Sunday Telegraph * Gives a vivid impression of what it might have been like to be there on that wonderful day . . . for those who prefer their history to be romantic, this book is the one. It's all here . . . in full Technicolor, told at a blistering pace * Spectator * Excellent . . . a fresh, unexpected take on the liberation of Paris -- Julian Jackson, author of France on Trial: The Case of Marshal Pétain Bishop writes with admirable brevity and insight * Sunday Times * An extraordinary moment of history brought to vivid, pulsing life. Rich with suspense and layered with intrigue -- Sinclair McKay, author of Berlin
