Is Paris Burning? (book)
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| - | '''Dominique Lapierre''' (30 July 1931 – 4 December 2022) was a French author. | ||
| - | ==Collaboration with Larry Collins== | ||
| - | On his return to Paris after his honeymoon, he was conscripted into the French army. After one year in the tank regiment, he was transferred to the [[Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe|SHAPE]] headquarters to serve as an interpreter. One day in the cafeteria he met a young American corporal, [[Larry Collins (writer)|Larry Collins]], a Yale graduate and draftee. They became friends instantly. When Collins was discharged he was offered a job with [[Procter & Gamble]]. Two days before reporting to the new job, the [[United Press International|United Press]] offered him a job as caption writer at their Paris office, for much less money than offered by Procter & Gamble. Collins took the offer from United Press and was soon picked up by ''[[Newsweek]]'' to be their correspondent in the Middle East. When Lapierre was discharged, he found work as a reporter for the magazine ''[[Paris Match]]''. Collins became the godfather of the Lapierres' first child, Alexandra. On several occasions, Collins and Lapierre met while on assignment. In spite of their friendship they had to compete with each other for stories. But they decided to join forces to tell a big story which would appeal to both French and anglophone audiences. Their first bestseller ''[[Is Paris Burning? (book)|Is Paris Burning?]]'' sold close to ten million copies in thirty languages. In this book they mixed the modern technique of investigation journalism with the classical methods of historical research. | ||
| - | After that they spent four years in Jerusalem to reconstruct the birth of the [[State of Israel]] for the book ''[[O Jerusalem!]]''. Lapierre was proud that after spending a great deal of time in Jerusalem he knew each alley, square, street, and building in the Holy City intimately. | + | '''''Is Paris Burning?''''' Is a 1965 book by [[Larry Collins (writer)|Larry Collins]] and [[Dominique Lapierre]] telling the story of the [[Liberation of Paris]] during the [[Second World War]]. |
| + | The book examines the military and political actions surrounding the events of late August 1944 around Paris and how these events unfolded. | ||
| + | The title is taken from the question reportedly asked by [[Adolf Hitler]] following his order to destroy the city rather than let it be re-captured by the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]]. | ||
| + | The story was adapted into a feature film [[Is Paris Burning? (film)|by the same name]] in 1966. | ||
| - | Two of Lapierre's books – ''Is Paris Burning?'' (co-written with [[Larry Collins (writer)|Larry Collins]]) and ''[[City of Joy]]'' – have been made into films. Lapierre and Collins wrote several other books together, the last being ''[[Is New York Burning?]]'' (2005), before Collins' death in 2005. | + | ==Structure== |
| + | The book is presented in three parts; | ||
| + | Part 1, "The Menace", examines the military and political situation at the beginning of August 1944, and the considerations of the various parties involved. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Part 2, "The Struggle", is a day-by-day account of the actions between 19 August, when the uprising by the [[French Resistance]] in the city commenced, and 25 August, when the [[325th Security Division (Wehrmacht)|German garrison]] surrendered. | ||
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| + | Part 3, "The Deliverance", describes the activities of 26 and 27 August, detailing particularly the consolidation by General de Gaulle of his position as leader of the [[Provisional Government of the French Republic|liberated French state]]. | ||
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| + | ==Style== | ||
| + | The book is written as a series of [[Vignette (literature)|vignettes]] based on interviews with, and the written memoirs of, the people involved, on all sides, in the liberation of Paris. | ||
| + | |||
| + | These include members of the various [[factions of the French Resistance]], and of the [[Free France|Free French Forces]] and citizens of Paris; members of the [[United States Armed Forces|American Armed Forces]]; and members of the occupying [[German Army (Wehrmacht)|German Army]]. | ||
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| + | Researchers spent nearly three years locating survivors of the Liberation of Paris, and undertook over 800 interviews of persons in France, Germany and the United States. They also had access to Allied and German action reports, war diaries, memoirs, and official records. | ||
| + | |||
| + | Senior Allied officers who assisted the authors included Generals [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] and [[Omar Bradley]], and [[Allen Dulles]] (of the [[Office of Strategic Services|OSS]]); French interviewees included [[Jacques Chaban-Delmas]] and [[Henri Rol-Tanguy]] (of the French Resistance), Mme Leclerc (widow of [[Jacques Leclerc]]) and [[Alain de Boissieu]] (son-in-law of [[Charles de Gaulle]]); and from Germany, [[Dietrich von Choltitz]] (Commandant of the Paris garrison) and [[Walter Warlimont]] (of the [[Oberkommando der Wehrmacht|German High Command]]). | ||
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Revision as of 08:57, 5 December 2022
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Is Paris Burning? Is a 1965 book by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre telling the story of the Liberation of Paris during the Second World War. The book examines the military and political actions surrounding the events of late August 1944 around Paris and how these events unfolded. The title is taken from the question reportedly asked by Adolf Hitler following his order to destroy the city rather than let it be re-captured by the Allies. The story was adapted into a feature film by the same name in 1966.
Structure
The book is presented in three parts;
Part 1, "The Menace", examines the military and political situation at the beginning of August 1944, and the considerations of the various parties involved.
Part 2, "The Struggle", is a day-by-day account of the actions between 19 August, when the uprising by the French Resistance in the city commenced, and 25 August, when the German garrison surrendered.
Part 3, "The Deliverance", describes the activities of 26 and 27 August, detailing particularly the consolidation by General de Gaulle of his position as leader of the liberated French state.
Style
The book is written as a series of vignettes based on interviews with, and the written memoirs of, the people involved, on all sides, in the liberation of Paris.
These include members of the various factions of the French Resistance, and of the Free French Forces and citizens of Paris; members of the American Armed Forces; and members of the occupying German Army.
Researchers spent nearly three years locating survivors of the Liberation of Paris, and undertook over 800 interviews of persons in France, Germany and the United States. They also had access to Allied and German action reports, war diaries, memoirs, and official records.
Senior Allied officers who assisted the authors included Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and Omar Bradley, and Allen Dulles (of the OSS); French interviewees included Jacques Chaban-Delmas and Henri Rol-Tanguy (of the French Resistance), Mme Leclerc (widow of Jacques Leclerc) and Alain de Boissieu (son-in-law of Charles de Gaulle); and from Germany, Dietrich von Choltitz (Commandant of the Paris garrison) and Walter Warlimont (of the German High Command).
