Paris '44: The Shame and the Glory: The Sunday Times bestseller

by Patrick Bishop

From the Sunday Times-bestselling author, comes a heart-stopping countdown narrative recreating the liberation of Paris in 1944, one of the great and most dramatic hinge moments of WW2

When the Germans marched in and the lamps went out in the City of Light the millions who loved Paris mourned. Liberation, four years later, triggered an explosion of joy and relief. It was the party of the century and everybody who was anybody was there. General Charles de Gaulle seized the moment to create an instant legend that would take its place alongside the great moments in French history. After years of oppression and humiliation Parisians had risen to reclaim their city and drive out the forces of darkness – or so the story went.

This fresh new account of the liberation, packed with revelation, tells the story of those heady days of suspense, danger, exhilaration – and vengeance – through the eyes of a range of participants, reflecting all sides of the Americans, French and Germans; resisters and collaborators. Among them are famous names like Ernest Hemingway, J.D. Salinger and Pablo Picasso, but also some fascinating unknowns including a medic turned Resistance gunwoman, an androgynous Hungarian sculptor and a French bluestocking who quietly set about saving the nation’s art treasures from the Nazi looters.

Paris ’44 looks behind the mythology to tell the real story of the liberation and expose the conflicts and contradictions of France under the occupation – the shame as well as the glory. This gripping war-time narrative will enthral anyone who has a place for Paris in their hearts.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, France, Audiobook

377 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2024

About the author

Patrick Bishop was born in London in 1952 and went to Wimbledon College and Corpus Christi College, Oxford. Before joining the Telegraph he worked on the Evening Standard, the Observer and the Sunday Times and in television as a reporter on Channel Four News. He is the author with John Witherow of a history of the Falkands War based on their own experiences and with Eamon Mallie of The Provisional IRA which was praised as the first authoritative account of the modern IRA. He also wrote a memoir the first Gulf War, Famous Victory and a history of the Irish diaspora The Irish Empire, based on the TV series which he devised.

Reviews

[Atlantean BCT · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable history of the liberation of Paris, including an account of the years of its occupation. It is told through the lives of several of the historical characters, which personalises the history. Although not featuring greatly in the book, the stubbornness and shear determination of Charles de Gaulle comes through. I intend to I'm read a book on de Gaulle, though I don't think I'll end up seeing him as a likeable man.

[William Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Paris 44 was a good read, hampered by my own lack of knowledge on Parisian cultural and artistic history. Though Bishop does bring many great stories of resistance from a wide variety of Parisians. Would’ve rathered a greater focus on military affairs, though I don’t believe Bishop is a military historian.

Will didn’t love this one nearly as much as some of the others…. - Lia

[Elly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Goed geschreven geschiedenis van de bezetting en bevrijding van Parijs. Feit en fictie uit elkaar gehaald!

[Conor Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I admittedly took a long while to get through this but I did enjoy the content and insights. I did find keeping track of the people referenced throughout the book difficult but this may have been due to how long it took me to get through it. A topic I had little knowledge on I found some elements fascinating!

[Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

A real slog to finish. As mentioned in another review, the narrative jumps around to different characters. And the book is replete with characters, so much so, that at times I had to resolve to not skip back pages to remind myself which character was which. Not to take away from the fact that the book is very well researched and written.

[Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great read. I wouldn’t count myself a history buff, but with an older head on my shoulders these days, I find I am much more interested in modern and 20th Century history. This book has a unique perspective on the end of the Nazi regime in Paris - not so much a history book with endless facts and figures - but a more familiar re-telling that focuses on the people as they weave in an out of focus. Some characters are central to the resultant liberation of Paris, others peripheral but who just happened to be in Paris at that time (such as Hemingway and Salinger). More than this are the numerous, ordinary folk trying to unpick and obstruct the Nazi regime from within, small and large acts of resistance. These less famous characters each enter the spotlight in their own way, but as you’d expect, Paris the city remains centre stage, an incredible backdrop to a history defining event. A gripping, nuanced and well told tale of liberation. Worth your time.

[Adrian]

Blow by blow account of the occupation and liberation of Paris in WWII. Bishop's tracking of the rivalry between Gaullists, Communists and Maquisard over who controlled the Resistance is textbook but it's not the best part of this book for me. The inclusion of the exploits of Hemingway, Salinger, Picasso and maybe especially political writer Robert Brasillach are what make this book stand out. It's clear living through a time like this marks a person and highlights the good and bad of their personalities. The takeover of Paris in August of 1944 is a page turner. The special relationship between De Gaulle and Eisenhower was something of a surprise to me. Very good.

[Nick Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book does not cover much new ground but is well written.The idea of following events through certain chosen individuals is quite a good one although one can have a certain ennui of what Hemingway or Salinger are doing at any given time.

The French Resistance has become one of the great myths of modern history, and Bishop produces plenty of evidence of this.

Collaborators were everywhere.The author points out there were more collaborators hunting down Resistance men than there were Germans.The paramilitary "milice" were the worst although regular police generally joined in with gusto.They were at the forefront of rounding up Jews and sending them to death in the East.
On the female side,"horizontal collaborators" numbered in the tens of thousands.

Paris itself was not important in the war plans and Eisenhower had wanted to bypass the city altogether as he hunted down the by now somewhat ragged German forces.In the end he allowed De Gaulle to march in, with some US troops backing up quietly,to give the impression the French really had liberated Paris.De Gaulle played the politics well, reinforcing the pretence that it was the Gaullists who had been at the head of the Resistance,when in actuality it was the Communists.After the war De Gaulle overseas the execution of about 10,000 collaborators although it could have been a lot more if he had not moderated the process.

The book is really about the myth that sprung up after the events covered in this book.Many French people hated Jews and sided with Petain and would have liked a long-term alliance with Germany.

[Tony Wohlfarth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I waited a very long time to read this book. There are no fewer than 40 people wating to do so at my local library. The author is an editor of a major British newspaper. with 68 book credits. And the book was recommended via the New York Times.
Boy, was I disappointed. Another reviewer called reading it a "slog". That is putting it mildly. It is poorly written, plain and simple.
Bishop tells the story via a number of luminaries - Ernest Hemingway, Charles de Gaulle, JD Salinger and Albert Camus. Why pick them? I wanted to know more about how Parisians endured the German Occupation? The book is strangely silent on this issue. Moreover, the text seems to jump from the German invasion in 1940 to 1944. What happened in the intervening years? Bishop has nothing to say about this. Why??
The book is also (strangely) silent on how the Germans experienced WW II? Here again, the author is silent.
At the end of the book, Patrick Bishop invites comments and queries from readers. I thought this was a great idea - until I contact him. He did not bother to reply.
I am @a loss to get how such a poorly written book made its way into print on a topic of historical importance? Perhaps Patrick Bishop may know. I don't.
The bottom line? I do not recommend this book. There must be better histories writen about Paris. I asked Bishop? I am still waiting for his reply?

[Roger Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a remarkable book about a city that is considered the most remarkable in the world. If you have ever visited Paris, you will want to read this true story of the interwar years, the fall of Paris to the Germans, the 4 terrible years of the occupation and the marvellous and amazing period of the uprising in 1944 and the ensuing liberation. It is filled with memorable characters such as Ernest Hemingway, Pierre Salinger, General de Gaulle as well as a host of Germans who imposed their iron fisted rule after the fall of Paris. It is also a story of myths told by both sides during the occupation. The German General in charge of Paris insisted that he refused to carry out Hitler's orders to destroy the city before its liberation. The French patriots inside Paris insisted that, by throwing up the barricades and fighting the Germans in 1944, they were the ones to liberate Paris, not the Americans who eventually marched into the city in August 1944. If you have, in fact, visited the city, you will recognize many of the place names, especially those in central Paris, where most tourists spend their time.

[Barry O'Dell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reluctant to read this book as the Liberation of Paris is covered in so many histories . Was surprised to find it had a version of history I had not heard of before .

The story covers Paris from the occupation in 1940 to the end of the war in 1945 . It deals with the citizens of Paris thru that period , people that resisted and others that collaborated and gives detail as to how they made those choices .

The last half covers the military action but deals with the political aspects that drove the decisions .
I read a lot of WWII histories but this book had a lot of detail that was new to me . And a very well written and enjoyable read . Also any history that includes Charles de Gaulle , Picasso , Adolph Hitler and Ernest Hemingway ... you just gotta read .

[Nick Granger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3 stars is a bit harsh as the book is generally interesting and informative, but it felt a bit 'unfocussed' to me, frequently jumping between different times and places. There are a lot of characters, some of whom are constant through the book and others which don't reappear and leave you wondering what happened to them and what their relevance was to the rest of the book. Bishop follows JD Salinger, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso throughout the book which is interesting but feels a bit of a distraction from the main events somehow. So, an interesting read and I learned a lot about the liberation of Paris, but I found it fairly hard work.

[robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audio. Not what I was expecting based on the title. Lots of superfluous info about battles outside of Paris and characters outside of Paris. Bishop devotes inordinate time to people like Salinger, Frank Capa, Hemingway and Picasso. All of whom had minimal impact on the liberation of Paris. I guess Bishop didn't have enough material to fill out a book on just Paris from the time it fell to its liberation. But the info about how the people of Paris reacted to the fall and especially the uprising was fascinating and informative.

[Peter Thew · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the relief of Paris from German occupation in 1944. It starts with the invasion in 1940 and the collapse of France. Subsequent chapters deal with the Vichy government, life under the occupation and the slow rise of resistance movements. But he makes far too much of Ernest Hemingway's arrival in France as well as J.D Salinger and photographer Robert Capa. He admits Hemingway was an unreliable witness - and then retells his stories. Had he stuck with his French and German sources it would have made for a better book

[Phil Curme · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the first half of this book was a bit like driving around the Boulevard Périphérique. It took a long time to get anywhere! There’s quite a lot of ‘fill’ including a wealth of biographical detail on individuals such as Ernest Hemingway. However, the pace picks up as the narrative reaches the days before liberation and the final chapters are real ‘page turners’. Good insight into key players such as De Gaulle and Eisenhower. I also found the descriptions of the interplay between the various resistance groups very enlightening.

[Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The self mythologising of the city of light is so interesting.
I also enjoyed seeing the famous Parisian defiance that is still around today in all it's hi-vis glory.

'Paris liberated! Liberated by itself, liberated by its people with the help of the armies of France' - not quite but I love the enthusiasm.

[Stuart Ayers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Authoritative account of the run up to the surrender of Paris from Nazi Occupation. Told from both sides it recounts the unfolding story with considerable attention to detail. Salinger, Picasso and Hemingway also make regular appearances as the account runs from D Day to the end of the occupation. Full and thorough. Fascinating.

[mrs jane fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

The city of light in darkness

I really enjoyed this book. It is so thorough and well written and brings wartime Paris to life in a special way. My father was involved in the invasion in southern France at the same time as the D day landings but I never knew if he entered Paris with the Americans
The vast cast of famous Parisians makes the story especially alive.

[Rich Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Non fiction presented as thriller, this is a great factual account of the liberation of World War Two Paris. It has a strong countdown momentum which makes it hard to put down, but this is not a military account, this is firmly about Paris. As such you perhaps need a decent amount of prior knowledge beforehand, but it’s a great read from start to finish.

[Matt Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As an American, I feel your taught Germany invades, France falls, D-Day happens, France is liberated. This book does a deep dive into what happens in France between the first and last step and it is fascinating and expertly narrated. Highly recommend.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating retelling of Paris' Second World War story. For me, there's a bit too much of a focus on famous journalists and not enough time left towards the end for a really in-depth look at the 'shame' part, which is covered only in what feels like quite a shallow way.

[Richard Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book covering Paris , its people and its politics from the pre war years, the years of occupation to its liberation. Loses a star as there is too much on minor characters of JD Salinger and Earnest Hemingway which I skipped over.

[Graham Mott · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent history which cracks along. Using a range of different witnesses such as Picasso, Hemingway Salinger, as well as those actually driving events it presents a confusing series of event clearly and entertainingly. Well worth a read for anyone interested in or visiting Paris.

[Elly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really lost its way after a few chapters which was very disappointing.

[Ale · Rating 5 out of 5]

rtc

[Graeme Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

what a read, there is so much shame and glory, a real eye opener, that isn't that so distant in the past

[An]

wine scented roses and dirt pate

[Jake Maude · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't grip me from start to finish but an interesting take on the liberation.

[Miriam · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The French leaned on the same proverb as the rest of the world to comfort themselves when life was grim: L’heure la plus sombre est juste avant l’aube. In the spring of 1944, the nights were black, and the dawn felt a long way off. The invasion was coming, there could be no doubt of that, but when? In the meantime, the Germans were growing nervous and vengeful, and Paris was hungrier than ever. In the Tuileries, the flower beds were planted with swedes”- Chapter 6, opening words

[Poppy · Rating 5 out of 5]

FABULOUS