Petain: How the Hero of France Became a Convicted Traitor and Changed the Course of History

Distinguished biographer Charles Williams sets the record straight on one of the most controversial figures to emerge during World War II. This is the true story of Petain--an orphan peasant boy who became Commander in Chief of the French Army and a hero of the First World War, but fell from grace when he collaborated with Nazi occupiers. In revealing the motivations and determining factors behind Petain's decisions, one of the most complex and tumultuous periods in French history is expertly unraveled. Packed with rich battle scenes and dramatic prose, Williams delivers a startling portrait of a controversial figure who wound up on the wrong side of French history.