FRANCE 1940

THE 11TH ZOUAVES IN THE 1939-1940 CAMPAIGN
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€23.51
AN EYE FOR AN EYE, A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH At mobilisation, at the end of August 1939, the 11th Zouave Regiment was formed from reservists aged 24 to 30, in the Belley region. On 4 November it joined the 2nd DINA and trained behind the Maginot Line, then in the Valenciennes sector. This is where it found itself on 10 May 1940. Committed to the Battle of the...
The Nazi 5th Column - Myth and Reality 1933-1944
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Did a true "5th column", in the manner of that put into practice by the Francoist general Mola during the Spanish Civil War in 1936, beneath the walls of Madrid, actually exist at the outset of the Second World War, activated by the German invader? It may seem self-evident that the notion of a fifth column did indeed feature in the Nazi plans for the...
TANKS IN FRANCE 1940 - THE STEEL STORM TANKS IN FRANCE 1940 - THE STEEL STORM 2
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€37.82
What do we actually know about the use of tanks during the Battle of France? History (with a capital H) has remembered the Panzer-Divisionen crossing the Ardennes and racing towards Dunkirk, sweeping everything before them… Against French tanks that were too slow, too heavy, too few in number. A vision that, while it has established itself in the popular...
GREEN BERET - Commander Kieffer's Account of 6 June 1944 GREEN BERET - Commander Kieffer's Account of 6 June 1944 2
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Béret Vert testimony of Philippe Kieffer, edition presented and annotated by Benjamin Massieu A family man with no military experience, Philippe Kieffer nevertheless became the founder and commander of the Free French commandos. Trained at the formidable Achnacarry camp, these volunteers carried out secret raids on the European coastlines. They were the...
FRENCH MILITARY HELMETS - GUIDE MILITARIA N° 9 FRENCH MILITARY HELMETS - GUIDE MILITARIA N° 9 2
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Illustrating the great diversity of helmets worn by French servicemen, this new edition of the reference work will enable readers to understand their evolution from the late nineteenth century to the present day. This panorama of nearly 200 objects focuses on the steel helmet, the emblematic headgear of the French Army, while also illustrating the variety...
FRENCH MILITARY HEADGEAR - GUIDE MILITARIA N°3 FRENCH MILITARY HEADGEAR - GUIDE MILITARIA N°3 2
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This new edition of the work, aimed at a wide audience, illustrates the evolution of headgear worn by French soldiers from the War of 1870 to the present day. While the iconic képi takes pride of place among the nearly 250 items presented, shakos, bicornes, sidecaps, chéchias and berets are not forgotten, nor are sailors' bonnets and peaked caps. This...
CHABERTON - Armoured Fortress of the Snows CHABERTON - Armoured Fortress of the Snows 2
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€23.60
Chaberton: the illustrated history of the most powerful fort in the world. « The fort of the clouds », « the highest and most powerful fort in the world ». Superlatives abound when it comes to describing Fort Chaberton, designed and built by the Italian army from the late 19th century onwards. A source of great national pride in Italy for the feat that...
1940: THE REASONS FOR A DEFEAT
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1940: THE REASONS FOR A DEFEAT

L20230106
€23.60
To say that the campaign of May–June 1940 has generated an enormous amount of writing is an understatement: rarely has an event in French history left such a mark on our country. Several reasons can be identified: first and foremost, the French Army, which had emerged victorious from the First World War, was forced to lay down its arms after barely two...
FRÉJUS - LAVOIR - Men and Fortifications 1891–1945
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Since Antiquity, the Charmaix valley and the passes of Fréjus, La Roue and the Vallée Étroite have been important communication routes between the Maurienne valley and the Val di Susa. In 1860, the annexation of Savoy by France created a new frontier in the Alps. In 1882, Italy's accession to the Triple Alliance led to the creation of Alpine troops and...
THE THREE DAYS THAT BROUGHT DOWN FRANCE - 11–13 June 1940
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When France collapsed in June 1940, attention has often focused solely on the cabinet meeting of 16 June in Bordeaux, where President of the Council Paul Reynaud stepped aside to make way for Marshal Pétain. Yet this book, built on all available archives in Paris and Tours, shows that the Reynaud government — which left the capital amid the chaos of the...
FIGHTING FOR HONOUR - 13 Heroic Battles FIGHTING FOR HONOUR - 13 Heroic Battles 2
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€20.85
Alamo, Sidi-Brahim, Camerone, Bazeilles, Fort de Vaux, the Alcázar of Toledo, Westerplatte, Wizna, Saumur, Bir Hakeim, Les Glières, Iwo Jima, Diên Biên Phu. What do Alamo, Camerone, Iwo Jima, and Bir Hakeim have in common? The determination of the defenders who, without faltering, face an adversary vastly superior in numbers and materiel. Surrounded and...
1940 Reporter on Three Fronts 1940 Reporter on Three Fronts 2
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1940 Reporter on Three Fronts

L2023029
€24.64
Three operations with a Luftwaffe radio reporter: Norway, France, and over England With this album, we follow three operations alongside a Luftwaffe radio reporter, through some forty dynamic and compelling reports, accompanied by around fifty photographs directly related to these accounts. Added to these is an introductory chapter on the first airborne...
MOTOS RENÉ GILLET - 50 Years of French V-Twins - 500 -...
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OUT OF STOCK René Gillet is said to have built his very first motorcycle as early as 1895; this claimed seniority as a motorcycle manufacturer would have allowed him to adopt the slogan "doyenne des marques de motocyclettes françaises" — myth or reality? Other single-cylinder models would follow, but it was around 1905, with his first 45° V-twins, that he...
Belgium - The Official Account of what happened 1939-1940
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Title: Belgium - The Official Account of what happened 1939-1940 Published for The Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs By Evans Brothers Limited, London In good condition
Gamelin or the Constrained Strategy Gamelin or the Constrained Strategy 2
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€18.96
The name of Maurice Gamelin inevitably calls to mind the generalissimo held responsible for the defeat of 1940, a military disaster of incalculable consequences. His condemnation seems beyond appeal. Yet a thorough study of the man tends to challenge many certainties about his actual culpability. Casting a dispassionate eye — far removed from bitter...
Bir Hakeim — Event and Memory Bir Hakeim — Event and Memory 2
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Bir Hakeim — Event and Memory

L20220416
€33.18
Bir Hakeim. The name rings out like a defiance. The victorious defence of Bir Hakeim by the Free French Forces marked a turning point in the history of General de Gaulle and the Free France movement, launched under difficult conditions in 1940. The military and political project had as its objective to return France to the war after the defeat of the...
FRENCH PRISONERS OF WAR IN 1940
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FRENCH PRISONERS OF WAR IN 1940

L20220398
€27.49
In the summer of 1940, millions of French people began writing — to their mayors, sub-prefects and prefects, but also to international organisations and even to the Pope — to find out what had become of their father, their husband, their children. In barely six weeks, between 13 May and 22 June 1940, military defeat turned into a rout, and captivity now...
ALL MILITARY PANHARDS 1914–1940 ALL MILITARY PANHARDS 1914–1940 2
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€18.96
All Military Panhards 1914–1940. The Vauvillier collection no. 4, by François Vauvillier.
1940 THE BLOCKHOUSES OF THE ARDENNES - Useless Sentinels
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While the fortification of the north-eastern borders was virtually complete, the General Staff decided to erect a series of advanced concrete posts along the German border, known as « maisons fortes ». Tasked with raising the alarm in the event of a surprise attack and triggering the demolition of infiltration routes towards the fortified line, these...
NEW HISTORY of the French Air and Space Force NEW HISTORY of the French Air and Space Force 2
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€28.34
The prestigious history of the French Air and Space Force in 480 pages and 750 rare or previously unpublished photographs The Centre d'Etudes Stratégiques Aérospatiales (CESA) co-publishes with Éditions Pierre de Taillac a Nouvelle Histoire de l'Armée de l'Air et de l'Espace. It succeeds l'Histoire de l'aviation militaire française published in 1980 by...
HISTORY OF THE POLISH ARMY IN FRANCE - 1939–1940
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Narvik – Maginot Line – Clos du Doubs – Champagne – Breton Redoubt – Fighter groups and patrols – Divisional anti-tank companies Rather than a farewell to arms, the brutal crushing of Poland in 1939 opened a new chapter in her history — that of continuing the fight from abroad. In those dark days, France crystallised all of Poland's hopes. For did not...
NARVIK 1940, FRENCH VICTORY
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NARVIK 1940, FRENCH VICTORY

L20220350
€17.06
What were the engagements conducted by the French expeditionary corps in April and May 1940 in Denmark and Norway? In April 1940, Germany invaded Denmark and Norway. The Allies responded quickly in Norway and inflicted heavy losses on the German navy. Despite this, they were soon driven out of southern Norway, then central Norway. In the north of the...
The Purges of the French Army 1940–1966
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€23.70
From 1940 to 1966, the French Army underwent three successive purges: the first under Marshal Pétain's Vichy government, the second from 1943 through the years following the Liberation, and the last from the end of the Algerian War up to the eve of the May 1968 events. The purge most familiar to the public is the one that affected civilian society at the...
From Sedan to Sedan: A History of the French Army, 1870–1940
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The only history of the French Army from 1870 to 1940. Gathered here in a single volume are the texts of the new revised, corrected and expanded edition of the landmark work by General André Bourachot. The history of the French Army between the two great defeats that marked it indelibly is presented here in the most detailed and scrupulous manner...
WAR CRIMES - Rouen, 9 June 1940
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WAR CRIMES - Rouen, 9 June 1940

L20220337
€18.96
On the morning of 9 June 1940, the Wehrmacht's 5. Panzerdivision entered Rouen. A few days later, in the square of the Musée des Antiquités, the bodies of two Black men were discovered by municipal services. The following day, not far away, in the gardens of a property on the rue de Bihorel, the bodies of seventeen men murdered by German troops were...
HEALTH AND SPIRITS EXCELLENT - Prisoner of War 1939-1945 HEALTH AND SPIRITS EXCELLENT - Prisoner of War 1939-1945 2
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The journey of Sergeant Jean Voleau, between combat and captivity, traced through his correspondence On 2 September 1939, France is on the eve of declaring war on Germany in response to its invasion of Poland. But already a train is heading towards the Meuse and the German border, carrying a battalion of the 14th Algerian Rifles regiment. Seated on a...
KÉPI: A FRENCH MILITARY HEADGEAR, VOLUME 1, 1830–1939 KÉPI: A FRENCH MILITARY HEADGEAR, VOLUME 1, 1830–1939 2
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This headgear alone symbolises the French soldier, but it is also, by extension, the official representation of the military officer and the civil servant. Its history is presented here in its entirety for the first time. Exclusively male, the képi conveys a wealth of information about its wearer, starting with his unit and rank. Its model and shape also...
THE GREAT ALBUM OF CITROËN-KÉGRESSE VEHICLES IN UNIFORM -... THE GREAT ALBUM OF CITROËN-KÉGRESSE VEHICLES IN UNIFORM -... 2
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1st edition of the Great Album of Citroën-Kégresse half-tracks in uniform by François Vauvillier. When the word autochenille comes up in conversation among vintage car enthusiasts, the association of ideas immediately brings to mind two names that have entered legend: Citroën and Kégresse. While the former needs no introduction, the latter is no less...
DUNKIRK 1940 – Operation Dynamo DUNKIRK 1940 – Operation Dynamo 2
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DUNKIRK 1940 - Operation Dynamo

L20220001
€14.12
Four years before the Allied landings in Normandy, the French coastline was the scene of another major episode of the Second World War: Operation Dynamo, far less well known today than D-Day.
D2 TANKS IN COMBAT - Colonel De Gaulle's War Elephants D2 TANKS IN COMBAT - Colonel De Gaulle's War Elephants 2
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In 1937, Colonel de Gaulle moved from theory to practice. The man behind the "paper tank" — who in 1934 had written a veritable manifesto in favour of the armoured corps, Vers l'armée de métier, his most celebrated work — spent two years in Metz commanding a tank regiment, the 507e RCC. There, equipped with the powerful 20-tonne D 2 tanks built by...
THE 1ST DLM IN COMBAT: CAVALRY TANKS AND ARMORED VEHICLES, 1939-1940 THE 1ST DLM IN COMBAT: CAVALRY TANKS AND ARMORED VEHICLES, 1939-1940 2
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The crucial question of armoured divisions, championed by Colonel de Gaulle in 1934 with his crusade for a professional army, had obscured from the general public a major element in the development of the French army during the rearmament period: yes, France possessed, even before the war, divisions légères mécaniques (DLM) that were light in name only....
CHARS B IN COMBAT: MEN AND MATERIEL OF THE 15TH BCC CHARS B IN COMBAT: MEN AND MATERIEL OF THE 15TH BCC 2
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On that afternoon of 16 May 1940, a group of around twenty Chars B belonging to the French Army — 32-tonne vehicles each armed with a 75 mm gun and a 47 mm gun, making them the most powerful armoured materiel in existence in the world in 1940 — approached a small town that was about to enter History: Montcornet. Since the day before yesterday, the enemy...
GAMELIN - The Tragedy of Ambition
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€23.70
Gamelin, or the quintessence of military disaster. Maurice Gamelin (1872–1958) remains a figure indelibly associated with the crushing defeat of May 1940. It is worth looking beyond that commonplace and asking: how did this officer, regarded as one of the most brilliant of his generation, for whom everything had succeeded since his earliest youth and who...
THE FRENCH MILITARY BUTTON 1871-2021 THE FRENCH MILITARY BUTTON 1871-2021 2
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€18.91
The uniform button is something of the poor relation of militaria collecting. Small and highly varied, the enthusiast generally seeks it out only to complete a uniform. Yet it constitutes in its own right a fully-fledged collecting theme. More than a century after the publication of Captain Falloux's work, « Le bouton d'uniforme français », a gap remained...
STUKAS! The Luftwaffe's Dive Bombers
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€42.56
OUT OF STOCK The terrifying sound of its sirens (the famous "Trumpets of Jericho"), the perfect coordination of its attacks with the Panzers, and the deadly precision of its strikes are inseparable from the early successes of the Blitzkrieg in 1939 and 1940, before the Battle of Britain revealed its limitations: the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka is unquestionably...
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