FRANCE 1940

1940 – The Battle of the Marne That Never Was
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1940 – The Battle of the Marne That Never Was

L20260065
€18.96
Maxime Mainguet analyses the missed opportunities of the Battle of France e. An unstoppable Blitzkrieg? Overwhelming German superiority? Not quite. In Cette bataille de la Marne qui n'a pas eu lieu, Maxime Mainguet offers an original and strategic reappraisal of the Battle of France. Mirroring the "Miracle of the Marne" of 1914, he examines the moment...
THE 159th RIA - The Snow Regiment Vol. 1 1887–1939
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THE 159th RIA - The Snow Regiment Vol. 1 1887–1939

L2026057
€41.71
Period photographs36 uniform silhouettesA wealth of documents, pennants and insignia The 159th RIA is the emblematic regiment of the Hautes-Alpes. Its presence in Briançon from 1890 to 1994 left a very strong impression on local memory and landscape. Many families had one or more members who served in its ranks, sometimes giving their lives. Since the end...
MEASURES AND EXCESSES OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOL. 3 - Blocks... MEASURES AND EXCESSES OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOL. 3 - Blocks... 2
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MEASURES AND EXCESSES OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOL. 3 - Blocks and Turrets of Fortifications

L20260055
€37.91
Third title in a series of books that Frédéric Lisch dedicates to the components of the Maginot Line. This third volume on the Maginot Line details all the types of turrets of the Maginot Line and includes a chapter on the strategic maps of the Maginot Line. This third volume details all the blocks of the Maginot Line works and includes a chapter on the...
The MORANE SAULNIER 406 in the Armée de l'Air, the...
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The MORANE SAULNIER 406 in the Armée de l'Air, the Aéronautique Navale and with the...

L20260051
€60.66
Histoire de l'Aviation No. 51 Since 1998 and the first work on the Morane 406 published by Lela Presse, numerous discoveries have made a new publication essential. Proof of this lies in the sheer volume of this study, which required splitting it into two tomes even though it is devoted solely to the aircraft in French markings. The list of contributors...
THE MORANE SAULNIER 406 in the Armée de l'Air, the... THE MORANE SAULNIER 406 in the Armée de l'Air, the... 2
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THE MORANE SAULNIER 406 in the Armée de l'Air, the Aéronautique Navale and with the...

L20260004
€60.66
Since 1998 and the first work on the Morane 406 published by Lela Presse, numerous discoveries have made a new publication indispensable. The sheer volume of this study — which has necessitated its division into two parts while covering only the aircraft in French markings — is proof of this. The list of contributors also reflects the enthusiasm the...
Fortifications in the Southern Alps - France, Italy.... Fortifications in the Southern Alps - France, Italy.... 2
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Fortifications in the Southern Alps - France, Italy. Volume 4

L20250190
€71.09
In this final volume of the extraordinary history of Fortifications dans les Alpes, with nearly 1,250 illustrations, Dominique Vialard and Frédéric Lisch present the strongholds of the Durance, Embrun, Sisteron, the fortifications of the Ubaye, the strongholds of Saint-Vincent-les-Fort, Seyne-les-Alpes, Colmars-les-Alpes, Guillaume and Entrevaux, and the...
TANK COMMANDER IN '40 - An Officer of the 15th BCC Aboard...
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TANK COMMANDER IN '40 - An Officer of the 15th BCC Aboard a B1 Bis Tells His Story

L20250187
€21.80
1940: Discover the firsthand account of a B1 bis tank commander, Second Lieutenant Robert Lauvin, officer of the 15th BCC, presented by Stéphane Bonnaud. Follow the trials and hardships faced by the crew of a B1 Bis during the Battle of France: from the Marne, through Montcornet and Picardy, to the retreat of the débâcle… Between castor oil, the chalk of...
Aboard the Renault FT
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Aboard the Renault FT

L20250123
€19.43
Aboard the Renault FT takes the reader on a journey through the epic story of this mythical and pioneering tank, from its design to its place in museums and collective memory today. This book is abundantly illustrated with photographs and technical plates to learn almost everything about this iconic tank. A complete study of the Renault FT, both...
French Prisoners of War 1940–1945 French Prisoners of War 1940–1945 2
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French Prisoners of War 1940–1945

L20250114
€36.97
Memories of La vache et le prisonnier with Fernandel are often the only images that come to mind when speaking of the French soldiers taken prisoner in 1940. Yet far from the cinema screen, 1.85 million of them were deprived of their liberty, imprisoned far from home and used as cheap labour. Victims of a distorted image and a French history that unfolded...
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André Beaufre - Combat Writings. 1939–1942
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André Beaufre - Combat Writings. 1939–1942

L20250108
€26.54
Through the Bitter Days (1938–1942), the testimony of a young officer caught up in the débâcle. Before becoming one of the most widely recognised military theorists in the world, General André Beaufre lived through the disaster of 1940 as a young officer. The four texts gathered here — "La paix-guerre (1939)", "Guerre éclair (1940–1941)", "Sic Transit...
TO EARN THE GREEN BERET 1941 - 1944 TO EARN THE GREEN BERET 1941 - 1944 2
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TO EARN THE GREEN BERET 1941 - 1944

L20250099
€23.70
This book recounts how, sometimes at the cost of their lives, young Frenchmen refused to accept defeat and above all the shameful armistice of 22 June 1940. Some of these future commandos, who had endured German oppression and then the harassment and lies of Vichy propaganda, decided to leave France — sometimes by deserting from the Marine Nationale, for...
JUNE 1940, ON THE ROADS OF CÔTE-D'OR, FROM THE DÉBÂCLE TO... JUNE 1940, ON THE ROADS OF CÔTE-D'OR, FROM THE DÉBÂCLE TO... 2
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JUNE 1940, ON THE ROADS OF CÔTE-D'OR, FROM THE DÉBÂCLE TO THE EXODUS (Volume 2)

L20250098
€45.50
Second volume of the exceptional study on the events and fighting that took place in the Côte-d'Or during June 1940. These two books will take you day by day through the incredible and terrible history of the Côte-d'Or in 1940: the history of war, fire and blood. In this context of total chaos, fleeing the fighting, on the roads of the exodus, tens of...
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JUNE 1940, ON THE ROADS OF CÔTE-D'OR, FROM THE DÉBÂCLE TO... JUNE 1940, ON THE ROADS OF CÔTE-D'OR, FROM THE DÉBÂCLE TO... 2
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JUNE 1940, ON THE ROADS OF CÔTE-D'OR, FROM THE DÉBÂCLE TO THE EXODUS (Volume 1)

L20250097
€42.65
An exceptional study to be published in two volumes on the events that took place in the Côte-d'Or in May 1940. This book will take you day by day through the incredible and terrible history of the Côte-d'Or in 1940: the history of war, fire and chaos. Fleeing the fighting, on the roads of the exodus, tens of thousands of civilians crossed the region. For...
The 1st Motorised Dragoon Regiment 1929–1940 The 1st Motorised Dragoon Regiment 1929–1940 2
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The 1st Motorised Dragoon Regiment 1929–1940

L20250082
€35.07
Available 16 June 2025 The 1st battalion, later regiment, of dragoons embodies the modernisation and mechanisation of the French cavalry during the 1930s. In 1939 it was one of the best trained, most competent and most modern regiments in the army. This first book devoted to this type of regiment covers the unit's history, its operational doctrine, its...
ENIGMA, The Time of the Precursors – The Biuro Szyfrow...
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ENIGMA, The Time of the Precursors – The Biuro Szyfrow and Section D Against the...

L20250076
€18.96
Put into service at the dawn of the 1930s, the Enigma machine ensured the encryption of Wehrmacht communications throughout the Second World War. The ability to defeat the billions of combinations generated by its mechanisms stands as one of the principal contributions to victory over the Third Reich. While the cryptological work carried out at Bletchley...
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ONE AGAINST TWELVE - The 87th BCA in the Defence of the...
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ONE AGAINST TWELVE - The 87th BCA in the Defence of the Alps, June 1940

L20250063
€20.38
How the French stood their ground against Italian soldiers in the Queyras in June 1940. The Battle of the Alps is one of the rare engagements to have ended in a French victory during the 1940 campaign in France. While the armies of the north and east were subjected to the blitzkrieg tempo imposed by the enemy, the soldiers of the Alps managed to halt the...
THE CUSTOMS OFFICERS IN THE BATTLE OF FRANCE 1939-1940 THE CUSTOMS OFFICERS IN THE BATTLE OF FRANCE 1939-1940 2
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THE CUSTOMS OFFICERS IN THE BATTLE OF FRANCE 1939-1940

L20250051
€42.65
1939, the year France was plunged into a new world conflict, marked a third black chapter for the customs officers. After 1870 and 1914, the Military Corps of Customs was once again mobilised. Like their predecessors before them, this third generation of customs fighters did their duty, upholding the motto « Honneur et Patrie » on their standard. These...
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FRENCH YOUTH UNDER THE OCCUPATION 1940–1945 FRENCH YOUTH UNDER THE OCCUPATION 1940–1945 2
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FRENCH YOUTH UNDER THE OCCUPATION 1940–1945

L20250023
€52.13
In the wake of the First World War, and after the Armistice of June 1940, French society placed its hopes in a renewed youth capable of henceforth promoting a goal of peace. The French State therefore seized upon this prospect by encouraging the creation of numerous youth movements, establishing a Secrétariat Général à la Jeunesse, and developing the cult...
PANZERWAFFE Vol. 2 – The Time of Victories PANZERWAFFE Vol. 2 – The Time of Victories 2
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PANZERWAFFE Vol. 2 – The Time of Victories

L20250022
€39.34
From autumn 1939 (Poland) to summer 1940 (France), the Panzers swept from victory to victory, crushing all resistance in their path. German propaganda and its most celebrated generals narrated these moments of martial glory as a military promenade, even denying the defeated the recognition of their valiant sacrifices. Unit archives and Berlin bureau...
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Fortifications in the Southern Alps – France, Italy. Vol. 3 Fortifications in the Southern Alps – France, Italy. Vol. 3 2
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Fortifications in the Southern Alps – France, Italy. Vol. 3

L20250021
€61.61
In this third instalment of "Fortifications dans les Alpes", the reader discovers at the outset the geostrategic aspects of the Southern Alps region, as well as the difficult movement through the high valleys and the advantages of the narrow passes that are easy to barricade. The illustrated narrative then explains the complex tactical operations in the...
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1940, The Allies' War Begins in Scandinavia 1940, The Allies' War Begins in Scandinavia 2
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1940, The Allies' War Begins in Scandinavia

L20250010
€18.96
The Franco-British intervention at Narvik, in Norway, in May 1940, passed relatively unnoticed because, at that very moment, Germany was launching its victorious offensive against France. History, for this reason, retains little memory of these battles, which took place beyond the Arctic Circle. By examining these battles in detail, François Gatineau...
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General Olry - Victor of the Alps - June 1940 General Olry - Victor of the Alps - June 1940 2
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General Olry - Victor of the Alps - June 1940

L20250002
€23.60
A graduate of the École Polytechnique and an artilleryman, René Olry (1880–1944) belongs to that category of soldiers who, with equal distinction, earn the admiration of their superiors, their peers and their subordinates. A man of character, he combined exceptional intellectual abilities with unwavering determination. A specialist in mountain operations,...
Castelnau - The Vanished Marshal 1851-1944
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Castelnau - The Vanished Marshal 1851-1944

L202402013
€22.27
General de Castelnau spans a century of French military and political history. Regarded by his contemporaries as one of the fathers of victory in the First World War, he fell victim to political machinations tied to his reputation as a Catholic conservative. Nicknamed the "booted friar" by Clemenceau, he was three times denied the marshal's baton that...
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A Lieutenant with the Tanks - An Eyewitness at the Heart...
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A Lieutenant with the Tanks - An Eyewitness at the Heart of the 1940 Turmoil

L20240208
€18.48
A Lieutenant with the Tanks is a previously unpublished account of the 1940 campaign, written by Claude Peignot, officer of the 5th BCP. Particularly vivid, it casts an unsparing eye on the operations, the competence of the commanders and the equipment. The notebooks are annotated and explained by Camille Vargas, an author specialising in world conflicts...
France 1940 - The First Battle of Normandy France 1940 - The First Battle of Normandy 2
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France 1940 - The First Battle of Normandy

L20240206
€23.70
It is never easy to recount a defeat. Burdened by caricatural clichés perpetuated for too many years, this Battle of France tends to focus on a few facts regularly singled out. Historians have primarily focused on the French side. Here, we will look at the German side. Apart from our adversaries, who can say that the Franco-British troops fought with...
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ALL LATIL MILITARY VEHICLES 1914-1940 - VOL. 1. TRUCKS... ALL LATIL MILITARY VEHICLES 1914-1940 - VOL. 1. TRUCKS... 2
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ALL LATIL MILITARY VEHICLES 1914-1940 - VOL. 1. TRUCKS AND ROAD TRACTORS - Vauvillier...

L20240203
€18.96
Does anyone remember that Georges Latil, thanks to his patent registered in 1897, was the forerunner of the famous front-wheel drive? At that dawn of the automobile age, the concept had a modest objective: to transform a horse-drawn vehicle by replacing its team of horses with a motorised front axle driving the front wheels which, remaining steerable,...
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READY? JUMP! With the First French Military Paratroopers READY? JUMP! With the First French Military Paratroopers 2
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READY? JUMP! With the First French Military Paratroopers

L20240202
€20.85
This fascinating saga traces both the training of the first parachute instructors of the French Air Force and the creation of the first Air Infantry Groups. It is this period of wild enthusiasm, often tempered by dashed hopes, that this work recounts with humour and finesse, written in a lively style that reads like a vivid adventure story. The author...
2nd Class Submarines and Minelayers of the French Navy... 2nd Class Submarines and Minelayers of the French Navy... 2
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2nd Class Submarines and Minelayers of the French Navy 1922–1945

L20240190
€58.77
This work is primarily devoted to the 34 2nd class submarines and the six minelayers (Saphir type) produced under the naval construction programmes of 1922 to 1936. The post-1945 period of the 2nd class Aurore-type submarines — the first of which was only just completed in June 1940 — is briefly mentioned. The contemporary 1st class submarines (Requin and...
RECONSTITUTIONS - Immersion in Living History
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RECONSTITUTIONS - Immersion in Living History

L20240177
€36.97
From the hunter-gatherers of the Palaeolithic to the soldiers of the Second World War, by way of the great age of chivalry and the battles of the First Empire, reenactors seek to represent the lives of our ancestors as closely as possible to reality. Analysed by historian Martin Bostal, a specialist in recreations of the past, Barry's photographs offer an...
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TRANSMISSIONS 1900–1940. History of Equipment, vol. 01
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TRANSMISSIONS 1900–1940. History of Equipment, vol. 01

L20240147
€39.81
This book grew out of a technical inventory compiled by the author, covering French military radio equipment from its origins to 1940. It focuses on the most representative sets, complementing their descriptions with a wealth of period photographs — often previously unpublished — or photographs of surviving examples that are the pride of collectors and...
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Women in the Service of France - 1939-1940 Women in the Service of France - 1939-1940 2
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Women in the Service of France - 1939-1940

L20240146
€28.34
Drawing on the experience of the Great War, women supported by militant feminists undertook a reflection on the role of women in wartime. Studies and initiatives were numerous and covered every field: the Air Force, the Army, support for soldiers, air first aid, parachuting... Before long, the "drôle de guerre" put an end to these promising deliberations...
DICTIONARY OF FRENCH MILITARY HISTORY – From the Origins...
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DICTIONARY OF FRENCH MILITARY HISTORY – From the Origins to the Present Day

L20240093
€21.80
As General de Gaulle expressed it in a celebrated and striking phrase: "France was forged by the sword." To study the history of France — and in many respects the history of Europe and the world — one must above all take into account the military history of our country. To avoid misreadings, anachronisms and other hazardous interpretations, here is — from...
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MEASURES AND EXCESSES OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOL. 2 -... MEASURES AND EXCESSES OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOL. 2 -... 2
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MEASURES AND EXCESSES OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOL. 2 - Infantry Casemates and Casemate Blocks

L20240073
€54.98
Second title in a series of books that Frédéric Lisch devotes to the components of the Maginot Line. The volume covers the 1929 and 1930 model casemates, armoured casemates, blockhouses in demolition zones, the 1936 model casemates with offset embrasures, and the casemates and infantry blocks of the Alpine sectors. At the end of the volume, a chapter...
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MEASURES AND EXCESSES OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOL. 1 -... MEASURES AND EXCESSES OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOL. 1 -... 2
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MEASURES AND EXCESSES OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOL. 1 - Artillery casemate blocks of...

L20240072
€45.50
First title in a series of books that Frédéric Lisch will dedicate to the components of the Maginot Line. This first volume covers the 75 mm model 1929 and model 1932 casemates, the Alpine artillery casemates, the 81 mm casemates, and the counterscarp coffres. In short, everything that is concrete-built, houses artillery, and is connected to a fortified...
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Fortifications in the Northern Alps - France, Switzerland, Italy. Volume 1 Fortifications in the Northern Alps - France, Switzerland, Italy. Volume 1 2
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Fortifications in the Northern Alps – France, Switzerland, Italy. Volume 1

L20180201
€68.25
The history of fortifications in the Northern Alps traces the origins of military works in the mountains and their foothills that marked the boundaries of the highly fluctuating territories at the heart of Europe — principally those of the House of Savoy. It will be noted that the architecture of these forts evolved with advances in artillery, and that...
Fortifications in the Northern Alps - France, Switzerland, Italy. Volume 2 Fortifications in the Northern Alps - France, Switzerland, Italy. Volume 2 2
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Fortifications in the Northern Alps – France, Switzerland, Italy. Vol. 2

L20180200
€68.25
The history of fortifications in the Northern Alps retraces the genesis of military works in the mountains or in the foothills that marked the boundaries of the highly fluctuating territories at the heart of Europe — principally those of the House of Savoy. It will be observed that the architecture of these forts evolved with advances in artillery and...
THE 11TH ZOUAVES IN THE 1939-1940 CAMPAIGN
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THE 11TH ZOUAVES IN THE 1939-1940 CAMPAIGN

L20240070
€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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The Nazi 5th Column - Myth and Reality 1933-1944

L20240069
€19.59
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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TANKS IN FRANCE 1940 - THE STEEL STORM

L20240055
€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...
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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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GREEN BERET - Commander Kieffer's Account of 6 June 1944

L20240049
€18.86
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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FRENCH MILITARY HELMETS - GUIDE MILITARIA N° 9

L20240025
€20.85
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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FRENCH MILITARY HEADGEAR - GUIDE MILITARIA N°3

L20240024
€20.85
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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CHABERTON - Armoured Fortress of the Snows

L20230115
€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...
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FRÉJUS - LAVOIR - Men and Fortifications 1891–1945
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FRÉJUS - LAVOIR - Men and Fortifications 1891–1945

L20230098
€34.12
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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THE THREE DAYS THAT BROUGHT DOWN FRANCE - 11–13 June 1940

L20230072
€18.96
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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FIGHTING FOR HONOUR - 13 Heroic Battles

L20230041
€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...
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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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MOTOS RENÉ GILLET - 50 Years of French V-Twins - 500 - 750 - 1000cc

L20230005
€56.87
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...
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Belgium - The Official Account of what happened 1939-1940
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Belgium - The Official Account of what happened 1939-1940

CollLiv228
€56.87
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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Gamelin or the Constrained Strategy

L20220428
€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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ALL MILITARY PANHARDS 1914–1940

L20220365
€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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1940 THE BLOCKHOUSES OF THE ARDENNES - Useless Sentinels

L20220364
€23.70
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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NEW HISTORY of the French Air and Space Force

L20220332
€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...
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HISTORY OF THE POLISH ARMY IN FRANCE - 1939–1940
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HISTORY OF THE POLISH ARMY IN FRANCE - 1939–1940

L20220351
€26.54
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...
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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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The Purges of the French Army 1940–1966

L20220339
€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...
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From Sedan to Sedan: A History of the French Army, 1870–1940
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From Sedan to Sedan: A History of the French Army, 1870–1940

L20220338
€23.70
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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HEALTH AND SPIRITS EXCELLENT - Prisoner of War 1939-1945

L20220335
€23.22
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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KÉPI: A FRENCH MILITARY HEADGEAR, VOLUME 1, 1830–1939

L20220328
€37.87
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...
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THE GREAT ALBUM OF CITROËN-KÉGRESSE VEHICLES IN UNIFORM -... THE GREAT ALBUM OF CITROËN-KÉGRESSE VEHICLES IN UNIFORM -... 2
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THE GREAT ALBUM OF CITROËN-KÉGRESSE VEHICLES IN UNIFORM - From 1920 to 1940

L20220187
€37.87
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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D2 TANKS IN COMBAT - Colonel De Gaulle's War Elephants

L20160322
€37.87
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 1ST DLM IN COMBAT: CAVALRY TANKS AND ARMOURED VEHICLES, 1939-1940

L20160235
€37.87
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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CHARS B IN COMBAT: MEN AND MATERIEL OF THE 15TH BCC

L20160252
€37.87
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...
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GAMELIN - The Tragedy of Ambition
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GAMELIN - The Tragedy of Ambition

L20210193
€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...
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THE FRENCH MILITARY BUTTON 1871-2021 THE FRENCH MILITARY BUTTON 1871-2021 2
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THE FRENCH MILITARY BUTTON 1871-2021

L20210188
€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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STUKAS! The Luftwaffe's Dive Bombers

L20210163
€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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PANZER KOMMANDEUR - At the heart of the Panzertruppen,...
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PANZER KOMMANDEUR - At the heart of the Panzertruppen, memoirs of Hans von Luck

L20210161
€30.33
Panzer Kommandeur - The war memoirs of Hans von Luck, an officer who served in the most prestigious Panzer-Divisionen from 1939 to 1945, at last accessible in French! Having fought on every front — from the plains of northern France in 1940, through Russia in 1941, Libya and Egypt in 1942, Normandy and Alsace in 1944, and finally Germany in 1945 — von...
ALPS 1940, THE UNDEFEATED ARMY ALPS 1940, THE UNDEFEATED ARMY 2
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ALPS 1940, THE UNDEFEATED ARMY

L20210156
€18.91
Alps 1940, the undefeated army. Résistance Libération collection, Stéphane Lavit, Jérôme Croyet. This book does not aim to retell the official history of the Armée des Alpes. Nor is it an exhaustive compilation; the idea is to provide a sense and a general understanding of what these troops were in 1939 and 1940, particularly in the key sector of the...
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In the Storms of History - Memoirs of Colonel de La...
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In the Storms of History - Memoirs of Colonel de La Chapelle - From the Phoney War to...

L20210151
€18.86
In April 1961, Colonel de La Chapelle commanded the famous 1er régiment étranger de cavalerie. Convinced that "there are things that simply are not done", he chose to commit his unit to the Algiers putsch. This courageous officer began his career at the age of 20 as a simple soldier. During the twenty-seven years in which he would serve France under arms,...
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2000 Years of French Fortification - From the 4th Century... 2000 Years of French Fortification - From the 4th Century... 2
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2000 Years of French Fortification - From the 4th Century BC to the Atlantic Wall

L20220177
€59.72
2000 YEARS OF FRENCH FORTIFICATION From the 4th century BC to the Atlantic Wall Oppida, castles, fortified churches, and urban ramparts dot the French landscape, while forts and Maginot works near the borders evoke former barriers. Why this omnipresent fortification? Historians, architects, and urban planners seek, for various reasons, an answer. They...
The Battle of the Alps – 1940
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The Battle of the Alps – 1940

L20210126
€28.34
OUT OF PRINT The definitive book on the Battle of the Alps, France's only victory in 1940. In June 1940, as France was suffering the worst military defeat in its history, the Army of the Alps resisted Italian assaults with success and even managed to counter the flanking attack launched by the Germans in the direction of Grenoble and Annecy.
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ACHTUNG PANZER! – HEINZ GUDERIAN, INVENTOR OF THE BLITZKRIEG
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ACHTUNG PANZER! – HEINZ GUDERIAN, INVENTOR OF THE BLITZKRIEG

L20210122
€23.70
HEINZ GUDERIAN, INVENTOR OF THE BLITZKRIEG This book is not for every reader. This is neither a biography, nor the war memoirs of a celebrated soldier, still less a work recounting the adventures of combatants caught up in the thunder of battle. No, Achtung Panzer! is anything but that! It is a military essay — but no ordinary one: the very work that...
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La Redoute Ruinée, Sentinel of the Col du...
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La Redoute Ruinée, Sentinel of the Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard

L20210116
€34.12
Perched at 2,400 m., the fort of the Redoute dominates the Col du Petit-Saint-Bernard, watching over it like a sleeping sentinel. Since the Neolithic period, this pass has been one of the main routes for crossing the Alps. Over the centuries, it was developed to facilitate passage. In the Petit-Saint-Bernard region, the post of the Redoute Ruinée was...
La Traction Avant Citroën sous l'Uniforme - Tome 2 La Traction Avant Citroën sous l'Uniforme - Tome 2 2
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La Traction Avant Citroën sous l'Uniforme - Tome 2

L20210115
€37.87
The Citroën Traction Avant was the most-produced car in France before 1940: more than 250,000 examples were on the roads of the country and the world at the time. It is therefore no surprise to find it, during the Second World War, accompanying both armies and civilian populations on every front, in every territory, including the most remote. The...
THE FOREIGN LEGION - HISTORY AND UNIFORMS 1831 - 1962
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THE FOREIGN LEGION - HISTORY AND UNIFORMS 1831 - 1962

L20210101
€16.11
It is through 114 uniformed mannequins from the collections of the Musée de la Légion Étrangère, and in particular those of the Musée de l'Uniforme Légionnaire in Puyloubier, together with 112 exceptional and rare collection pieces presented here for the first time, that we invite you to follow the history and evolution of Foreign Legion uniforms from its...
THE SILENT ATTACK: THE CAPTURE OF THE BELGIAN BRIDGES AT... THE SILENT ATTACK: THE CAPTURE OF THE BELGIAN BRIDGES AT... 2
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THE SILENT ATTACK: THE CAPTURE OF THE BELGIAN BRIDGES AT VELDWEZELT, VROENHOVEN AND...

L20210079
€42.65
The most celebrated and audacious attack of the Second World War: the capture of the Belgian fort of Eben-Emael on 10 May 1940 by German parachute troops. This operation saw for the first time the use of gliders and hollow charges, while simultaneously demonstrating the possibility of dropping paratroopers behind enemy lines, in true commando fashion.
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The Maginot Line - Design, Construction, Fate
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The Maginot Line - Design, Construction, Fate

L20210071
€18.96
The Maginot Line is the third French fortified system. While its construction is explained by the prevailing context of the interwar period, it is also explained by a centuries-old pattern of behaviour aimed at securing French borders.
Grand Illustrated Book of the Gardien de la Paix Uniform... Grand Illustrated Book of the Gardien de la Paix Uniform... 2
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Grand Illustrated Book of the Gardien de la Paix Uniform and Its History

L20210069
€37.87
Rediscover the great chapters of French history through the evolution of the gardien de la paix and his uniforms, from 1829 — the year the world's first uniformed police force was created — to the present day. By the very nature of their profession, the gardiens de la paix found themselves at the heart of our history; they took part in it, often out of...
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MAY–JUNE 40, the Invader's Gaze — Unpublished German... MAY–JUNE 40, the Invader's Gaze — Unpublished German... 2
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MAY–JUNE 40, the Invader's Gaze — Unpublished German Photographs of the Debacle

L20210060
€23.70
The present work revisits the German perspective on the Battle of France of May–June 1940. Unprecedented, drawn from a private collection of more than 2,000 photographs, this book presents essentially "private" images, in the sense that they were taken by the soldiers themselves as "souvenirs" to bring home — in which respect they fulfil the same role as...
Rouen 1940–1945: Through the Years of Occupation
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Rouen 1940–1945: Through the Years of Occupation

L20210053
€25.59
When a passionate local historian meets someone who loves the city where he grew up, it inevitably ends in an exchange of stories and anecdotes. But when both share a passion for historical photographs, it draws them even closer together, and projects begin to take shape. Thierry Chion and Jonathan Sobielga share a love of photographic testimony depicting...
Bitter Victory — Southern Soldiers from June 1919 to June...
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Bitter Victory — Southern Soldiers from June 1919 to June 1940

L20210052
€11.85 €23.70
Following "Des soldats méridionaux dans la guerre 1914–1918" published in 2018, here is the second volume, entitled "Amère Victoire. Des soldats méridionaux, juin 1919 à juin 1940." The Treaty of Versailles in June 1919 resolved none of the rivalries between nations still bled dry by the war of 1914–1918. The Midi attempted to rebuild a different world,...
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INTELLIGENCE AND ACTION — From the "Phoney War" to...
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INTELLIGENCE AND ACTION — From the "Phoney War" to Special Operations: 80 Years of...

L20210049
€18.96
This work is a plea for intelligence and a tribute to those who practise it. The analysis of the past, from the "drôle de guerre" of 1940 onwards, allows us to trace the evolution of this discipline leading to the current Direction du renseignement militaire — through multiple experiences on various theatres: the Gulf, Chad, the Balkans, Cambodia and...
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1940, THE FRENCH SOLDIER Volume 1 1940, THE FRENCH SOLDIER Volume 1 2
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1940, THE FRENCH SOLDIER Volume 1

L20160212
€28.39
The French Soldier 1940. Volume 1. Uniform, headgear, badges, by Olivier Bellec. The French Army of 1939–40 was in the midst of transformation. The concepts that prevailed at the end of the 19th century regarding uniforms and equipment were giving way to more modern ones, stemming in particular from mechanisation and technical progress. The equipment then...
THEY FOUGHT May-June 1940 - Unpublished Photos and... THEY FOUGHT May-June 1940 - Unpublished Photos and... 2
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THEY FOUGHT May-June 1940 - Unpublished Photos and Testimonies of the Battle of France

L20200278
€23.70
The defeat of 1940 remains the greatest political and moral drama to have shaken France in the 20th century. Beaten in six weeks, the French have since retained the impression of an ill-equipped national army and a poorly commanded country, quicker to flee than to resist the enemy. More broadly, the "syndrome of forty" is a deep trauma in the collective...
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From Antwerp to Dunkirk - 1940 War Memoirs
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From Antwerp to Dunkirk - 1940 War Memoirs

L20200276
€17.06
This book traces the war of an ordinary soldier. In a sober style, Lucien Richard, a corporal conscripted into the 121st RI, gives a day-by-day account of the episodes of his campaign against Germany in 1940. Setting off like his comrades — confident and determined — to aid Holland, he is forced to face the reality: aircraft and tanks give the Germans an...
France 1940 – Massacred!
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France 1940 – Massacred!

L20200260
€23.70
The tragic fate of African and Indochinese soldiers in Picardy and Normandy No, this book has nothing demagogic about it — the author neither seeks to flatter nor to promote himself. Those put forward are the men themselves: the actors of the bloody fighting on the Somme in June 1940, the massacres of which African soldiers were victims, and those that...
1940 - A Strange Defeat
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1940 - A Strange Defeat

L20200193
€8.53 €17.06
May–June 1940 Disaster, rout, shipwreck, collapse, catastrophe… The defeat of the French army in 1940 was experienced as a genuine shockwave. Its speed and brutality reinforced the ideological victory of the future Vichy government and plunged the country into the darkest hours of its history. Yet nothing seems able to shake the distorted view that...
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THE HISTORY OF THE MARINE INFANTRY THROUGH THEIR UNIFORMS THE HISTORY OF THE MARINE INFANTRY THROUGH THEIR UNIFORMS 2
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THE HISTORY OF THE MARINE INFANTRY THROUGH THEIR UNIFORMS

L20200147
€18.96
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Bazeilles in 1870 — which is also the feast day of the Marine Infantry — the EMSOME (État-major spécialisé pour l'Outre-mer et l'Étranger) publishes with Histoire & Collections this work, which retraces the history of the Marine Infantry, formerly the Colonial Troops, through their uniforms....
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THE INEXORABLE DEFEAT – May–June 1940
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THE INEXORABLE DEFEAT – May–June 1940

L20200140
€65.40
After forty-five days of fighting in which heroism vied with cowardice and courage with failure, France reached the end of its ordeal. It is the causes of this inexorable defeat — from the most obvious to the most unsuspected — that this book sets out to analyse point by point.
ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FRENCH BOMBER AIRCRAFT 1939-1942
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ENCYCLOPAEDIA OF FRENCH BOMBER AIRCRAFT 1939-1942

L20200131
€42.56
REPRINT IN PROGRESS - AVAILABILITY APRIL 2021 - RESERVE YOUR COPY In keeping with the two reference works "Encyclopédie des avions de chasse français" and "Camouflages et marques de l'Aviation Française", Caraktère editions are pleased to announce the release of a third volume dedicated to French bomber and reconnaissance aircraft.
MAURIENNE 1940
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MAURIENNE 1940

L20200124
€34.12
On 3 September 1939, following Hitler's invasion of Poland, France and the United Kingdom declared war on Germany. Italy, an ally of that country, announced its non-belligerence. Autumn and winter passed in reinforcing the defensive dispositions amid a certain torpor. In spring, the snowmelt revived the transalpine threat. From 10 May onwards, with the...
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JUNE 1940 THE BATTLE OF ABBEVILLE – From the Rhineland to Caen with the Company of the "List" Regiment
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JUNE 1940 THE BATTLE OF ABBEVILLE – From the Rhineland to Caen with the Company of the...

L20200120
€20.38
The chronicle of the journey of the horse-drawn infantry gun company of the famous "List" Regiment, which distinguished itself in 1914 and was also the regiment of one Adolf Hitler. Day by day, we follow this unit from the Rhineland to Normandy, passing through Saint-Quentin, Amiens, Le Havre, Rouen and Giberville, near Caen. Day by day, we share the...
DE GAULLE IN HELMET – A New Approach to the Drama
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DE GAULLE UNDER FIRE – A New Approach to the Drama

L20200117
€23.70
A gripping account of a brief but violent period in the life of General de Gaulle who, from 28 May to 5 June 1940, resisted the Germans on the Somme at the head of five hundred tanks.
The Strange Capture, May 1940 – Unpublished Notebooks of...
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The Strange Capture, May 1940 – Unpublished Notebooks of a 1st Army Staff Officer

L20200108
€16.02
"That evening, a coded telegram was received from Grand Headquarters, the content of which was as follows: 'Commander Fauvelle has set out your situation to me and to Mr Paul Reynaud. I do not underestimate your difficulties. I am counting on you to save everything that can possibly be saved, in honour of the colours in your keeping.' For anyone who can...
ALL THE ARMORED VEHICLES OF THE FRENCH ARMY - From... ALL THE ARMORED VEHICLES OF THE FRENCH ARMY - From... 2
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ALL THE ARMORED VEHICLES OF THE FRENCH ARMY - From Origins to 1940

L20200076
€37.87
2nd edition of Tous les blindés de l'armée française des origines à 1940, by François Vauvillier. When France entered the war in September 1939, its rearmament effort since the adoption of the first new-model equipment in 1935 had been considerable: more than 2,700 modern combat vehicles — tanks and armoured cars — had been delivered over four years by...
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1940 - TRUTHS AND LEGENDS
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1940 - TRUTHS AND LEGENDS

L20200073
€12.32
The defeat of 1940: how did it come to this? On 13 May 1940, three days after the start of the German offensive, the lines of the French army were breached. On 17 June, Pétain called for a cessation of fighting. On 22 June, the armistice was signed in the forest of Compiègne. On 10 July, deputies and senators voted full powers to the Marshal. In two...
THE DRAMA OF 1940 - General André Beaufre
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THE DRAMA OF 1940 - General André Beaufre

L20200071
€18.01
« The wind of History, when it rises, overpowers the will of men, but it is for men to foresee these storms, to contain them, and even, at the limit, to know how to harness them. » A member of the Grand Quartier général at the time of the Wehrmacht's invasion of France, General André Beaufre was the powerless witness to a collapse without precedent in...
THE SOLDIERS OF 1940. A SACRIFICED GENERATION
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THE SOLDIERS OF 1940. A SACRIFICED GENERATION

L20200067
€22.75
The history of the « phoney war », which mobilised five million French soldiers from 1939 to the defeat of June 1940, has long been reduced, in our national memory, to the Fernandel of La vache et le prisonnier or the adventures of La Septième compagnie. Eighty years after that « strange defeat », the heroes of Dunkirk or of the Maginot Line — prisoners...
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ROMMEL IN NORMANDY - France 1940
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ROMMEL IN NORMANDY - France 1940

L20200055
€23.70
Rommel's passage through Normandy in June 1940 is often overshadowed. The author sought to highlight this brief episode, which was far from straightforward for his division, which nonetheless captured three Norman ports. Ancelle, Boos, Elbeuf, Yvetot, Fécamp, Saint-Valery-en-Caux, Le Havre, L'Aigle, La Haye-du-Puits, Marinvast, Cherbourg — Rommel is one...
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1940 THE BATTLE OF DUNKIRK ON LAND AND AT SEA
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1940 THE BATTLE OF DUNKIRK ON LAND AND AT SEA

L20200049
€18.96
The Battle of Dunkirk of May–June 1940 is in fact little known: most authors, particularly Anglo-Saxon ones, focus on the evacuation that saved the greater part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) and more than 120,000 French soldiers, yet a fierce battle was also fought.
My Exodus of June 1940 – Le Havre, Trouville, Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët
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My Exodus of June 1940 – Le Havre, Trouville, Saint-Hilaire-du-Harcouët

L20200228
€18.86
Gérard Régnier recounts his exodus of June 1940 as a historian, placing it precisely within a period that, with hindsight, appears as the darkest in our national history: the "dark years." He meticulously describes the international situation during the 1930s, the retreat of the French and British Allies in the face of Hitler's provocations and his "bluff...
THE BATTLE OF DUNKIRK - 26 May – 3 June 1940
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THE AIR BATTLE OF DUNKIRK — 26 May – 3 June 1940

L20190166
€20.85
"Where is the RAF?" This question was the leitmotif of the troops encircled in the Dunkirk pocket and awaiting re-embarkation, as they were subjected to the relentless air raids of the Luftwaffe.
History of the 1st Polish Armoured Division - 1939-1945: The Phoenix Odyssey
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History of the 1st Polish Armoured Division - 1939-1945: The Phoenix Odyssey

L20190010
€24.64
On the morning of 1 September 1939, 4,000 men set out to face German forces south of Kraków. They came from the 10th Cavalry Brigade, the only large motorised unit in the Polish army, and unknowingly embarked on an unprecedented epic. Holding three Wehrmacht divisions in check to the eastern borders of Poland, they managed despite the defeat to cross into...
THE FRENCH GENERALS OF 1940
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THE FRENCH GENERALS OF 1940

L20190027
€36.02
In May–June 1940, the French Army suffered the worst defeat in its history: nearly two million prisoners, entire divisions annihilated with their equipment lost, and more than half of national territory overrun by the Wehrmacht.
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Encyclopedia of French Fighter Aircraft 1939-1942 Encyclopedia of French Fighter Aircraft 1939-1942 2
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Encyclopaedia of French Fighter Aircraft 1939–1942

L20180205
€37.82
This encyclopaedia devoted to French fighter aircraft of the 1939–42 period offers a sweeping panorama of the state of our aeronautical industry on the eve of an unprecedented cataclysm in the history of our country.
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All Laffly Military Vehicles 1914-1940 All Laffly Military Vehicles 1914-1940 2
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All Laffly Military Vehicles 1914–1940 – Vauvillier Collection

L20180148
€18.96
LAFFLY Who could have predicted that the venerable company founded in the mid-19th century and for a very long time specialised in road-building equipment would become one of the most celebrated manufacturers of vehicles for the French army?
The Panzers: France 1940
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The Panzers: France 1940

L20180049
€27.96
Following the success of Jean-Yves Mary's works, in particular Corridor des Panzers and Zur Küste, it was essential to complete this remarkable body of documentation. In this first volume, the German armoured forces, their units, commanders and the history of their engagements are recalled with rich iconography including documents and colour profiles.
French Armored Forces - May and June 1940
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French Armour - May and June 1940

L20180046
€27.96
This album presents the French armoured forces in the battle of May–June 1940. It covers first the fighting tanks with presentations of the equipment (FT 17, D1, D2, R35, H35, FCM, H39, B1, FCM2C) as well as the units (DCR, BCC and CACC).
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MEMORIAL OF THE BATTLE OF FRANCE — Volume 3, from 5 to 16 June 1940 MEMORIAL OF THE BATTLE OF FRANCE — Volume 3, from 5 to 16 June 1940 2
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Memorial of the Battle of France - Volume 3, 5 to 16 June 1940

L20180008
€55.92
On 5 June 1940, the Germans launched their second major offensive of the campaign against a severely weakened French army. The fighting on the Somme and the Aisne was of great intensity before the attacker's numerical and material superiority forced French troops to fall back gradually.
1940, The Mark of Defeat - Testimonies and Archives (co-Ed) 1940, The Mark of Defeat - Testimonies and Archives (co-Ed) 2
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1940, The Mark of Defeat - Testimonies and Archives

SHD-SHD 523
€17.06
This volume examines the consequences of the 1940 collapse on French archives: the impact of the fighting despite protective measures, reorganisations under the Occupation, and the mechanisms of German seizures.
Dieppe 1940-1944
  • -50%
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DIEPPE 1940–1944 – Unpublished Images & Testimonies

L20170140
€11.38 €22.75
This is not yet another book about the history of Dieppe during the Second World War, or about the Dieppe Raid — it is above all a document, meaning something that shows, that delivers views and viewpoints most of which are previously unpublished.
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Dunkirk 1940–1945: historical & tourist guide: itineraries Dunkirk 1940–1945: historical & tourist guide: itineraries 2
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Dunkirk 1940–1945: Historical & Tourist Guide: Itineraries

L20170127
€6.64 €13.27
The town of Dunkirk played a leading role during the Second World War, not only during Operation Dynamo in May and June 1940, but also during the final year of the conflict, when the Germans held on in a pocket that did not surrender until May 1945.
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BREGUET 693
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BREGUET 693

L20170099
€23.65
The Breguet 693 had its baptism of fire in May 1940. Eleven aircraft from GBA 1/54 were committed in the Maastricht area against German columns. Unfortunately, the ground-attack tactics employed proved disastrous, leaving the aircraft particularly vulnerable, and ten of them, cut down by Flak, did not return. A twin-engine, two-seat attack bomber carrying...
Reconnaissance Armored Cars Volume 2 — The AMR 35 Renault
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Reconnaissance Armoured Cars Volume 2: The AMR 35 Renault

L20160338
€28.44
Following the introduction of the first reconnaissance armoured car model adopted in 1933 (AMR 33), the cavalry requested an improved version from Renault, with a rear-mounted engine. It was adopted in 1935, hence its designation AMR 35.
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THE PANZER CORRIDOR - VOLUME 2, TO THE SEA ZUR KÜSTE: 16-21 MAY 1940
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THE PANZER CORRIDOR — VOLUME 2, TO THE SEA ZÜR KÜSTE: 16–21 MAY 1940

L20160062
€54.98
This second volume, devoted to the drama of May 1940, presents the great turning point of the battle. By the morning of 16 May 1940, the outcome of the battle was already sealed. The French High Command would try by every means to re-establish a front by throwing before the advancing German units formations hurriedly recalled from Holland or Belgium — and...
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WOMEN IN THE SERVICE OF FRANCE Volume 1: THE FRENCH RED...
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WOMEN IN THE SERVICE OF FRANCE Volume 1: THE FRENCH RED CROSS 1914–1940

L20160159
€33.18
OUT OF PRINT — LAST COPY — USED, GOOD CONDITION Volume 1 of the book "Women in the Service of France - 1919-1940" explores the general role of women in national defence, and in particular the societies affiliated with the French Red Cross: Société de secours aux blessés militaires, Association des dames françaises, Union des femmes de France, Service...
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MEN AND WORKS OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOLUME 2 MEN AND WORKS OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOLUME 2 2
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MEN AND WORKS OF THE MAGINOT LINE VOLUME 2

L20160140
€37.87
The gigantic undertaking that was the Maginot Line requires, in order to render a complete technical and historical account of it, a division into several volumes. Thus our Volume 1, which met with remarkable success upon its release, was devoted partly to the genesis of the Line and partly to the infantry regiments of the North-East fortress.
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The Phoney War, the Blitzkrieg and the Battle of France

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