De Gaulle: a political biography

by Alexander Werth

Paperback, 1967

Status

Available

Call number

979.004

Collection

Publication

Pelican Books / Penguin (1967), Paperback, 437 pages

Description

"Since his initial appearance in the press in 1877, Geronimo has seldom been absent from public attention. This book explores the ways in which the famous Chiricahua Apache has been represented in various media, including literature, film, music, and photography. It also examines Geronimo's manipulation of his own image during his time as prisoner of war"--

User reviews

LibraryThing member GeorgeBowling
A contemporary portrait of a man still in power.
Werth seems to have leftist sympathies- unusual in a Russian exile - and sees de Gaulle as a man who "learned" to be more radical as he grew older. Though he had a dodgy, at least semi Fascist past, he withdrew voluntarily from the remaining French
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colonies, established friendly relations with the Soviet Union, made overtures to China, and denounced American adventurism, condemning the Viet Nam war from the start.
De Gaulle also built up a nuclear arsenal, which Werth mentions but does not really discuss.
His focus is very much on international affairs and he says little about domestic or economic matters.
This volume ends with the Gaullists' poor showing in the Assembley elections of 1967. The chapter is headed "Accident or Disavowal". Events got exciting in the next few years with the "events" of May 1968 seeming to briefly to promise yet another French Revolution, but in fact resulting in a Bonapartist reaction which reversed the results of the 1967 election and seemed to make de Gaulle more powerful and secure than ever. But he over-reached himself, lost a referendum in 1969, resigned and died the following year.
Werth could not have written much of this as he himself died in 1969; but I must search out another author who can tell the tale.
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Language

ISBN

none
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