Is Paris Burning?

By: Larry Collins, Dominique Lapierre

Narrated by: Frederick Davidson

Length: 16 hrs and 45 mins

Publisher's summary

"Is Paris burning?" is the question Hitler asked over and over as the French Second and American Fourth Divisions battered their way into the city.

Few moments in history are as stirring as the Allied liberation of Paris. Yet few people are aware of how narrowly, and how miraculously, the city escaped Hitler's secret plan to reduce it to ashes. Is Paris Burning? reconstructs, in meticulous and riveting detail, the network of fateful events, day by day, moment by moment, that saved the City of Light.

Best-selling authors and renowned journalists Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre spent three years researching this stirring book. They drew on French Resistance radio messages, German military records, and secret correspondence between de Gaulle, Churchill, Roosevelt, and Eisenhower. They tracked down and interviewed countless people: soldiers, civilians, Allied generals, and even the Nazi commandant who helped Paris fight for her life. And they re-created the drama, the fervor, and the triumph that heralded one of the most dramatic events of our time.

©1965 Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre (P)1994 Blackstone Audiobooks

Critic reviews

"Is Paris Burning? is researched with meticulous and riveting detail, well narrated, and certain to keep you intrigued." (AudioFile)

I enjoyed this book a great deal

Very compelling history. I had no idea how close Paris had come to destruction, saved by a German general disobeying direct orders from Hitler, and diverting allied troops intent on bypassing Paris on their way to Berlin.

Is Paris Burning?

Interesting and had no idea about this story. This is something that seems to have been passed over in history lessons. If someone different had been sent to Paris, a large part of history would have been changed. Enjoyed the book.

excellent book but recording not so great

great narrative but hard to hear reader. A great read! A different narrator might help.

Is Paris Burning?

I decided to revisit this book after reading it decades ago and loving it then. I hoped it had held up over the years. It is STILL a fascinating, sweep-you-along, joyous, heartbreaking tale of the liberation of Paris. Better even the second time, when I could bring maturity to the book

Great Book Wonderfully Read

Been on my 'to read' list for years. Now it's off because I listened to it while walking.....miles. Got lost in the story and would walk longer than I planned for several days. Great book.

Incredible story + the worst French accent

Seriously discordant to hear wretched accent recounting a story where French names are legion. The story itself, however, is artfully written.

Is Paris Burnning

I first read this book when it was published, and have since gone on to read other books from this author. For me it was a thrilling day by day account of the last days of German Occupation of Paris. It is a real "page turner" and I didn't want to miss a word. Books I enjoy this much I read over and sometimes over again. To find this on audible was a special treat. I highly recommend it to all.

An outstanding piece of history that I had missed

Although this book has been in print for 30 years, I had always assumed Paris was not destroyed because of a decision by Hitler to withdraw his troops, akin to the events in Prague. Perhaps it was my ignorance of the actual events (or was it the excellent narrative) that made this a delightful listening experience. Particularly fascinating was the relationship between the French and American military leadership and the most surprising was the collusion of the German general in charge of Paris with the Allies. Although I was initially put off by the formal British accent of the reader, it grew on me. A great story!

A Heartwarming Story

While I had seen the movie Many years ago - I had not read the book.
Good pace to the story and the narrator does a decent job with the multitude of accents of the participants.
Very moving when Paris is liberated and I found myself appreciative that there was some honor in the German officer corps.
Sad though with all the personal stories of loss -soldiers who didn't live to see the end result - citizens sent off to concentration camps at the very end.
All in all a great book

Interesting history

This book is worth the listen, but not a high priority. The underlying book is an interesting one, but the narration gets on the nerves after awhile. Every German sounds like Col. Klink from Hogan's Heroes...same voice, same inflection. It's hard to overlook after awhile!