• France on Trial

  • The Case of Marshal Pétain
  • By: Julian Jackson
  • Narrated by: Michael Chance
  • Length: 14 hrs and 59 mins
  • 4.8 out of 5 stars (14 ratings)

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France on Trial  By  cover art

France on Trial

By: Julian Jackson
Narrated by: Michael Chance
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Publisher's summary

In October 1940, few things were more shocking than the sight of Marshal Philippe Petain—supremely decorated hero of WWI, now head of the French government—shaking hands with Hitler. Pausing to look at the cameras, Petain announced that France would henceforth collaborate with Germany. Five years later, after a wave of violent reprisals following the liberation of Paris, Petain was put on trial for his conduct during the war. He stood accused of treason, charged with heading a conspiracy to destroy France's democratic government and collaborating with Nazi Germany. The defense claimed he had sacrificed his personal honor to save France and insisted he had shielded the French people from the full scope of Nazi repression. Former resisters called for the death penalty, but many identified with this conservative military hero who had promised peace with dignity.

Julian Jackson uses Petain's three-week trial as a lens through which to examine one of history's great moral dilemmas. Was the policy of collaboration "four years to erase from our history," as the prosecution claimed? Or was it, as conservative politicians insist to this day, a sacrifice that placed pragmatism above moral purity? Jackson blends courtroom drama, political intrigue, and brilliant narrative history to highlight the hard choices and moral compromises leaders make in times of war.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2023 Julian Jackson (P)2023 Tantor

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Great book, so detailed

The people come alive through all these details. Lots of viewpoints are expressed and reactions to them. Prevalent viewpoints keep changing — it’s all fascinating. I love France, their history, their language. The reader/performer seems to love all these too. One pronunciation I don’t understand: why pronounce the S on the end of Camus?

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Been waiting for this!

A thoroughly fascinating view into the Judgment of Marshall Petain. I loved this but it’s worth noting that the actual “trial” is only a part of the book. I found the last part the most interesting as Jackson went into detail examining Petains legacy on French politics.

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