Nicholas Atkin: 5 books

At the time of its founding, few predicted that the Fifth Republic would survive. It is a regime whose obituary has been written several times over, but which stubbornly refuses to die. Adopting a chronological framework, this up-to-date study examines how the regime emerged out of the chaos of the Algerian...

Pétain (1856-1951) remains one of the most controversial figures in the history of modern France. He was saviour of his country at Verdun in 1916 during the First World War, but tried for treason as head of state of the collaborationist Vichy government after World War II. Were his actions those...

The years 1934 to 1944 remain the most contentious and dramatic decade in modern French history. Covering the Occupation, the Vichy regime, the Resistance and collaboration, Nick Atkin provides an important introduction to this key period. Accessible and concise, the book offers a wide-ranging synthesis...

The Wiley-Blackwell Dictionary of Modern European History Since 1789 is an authoritative and accessible reference guide to the major people, events, and issues that have shaped the development of Europe from the French Revolution to the present day. Features almost a thousand alphabetical entries...

It is assumed that those French in Britain during World War II - Dunkirk refugees; servicemen; Vichy consular officials; colonists - were supporters of De Gaulle. This study examines the hopes and fears of these communities: how they fitted into British life and how the British viewed them.