Charles de Gaulle - Mémoires de Guerre. [Reliures tricolores à la Croix de Lorraine] - 1954-1959

Original edition, complete in 3 volumes octavo of 'Mémoires de Guerre' by Charles de Gaulle, published respectively in 1954, 1956, and 1959. Supplemented with three large fold-out maps at the end of the volumes.

Set in three beautiful bindings in the colors of the French flag, in half-blue, ivory, and red calfskin. The spine is decorated with a gold Cross of Lorraine, with the author and title in gold lettering. Mottled edges. The first cover is preserved.

Assembled in very good condition, bindings very well preserved. Slight rubbing on the spines and a small stain on the second cover of volume III (red). Interior pages are impeccable.

Charles de Gaulle, in this work, exposes the epic of Free France during World War II and describes its course with great detail. He adds numerous documents in appendices to support his statements (unlike Winston Churchill in The Second World War, who included them within the main text), such as maps, telegrams, letters, transcriptions of speeches or interviews. He positions himself as a defender of traditional French values, as a patriot fighting for the greatness of his country, and the opening sentences of these Memoirs already reflect his national pride and vision of France:

All my life, I have held a certain idea of France. The feeling inspires me as much as reason does. What is in me emotionally naturally imagines France as a princess from fairy tales or the Madonna on wall frescoes, destined for an eminent and exceptional fate. Instinctively, I feel that Providence created her for great successes or exemplary misfortunes. Yet, if mediocrity marks her actions, I experience it as an absurd anomaly, attributable to the faults of the French, not to the genius of the homeland. But also, the positive side of my mind convinces me that France is truly herself only at the forefront; that only grand endeavors can compensate for the seeds of dispersion her people carry within; that our country, as it is, among others, as they are, must aim high and stand tall, under penalty of mortal danger. In short, in my view, France cannot be France without greatness.

Written during his desert crossing, between his resignation from the government on January 20, 1946, and his recall in 1958, the Memoirs of war allow Charles de Gaulle to specify the historical facts associated with the fight for the liberation of France.

Author: Charles de Gaulle
War Memoirs. I. The Call 1940-1942 - II. Unity 1942-1944 - III. Salvation 1944-1946.
Publication: Paris, Librairie Plon - Les Petits-fils de Plon et Nourrit
3/3 vol. in-8 of Collation 684, 716, and 656 pages.

Subject: Charles de Gaulle Memoirs of War Original Edition 3/3 1954 1959 The Call 1940-1942 - II. Unity 1942-1944 - III. Salvation 1944-1946