Author: Jean Edward Smith File Type: epub Prize-winning and bestselling historian Jean Edward Smith tells t he dramatic story of the liberation of Paris during World War IIa triumph that was achieved through the remarkable efforts of Americans, French, and Germans, all racing to save the city from destruction. Following their breakout from Normandy in late June 1944, the Allies swept across northern France in pursuit of the German army. The Allies intended to bypass Paris and cross the Rhine into Germany, ending the war before winter set in. But as they advanced, local forces in Paris began their own liberation, defying the occupying German troops. Charles de Gaulle, the leading figure of the Free French government, urged General Dwight Eisenhower to divert forces to liberate Paris. Eisenhowers most senior staff recommended otherwise, but Ike wanted to help position de Gaulle to lead France after the war. And both men were concerned about partisan conflict in Paris that could leave the communists in control of the city and the national government, perhaps even causing a bloodbath like the Paris Commune. Neither man knew that the German commandant, Dietrich von Choltitz, convinced that the war was lost, dissembled and schemed to surrender the city to the Allies intact, defying Hitlers orders to leave it a burning ruin. In The Liberation of Paris , Jean Edward Smith puts this dramatic event in context, showing how the decision to free the city came at a heavy price it slowed the Allied momentum and allowed the Germans to regroup. After the war German generals argued that Eisenhowers decision to enter Paris prolonged the war for another six months. Was Paris worth this price? Smith answers this question in his superb, dramatic history of one of the great events of World War IIpublished seventy-five years after the liberation. **Review I read Jean Edward Smiths The Liberation of Paris with tears in my eyes and huge admiration. It is still one of the most moving moments in the history of the Second World WarI remember my mother opening a bottle of champagne and singing La Marseillaise when we heard the newsand Jean portrays not only the drama and suspense of the event, but the character of the people who were involved, in a very objective way, giving full weight to the profound importance of General de Gaulle, and to the crucial role of General Eisenhower, for which he has never received sufficient credit. This is great history. (Michael Korda, author of Ike An American Hero ) To mark its 75th anniversary, Jean Edward Smith has written an epic story of the Allied liberation of Paris in August 1944. Filled with some of the most dramatic scenes of World War II, Smiths compelling account of how the great City of Light was saved from destruction is history at its finest. (Carlo DEste, author of Decision in Normandy and Patton A Genius for War ) A tightly focused study of the political reasons that the Allies hesitated to liberate Paris when they could. Eminent historian Smith has such a breadth of knowledge of this era in history that he is able to offer a distillation of swift-moving events surrounding the 1944 liberation of Paris in a marvelously readable fashion. . . . A succinctly instructive historical narrative by a top-notch historian and author. (Kirkus Reviews) Jean Edward Smith is a marvelous historian, and in his latest work he does not disappoint. The Liberation of Paris is a scintillating and fascinating book. How was one of the great cities of the world saved? Its a rousing tale. Bravo! (Jay Winik, author of 1944 and April 1865 ) One of the most dramatic events of World War II was the liberation of Paris by French and American troops in August 1944. Behind the drama was a complex tangle of military and political considerations that Jean Edward Smith disentangles with extraordinary clarity in this vivid narrative that highlights the actions of de Gaulle, Eisenhower, and especially General Dietrich von Choltitz, commander of German occupation forces, who defied Hitlers orders to destroy Paris before surrendering. (James McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom ) The Liberation of Paris is a remarkable story that shows how three men from warring sides of an epic struggle saved Paris. Smiths book is a must-read that brims with heroism, intrigue, chaos and danger. (Susan Eisenhower ) A fascinating chapter in the larger of story of the Allied victory in Europe. (Booklist) An outstanding concise history of one of the most dramatic moments of WWII the liberation of the City of Light in August 1944. . . . Smith is an outstanding historian and tells a dramatic story well. This is a solid contribution to the history of WWII. (Publishers Weekly) About the Author Jean Edward Smith taught at the University of Toronto for thirty-five years, and at Marshall University for twelve. He has also been a visiting scholar at Columbia, Princeton, and Georgetown. He is the author of Bush , a biography of the 43rd president Eisenhower in War and Peace FDR , winner of the 2008 Francis Parkman Prize of the Society of American Historians Grant , a 2002 Pulitzer Prize finalistand John Marshall Definer of a Nation.

Author: David-Hillel Ruben File Type: pdf In this book, the author provides an account of three central ideas in the philosophy of action trying to act, acting or doing, and ones action causing further consequences. In all three cases, novel theories of these phenomena are offered trying to act is not a particular mental or physical act but can be explained using conditionals that action is not the same as causing something to happen and in the case of a special but important subset of actions, for example the opening of a window, the action is identical to the event of the windows opening. A result of this last account is that it places actions out in the world, sometimes far removed in time and space from the actors body. The world is full of action actions do not just exist in the many little islands of space and time that all of our bodies inhabit. In the final chapter, Ruben describes and discusses a skeptical challenge to the idea that we can ever know whether or not someone else has acted, rather than just passive events having happened to that person. **