Description
A vivid blend of history and travel and a sweeping story of collaboration and resistance, fear and heroism, pacifism and sacrifice all set against the backdrop of the Pyrenees.
'A beguiling mix of travel, memoir, history and good old-fashioned storytelling - a slice of hidden France' Kate Mosse
'Combining memoir, fact and storytelling, Bailey does an impressive job' INDEPENDENT
'A moving account of of the region during World War Two' TIME OUT
Over the fifteen years Rosemary has been living in the region, the more she realised she didn't know about the war; about the French during the Occupation, the real role of the Resistance, the level of collaboration, the concentration camps in the Pyrenees and the treatment of Jews and other refugees. It is still very much a veiled history and most of the archives remain firmly closed.
LOVE AND WAR IN THE PYRENEES is a portrait of human tragedy, heroism and cruelty that will create a picture of the period from a contemporary angle, the history linked to sights that can still be visited, and brought to life by letters, interviews and encounters with people today, including the historians currently trying to investigate what really happened.
A vivid blend of history and travel and a sweeping story of collaboration and resistance, fear and heroism, pacifism and sacrifice all set against the backdrop of the Pyrenees.
About the Author
Rosemary Bailey studied English and Philosophy at Bristol University and worked as a journalist and travel writer, livng for several years in New York before basing herself in France. In 1997 Rosemary and her husband bought Corbiac, a ruined Romanesque monastery whch they restored - an experience recounted in Life in a Postcard. This same monastery features in Love and War in the Pyrenees as a place of refuge and escape during the Second World war. www.rosemarybailey.com
Reviews
A moving account of of the region during World War Two * TIME OUT *
A beguiling mix of travel, memoir, history and good old-fashioned storytelling - a slice of hidden France -- Kate Mosse
The tales of derring-do in Rosemary Bailey's latest book would not be out of place in a Boy's Own adventure story... thorough, thought-provoking and at times deeply disturbing account of the impact of the Second World War on the villages and towns of the Pyrenees... a quiet triumph of historical reconstruction * JEWISH CHRONICLE *
Impossible to put down... fascinating.... sheds new light * www.francesalut.com *
Important that Rosemary Bailey's investigative work reaches as wide an audience as possible ... stories are told fluently in Bailey's fluid, evocative prose, in which historical facts merge seamlessly with travel memoirs and personal recollections * YORKSHIRE POST *
Her style of writing adds colour, depth and personality to what could otherwise be a dark subject matter... not only an interesting read... fascinating * FRANCE MAGAZINE *
Fascinating... courage, cruelty, heroism and the truth about both resistance and collaboration are revealed in a work that brilliantly reconstructs a past that is still contested * WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY *
Bailey renders history personal and so brings it to life * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *
Combining memoir, fact and storytelling, Bailey does an impressive job * INDEPENDENT *
Part travel book, part history, part personal memoir, this is a gripping read * NORTHERN ECHO *
Fascinating... courage, cruelty, heroism and the truth about both resistance and collaboration are revealed in a work that brilliantly reconstructs a past that is still contested. * WATERSTONES BOOKS QUARTERLY *
Bailey renders history personal and so brings it to life. * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *
Combining memoir, fact and storytelling, Bailey does an impressive job. * INDEPENDENT *
Part travel book, part history, part persnoal memoir, this is a gripping read. * NORTHERN ECHO *
Book Information
ISBN 9780753825914
Author Rosemary Bailey
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publisher Orion Publishing Co
Weight(grams) 290g
Dimensions(mm) 197mm * 130mm * 23mm