Taking Paris: The Epic Battle for the City of Lights

From Martin Dugard, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthor of Bill O'Reilly's Killing series-with more than 12 million copies sold-comes a thrilling account of the World War II Allied liberation of Paris from the grip of the NazisAugust 1944: After two months of combat and slaughter in the wake of D-Day, Hitler's troops have managed to avoid annihilation. Countless German soldiers retreat from Normandy, sweeping a path of violence back to Nazi-occupied Paris. There, they expect to make a last stand, ready to destroy the ancient city rather than see it fall from Hitler's grasp.The Allies have a clear path toward Germany. General Eisenhower intends to bypass the city, fearing that overseeing its four million inhabitants will place an unnecessary burden on his supply lines. He knows that seizing Paris, instead of pressing the immediate advantage toward the German heartland, is a mistake.But Paris, a symbol of the liberty the Allies hold so dear, is different. Over 120,000 Parisians have died since the German occupation began in 1940, and countless more tortured in the city's Gestapo prisons and sent to death camps. The longer the Nazis hold the city, the greater danger its citizens face. The exiled general Charles de Gaulle, headquartered in the bar of London's Connaught Hotel, convinces Eisenhower to put Paris before Berlin. Unless Paris is taken immediately, he tells Ike, the City of Light will be leveled. The race for Paris begins.Story Locale: France