This received the imprimatur of the university, having been directed by two professors: Anne-Marie Cocula, specialized in modern history, and Bernard Lachaise, in contemporary history.
Time concordance
Both brought together around ten historians, each specialized in a theme, a period. For these researchers, “the synthesis effort was sometimes frustrating,” recognizes Bernard Lachaise. But the result is there: a book that has become a reference for its seriousness, its accessibility and its acuity.
Published by Fanlac Editions, it was released in 2020. In the midst of Covid, its promotion to the general public had suffered, almost completely hidden except for the signatures of authors here and there. Despite this, its 1,500 copies sold out, requiring a reissue.
This was the opportunity to present it in due form, on Monday, June 17, in the gilded halls of the Périgueux prefecture. We were able to (re)discover these 345 pages which allow us to immerse ourselves in an era through six chapters, from before the war until its release.
The chronological construction of the book, its methodological clarity, its tone without excessive emphasis offer the seriousness necessary for this period, counterbalanced by the richness of the illustrations and maps which accompany these pages. But the sensitivities of the time, the political life of the pre-war period find remarkable and sometimes unexpected resonances with the most immediate current events.
