Description
Book SynopsisThe inspiring and unknown story of how the villagers of Graignes joined in solidarity with US paratroopers following the invasion of Normandy. Inspired by his own father's experience, Stephen G. Rabe recounts how the villagers supported and saved paratroopers from marauding Nazi SS forces in the post-D-Day period.
Trade Review'Lost no longer, the American paratroopers who helped to liberate Normandy find a sympathetic chronicler in Stephen G. Rabe. This is micro-history at its most intimate. In granular detail, Rabe recounts the story of how American troops and French villagers rescued Graignes from German occupation. Drawing on deep research and even deeper feeling, the author pays tribute to his veteran father, to a generation, and to enduring ties between two nations bound together by collective sacrifices and shared valor.' Susan Carruthers, author of Dear John: Love and Loyalty in Wartime America
'Compelling and suspenseful, The Lost Paratroopers of Normandy highlights the bravery and resourcefulness of American soldiers and the people of Graignes while further demolishing the myth of a blameless Waffen SS.' Steven P. Remy, author of The Malmedy Massacre: The War Crimes Trial Controversy
'Stephen G. Rabe's exhaustively researched work breaks the silence surrounding the heroic roles played by French men and women to assure the success of the American landings. Engagingly written, the story emphasizes the courage of both soldier and civilian in the face of SS murder and atrocity. A must-read for anyone who wishes to explore another view of the D-Day landings. Highly recommended.' Mary Louise Roberts, author of D-Day Through French Eyes: Memoirs of Normandy 1944
'Stephen G. Rabe provides a fascinating and multi-layered military, diplomatic, and social history of US World War II paratroopers, French villagers, and the protection they gave each other in June 1944. In the process, he provides a fitting tribute to his father, who was one of those paratroopers.' Mark A. Stoler, author of Allies in War: Britain and America against the Axis Powers, 1940–1945
'… this history combines heroism and tragedy in equal measure. WWII buffs will be engrossed.' Publishers Weekly
Table of ContentsIntroduction; 1. Paratrooper; 2. Overseas; 3. Occupied France; 4. Liberators and friends; 5. Days of friendship, hope, and waiting; 6. The longest day in Graignes; 7. Escape, exile, and annihilation; 8. Graignes in historical memory; Afterword.
