Darlan: Admiral and Statesman of France, 1881-1942 [Hardcover]

George E. Melton (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0275959732 | ISBN-13: 978-0275959739 | Publication Date: May 30, 1998

Admiral Jean Francois Darlan's Western legacy is that of an opportunist, a fascist collaborator, or, at worst, a traitor during France's struggle for survival in the early years of World War II. This study, however, based upon new research from French, English, and German archival sources, paints a different picture. With a career beginning during the height of France's imperial power and lasting until the nation's rapid wartime decline, Darlan was a pragmatic statesman, a guardian of naval preparedness, a stout opponent of fascism, an earnest patron of the Anglo-French Alliance, and an advocate of combined naval power in the Mediterranean. He defended French naval and colonial interests against all foreign powers before and during the war, and his success in this area eventually resulted in his assassination. Darlan's career was characterized by his loyal service to his government and nation. One of the first to recognize the German threat, he openly favored naval rearmament in the early 1930s. He was also instrumental in the success of the 1937 Nyon Conference on Mediterranean security, which was the only prewar military effort against fascist aggression. During the occupation, Darlan pursued diplomacy to ease the burdens of the French people. Yet, these very negotiations with the Germans, along with his bitter reaction to Britain's surprise attack against the French fleet at Mers el-Kebir, would result in his reputation as an opportunist and a collaborator with the fascists. This examination of the man whose murder would ease the way for Charles de Gaulle will captivate anyone interested in the political intrigues of World War II.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Dr. Melton has admirably succeeded in writing a truly lucid, well-documented account of Darlan's life and work...other biographers of Darlan have presented a limited picture of the admiral since they chose to exclude Darlan's formation, his intense patriotism and his belief in the fundamental principles of the French Republic and what Darlan and many of his contemporaries viewed as France's mission to civilize. Melton has restored these valuable details. Moreover, the author has sought to question received perceptions of Darlan's record during the Occupation in order to present the significantly persuading evidence he has uncovered. In his introduction, Professor Melton states that "[I]t is now possible to view Darlan in fresh perspective and assess his career with better balance and objectivity...Melton has laudably achieved that goal and consequently has drawn a fresh image of Darlan from the shadow of both the collaborationists and Charles de Gualle”–European Studies Journal

“Whatever one's judgement of Darlan, Melton provides ample evidence upon which to base a judgement....Melton has presented an important study of Darlan and the regime he served.”–The Northern Mariner

“This reviewer can recommend this work for the WWII afficionado/da whose collection of the period tends to the military-political and the biographical aspects.”–Military and Naval History Journal

“...an analysis that provides an interesting corrective to the popular Gaullist view of the Admiral as a traitor to France.”–Modern & Contemporary France

“[Melton's] fulfills a real need in that it serves to make Darlan better known on the other side of the Atlantic and because it deploys information on Darlan from the vast resources of the U.S. archives that will be new for the most part to French and German researchers on the subject. Thus, Melton manages to integrate new information into an overview of Darlan's life and career which is...balanced and insightful...”–Journal of Military History

About the Author

GEORGE E. MELTON is Professor of History and Department Chair at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 264 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Publishers (May 30, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275959732
• ISBN-13: 978-0275959739
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,179,275 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rescuing Darlan - Rescatando a Darlan, September 14, 2002

By 

David Fallas-redondo "dfallas" (San José, Costa Rica) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Darlan: Admiral and Statesman of France, 1881-1942 (Hardcover)

This book is highly recommended to those who want to know more about Darlan than just his murder in Algiers in 1942. His career is well described, specially when trying to pact a joint effort with the British to control the Mediterranean and prevent Mussolini's Italy of becoming a menace, as well as matching Hitler naval rearmament. Melton offers great insight on Darlan's efforts to maintain the French empire together while the Germans occupied most of France. His duel with Laval and his loyalty to Pétain are widely described, as well as his dilemma of trying to get American support without offering the Germans an excuse to occupy all France and collaborate with the Germans without getting France back into the war on the German side. The climax of this book takes place when the American and British forces invade North Africa, when Darlan was forced to make his mind up, choosing the American (not the British, who supported De Gaulle) side instead of following Pétain's orders to defend North Africa. A must read!

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