Is Paris Burning [Paperback]

Dominique Lapierre (Author), Larry Collins (Author), Lapierr Collins (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0446392251 | ISBN-13: 978-0446392259 | Publication Date: March 1, 1991

From the bestselling author of The City of Joy comes the dramatic story of the Allied liberation of Paris. Is Paris Burning? reconstructs the network of fateful events--the drama, the fervor, and the triumph--that heralded one of the most dramatic episodes of our time. This bestseller about 1944 Paris is timed to meet the demand for Dominique Lapierre books that will be generated by the March release of his compelling new Warner hardcover, Beyond Love.

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

"Is Paris burning?" was a question that Hitler persistently put to his commander in the French capitol during August 1944. Thus begins the absorbing account of the liberation of Paris. Frederick Davidson reads with steady tempo, keeping us intrigued, as this chronicle reconstructs the fateful events that saved the city. The reader uses perfect French and German to speak the names and places that were part of this history. You will be moved by the descriptions and want to see Paris to witness what history allowed to survive. Is Paris Burning? is researched with meticulous and riveting detail, well narrated and certain to keep you intrigued. J.K.R. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 404 pages
• Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (March 1, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446392251
• ISBN-13: 978-0446392259
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 1 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #446,925 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

58 of 59 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Picture Paris Lost..., May 4, 2000

By 

Dixie Swanson MD "littlefoot" (Houston TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Is Paris Burning? (Hardcover)

If Hitler had his way, there would be no Notre Dame, none of Paris' beautiful bridges, no Eiffel Tower. The Allies didn't stop him, a brave German general did. At a tremendous personal risk, he resolved not to be the man to destroy the most beautiful city in the world.

The story is told with the in-your-face realism of two journalists. Yet it's full of humor and even downright silliness. Would-be soldier Enrnest Hemingway captured a German soldier and relieved him of his pants. Why? He figured no man would escape half-naked. He was right.

This isn't about troop movements, it's about real people risking their lives (and those of their families) to liberate Paris. After all, Eisenhower didn't think he had enough fuel or time to fight a mini-war for Paris. He desperately needed to push east to Germany.

So how did it all happen? Read the book, in Paris if you can, but whever you can find a good lamp. Is Paris Burning? will keep you up late at night.

30 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book!, August 17, 2000

By 

Pedro Peters (Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires Argentina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Is Paris Burning? (Hardcover)

Is Paris Burning? is one of the best books that Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins have wrote together. A huge job, a piece of history novel, good as only a few can be, with a great work of investigation; interviews with people like General Dietrich von Choltitz, (who recieved the order from Adolf Hitler, to burn Paris, in case that the defense couldn't be accomplish) or for example the Chief of Operations in Europe, the General Dwight Eisenhower. As usual in their books, Lapierre and Collins, put the reader inside of one of the most importants chapters in the history of the XX century, the liberation of Paris, with precisions of days, hours, and places. The order of Hitler, the beginning of the resistance, the slow arrival of the allied, the clear disobedience of General Von Choltitz.... in fact, a crucial moment in the history of one of the most beautiful citys in the world, a turning point in the development of the Second World War. A different way to learn history.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Brennt Paris?, May 2, 2005

By 

Richard W Little "I am a maple leaf on the wind." (Huizhou, Guangdong Province, China) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Is Paris Burning (Paperback)

I just finished reading Is Paris Burning? by Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre. The book is the fascinating tale of how Paris evaded the fate Hitler envisioned for it at the end of the Second World War. It's a complex tale, , with characters including Hitler and his staff in his bunker, the last German military governor in Paris and his staff, the French freedom fighters in Paris (both the Gaullists and the Communists), de Gaulle himself, Eisenhower and Bradley and the various other members of the Allied command structure, the Swedish ambassador in Paris, and common people, in the armed forces and in the streets of Paris. The title is drawn from a question Hitler asked, when he found out that Allied troops were approaching Paris.

The tale starts with the uprising in Paris, and ends just after its liberation is celebrated in the streets. Hitler had hand-picked the last military governor of Paris, based upon his reputation from attacks against Rotterdam and Sevastapol, and he had the task of holding back the Allies at Paris, or, failing that, reducing Paris to ruins, much like Warsaw had recently suffered. The Allies had every intention of bypassing Paris and moving onwards, but the freedom fighters in Paris knew the Allies were nearby, and hoped to push things to their advantage. All of these things should have spelt disaster for the City of Lights, but opportunity and stubborn resistance and collusion and soldier's honour led to a different outcome.

The authors tell a spellbinding tale, based upon much research. My copy is a used copy, and dates back to the mid-1960s (bought it on amazon, used). There are a great deal of photos, documenting scenes from throughout the story. The authors, in my opinion, did a commendable job, and I would recommend this book to those interested in Paris, or in the Second World War.